5 Effective Ways to Increase Productivity at Work
Employee productivity should be one of the topmost goals of any start-up or established business. No matter how qualified your employees are, all efforts will go down the drain if your workforce is ineffective and unproductive. The key takeaway is that your employees are an investment, and they will only make a worthwhile return to your business if they produce your desired outcome.
There are several factors that may affect how an employee puts in work in the office. As a business owner, it is your duty to analyze these factors and implement effective ways to increase the amount of work being done and to boost employee morale in the long run.
Keep Employees Engaged
Disengaged employees only do more harm than good to an organization. Unfortunately, a Gallup survey shows that only about 34 percent of the entire workforce in the US feels engaged in their jobs. Ultimately, this leads to lagging productivity and increasing rates of absenteeism and turnover.
There’s more to keeping employees engaged than just improving their compensation benefits. In fact, even the simple effort to provide employee feedback more often can significantly keep the team happier and more engaged. Just make sure to be specific, timely, and constructive when giving feedback to be more motivating than patronizing.
Communicate Effectively and Regularly
Productivity often drops when there is a lack of open communication between the administration and the employees. But when managers are able to communicate the tasks and responsibilities with their subordinates effectively, it’s much easier to work toward a shared goal. This also allows employees to feel connected to the company’s mission and increases their satisfaction with their jobs.
There are different ways of effectively communicating with your workforce other than whipping out an email every now and then. Most of the time, face-to-face communication, especially when coaching or instructing an employee, is a sincerer and more personal approach.
Encourage Employee Autonomy
Constantly hovering over an employee’s work in progress only stirs frustration and disengagement at work. This only shows a lack of trust and autonomy in their jobs, leading to further disengagement and decreased productivity.
Instead, encourage each staff member to take ownership of a project or a task at hand. Allow them to manage their own time and to come up with their own resources. Giving your workers autonomy, instead of micromanaging them, ultimately makes them happier and more satisfied with their jobs.
Promote Self-Care
While stress is an inevitable part of one’s life, too much of it in the workforce can lead to burnout. And when the team is stressed, it is your organization’s loss at the end of the day.
Make sure to look after your employees’ health and wellness by promoting self-care in the office. Aside from encouraging a proper work-life balance, offer activities and facilities that they can use to keep their health in check.
Health-related perks such as a free gym membership or facilities such as an onsite clinic are great employee benefits that you can consider. You may also secure health monitors such as an SpO2 sensor and blood pressure apparatus that they can freely use in the office.
Establish a Company Culture
Your company culture defines the environment where your employees work, and when they are not attuned to your company’s values and work ethics, employees can quickly lose interest in their jobs. While there are various ways to crowdsource a company culture, you should remember that the process of cultivating it does not happen overnight, just as much as imposing productivity among your employees doesn’t happen that way too.
By keeping these methods in mind, you are just one step to promoting a harmonious relationship with your team and to achieving success for your business.
Author: Tara Desquitado