Employee productivity is one of the most challenging things to nail when running a business. While some people don’t need encouragement to give it their all, not everyone feels the same way. Some people do the bare minimum expected of them to avoid getting fired.
When more productive employees have 21% greater profitability than ones who aren’t, you can’t afford to rest easy and not work to improve workplace productivity.
However, increasing employee productivity is easier said than done. Keep reading to learn how to increase workplace productivity.
Provide Educational Opportunities
There’s no end to how much you can learn for work. Things are constantly changing in today’s world, so you need to stay updated with the newest trends and methods to get the job done.
Unfortunately, your team probably doesn’t have the time or energy to stay on top of things. It’s up to you to provide that opportunity to people.
There are countless resources to invest in that provide training and education for employees. Offer this to anyone on your team who wants it and provide free time for people to educate themselves on new ways of doing things.
Provide this time during the day, so your team doesn’t have to spend time off work staying up to date.
Don’t Micromanage
In the process of improving employee performance, some managers go overboard and try to manage every part of a business. While this may feel to the manager that more is getting done, it’s usually detrimental to the team.
You hired your employees because they’re good at their jobs. They don’t need someone looking over their shoulders to ensure they’re doing things correctly. This leads to poor morale because people feel like you don’t trust them.
People are typically more productive when you give them the freedom to do their work. It’s still okay to check in to see if people are on track. However, don’t go overboard and make your team feel like you’re watching their every move.
Make Use of Technology
People don’t need to handle every task manually anymore. There are now countless tools available that automate tasks and make things easier for everyone.
If you aren’t making the most of these tools, you aren’t going to get the best productivity from your team.
Ask your team members what they regularly do. Your goal here is to gather requirements for software and search for productivity tools that can help.
Most companies can use some general tools like project management and communication systems. However, there is also specialized software for industries useful for specific use cases. Ask your team if any of those tools are helpful and invest in giving them what they need.
It may cost money every month to maintain subscriptions, but the added productivity you get is invaluable.
Allow for Downtime
Even if you want your employees to work every second of the day, that’s not the best way to get a productive team. People need time to decompress and relax. If you overwork your team, you’ll get people who burn out and are less effective.
A good work-life balance and breaks during the day are critical for a productive work environment. Don’t just give your team the minimal number of breaks required by law. Give them the freedom to take a few minutes whenever they stop losing focus.
It’s also important to leave work in the office when people go home. If you have people working after hours, that’s a sign that your team has too much work, and it may be time to bring on more help.
An extra set of hands is worth far more than forcing your team to work beyond their capacity.
Add Extra Incentives
If you want your team to truly engage with their work, it pays to make them excited about getting stuff done. If all you do is offer regular raises in the average pay range, it doesn’t do much to encourage people to be at their best.
Extra incentives are a great way to encourage your team to accomplish more. Here are a few things to consider:
- Extra time off
- Added pay raises
- Bonuses based on company performance
- Stock options for high producers
- Flexible work options
- Company getaways
Extra incentives won’t encourage everyone to engage more with their work, but it’s enough to get some people interested. On top of that, additional benefits are a great way to attract better talent to your company. You’ll get more skilled workers who will stay longer since you treat them right.
Use Performance Reviews
A productivity system isn’t worth much if you don’t review how well it works. You need constant monitoring and reporting to measure results and make improvements.
Employee reviews are one of the best ways to handle this. Set aside time to audit your employees’ work regularly.
Remember, though, that the goal isn’t to rag on people for not being productive enough. Your goal is to help people make the most of their time and do their best work. You should design your review to help employees grow and thrive at work.
Check out these tips to learn more about conducting productive performance reviews.
Now You Know How to Increase Workplace Productivity
Your company is only as effective as your employees, so it pays to work to improve employee performance however you can. However, you can’t just tell your employees to work harder and expect them to handle more work. Now that you know how to increase workplace productivity, you can put systems in place to help your employees remain effective and productive during the day.
If you’re interested in reading more business advice that will help you improve your company, check out the latest business posts on the blog.
Leave a Reply