Overhearing something juicy can be a huge high, especially compared to the relative staleness of today’s remote water cooler chatter. But experts say that intentionally eavesdropping at work can actually boost your career (if not a jolt of excitement from hearing something you shouldn’t have).
It’s something that’s been missing in our remote work world. While proponents argue that much of the office experience can be more or less replicated virtually, eavesdropping can’t—especially because Slack, Zoom, and email correspondence can be monitored and used against you. Eavesdropping, alongside gossiping and a spur-of-the-moment conversation, creates unplannable moments that just don’t translate online (another point for the return-to-office zealots). These small connections can also educate those who started a new job during the pandemic, and especially for young workers who may have never been in an office full-time. Having begun their careers from home, many of them likely lack the soft skills their employers find crucial—learning by osmosis could be the answer there, too.
