7 Effective Ways to Improve Workplace Productivity
Studies show that employees today are less productive than they have been in past years.
This is a crucial dilemma, as employee productivity can directly impact your business’s reputation, profit margins, and customer engagement. Low productivity can actually cost a business more over time.
It can be difficult identifying solutions for workplace efficiency, even in a digital age.
However, it is possible to boost your company’s overall productivity without adding to your company expense sheet or hiring new employees.
Read on for insight into what you can do to improve workplace productivity, no matter what business you operate.
1. Change Up Work Spaces
Our environments can greatly impact the way we work in a given space. In fact, certain kinds of areas can directly influence our moods and motivation levels.
Bring the psychology of productive space into your office in order to boost workplace efficiency.
For one thing, set the standard for organization. Cluttered or poorly organized spaces can hinder productivity by generating stress and other negative feelings. Consider implementing new storage systems and shelving in commonly used areas, such as break and conference rooms.
If possible, encourage open-concept work areas that limit employees’ sense of isolation. Commercial buildings will naturally vary, and some may have more flexibility in this regard than others.
However, open space exposed to high levels of natural light can bolster the sense of collaboration and community in your office. After all, employees who feel engaged and part of a larger operation are more likely to be productive.
2. Implement the Right Technology
Outdated or inefficient equipment can hinder workplace productivity more than most business owners realize. What’s more, employees may become significantly frustrated when dealing with technology that isn’t likely to meet their workflow needs.
A frustrated employee is less likely to accomplish tasks in an efficient manner than one who feels she has the equipment she needs to get things done.
Ensure that your employees are using the best technology and equipment possible to take care of tasks. This may mean installing new software or upgrading existing tech.
Consult IT services about implementing the right technology for your needs. If you don’t have a dedicated IT department, consider speaking with a technology consultant.
Send out surveys to gather employee feedback about the tools they have. Ask for detailed responses about how employees use current technology and what would help them perform their jobs better.
Get rid of any equipment that isn’t meeting your company needs. Donate old computers to charity or a nearby Salvation Army. Declutter storage cabinets of outdated modems, wiring, monitors, and phones.
3. Integrate a Healthy Reward System
Employees love receiving recognition for excellent performance. Regularly rewarding your employees for exceptional work can influence your workforce’s productivity on the whole.
It’s essential to establish a stable reward system designed to acknowledge employees for various types of tasks and performance.
Simply handing out arbitrary rewards sets the standard for inconsistent or meaningless feedback, which can tank workplace productivity.
Decide what merits rewards in your office. You may choose to reward teams, for example, for completing projects on time.
Some business owners recognize new hire who have demonstrated high performance within the first few weeks of employment.
Create a document that details all of these performance benchmarks. You do not have to share this document with employees but it is important to be consistent in using it when recognizing your workers.
Rely on it regularly so that you can establish your expectations for performance.
Lastly, be sure to reward employees sufficiently for their achievements. Giving a shout-out to a stellar employee at a team meeting can suffice. Other managers like the idea of tangible rewards, such as plaques, Amazon gift cards, or bonuses.
Whatever the case, be sure that compensation is fair and relevant.
4. Avoid Micro-Managing
It’s key to effectively oversee work performance to ensure that employees are accomplishing tasks in the right way. However, micro-managing can be detrimental to productivity.
When an employee believes she’s being micro-managed, she may feel stressed, frustrated, and disrespected. Micromanagement can suggest that you don’t trust your employees to do the work you’ve hired them to do.
As such, micromanaged employees may not meet your standards of performance.
Establish a clear system of management that gives employees space and freedom to complete tasks with creativity and zeal.
This system should include reasonable scheduled check-ins, such as bimonthly meetings with individual employees.
5. Encourage Focus
Unproductive workers often struggle to stay focused at the office.
Encourage focus by giving employees the tools they need to stay on task. One way to do this is to create a workspace designed to limit isolation and foster collaboration (see tip #1).
Another way involves using technology. Apps and programs like Monday or Trello enable users to organize and complete tasks effectively.
Breaks are also an important aspect of efficient workdays. Encourage your employees to take regular ten or fifteen-minute breaks to promote focus.
It’s also possible to investigate medication for severe personal focus issues. Click here for more information.
6. Incorporate Collaborative Innovation
Because engaged and connected employees are more likely to be productive, build a workspace that prioritizes collaboration and innovation.
Technology can assist with this, too. We recommend the PopIn platform that brings employees together via innovative ideas.
Giving employees collaborative projects that require innovation can also foster a sense of community. Collaborative projects and discussions can also make workers feel valued for their opinions, a key driver of workplace motivation.
Sending out surveys to get a sense of workers’ ideas about company movement and structure can empower your workforce further.
7. Provide Professional Development
Knowing how to be productive in a workspace scenario is a skill. Additional skills, such as organization, time management, and interpersonal skills, can leverage one’s ability to get things done.
Provide professional development opportunities for your employees to boost workplace productivity. One-day workshops or week-long intensives can effectively train your workers to maximize their time spent in the office.
How to Improve Workplace Productivity
As a business owner, your company depends on the efficiency of your employees. Target workplace productivity by implementing effective reward systems, professional development training, and appropriate technology.
Encourage focus, collaboration, and innovation with the right tools and communication.
Even changing up the organization of your office space can influence worker productivity.
WhatYourBossThinks has all of the answers to your workplace questions and needs. Want to learn more about workplace efficiency? Check out our posts on the productive work life!
