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4 Practices To Improve Your Employees’ Productivity

More often than not, employees experience tremendous pressure to perform well. A study that involved 22,347 employees from 12 countries in UK and US indicate that the employees who experienced high-stress levels were highly were disengaged. It is true that companies pay their employees according to the time and effort they put in, but there is a lot more that organizations can do to encourage employees to perform better.

Studies reveal that 89% of employers think their employees leave for more money. But, the fact is only 12 percent employee leave for more money. Moreover, 75 percent of people who leave an organization don’t actually quit the job; they quit their bosses.

Businesses must realize that it is not always the employee’s fault if they fail to achieve goals. At times, they need change the organizational culture to improve productivity and efficiency. In fact, 90 percent leaders think having an engagement strategy can impact business success. Also, companies that engage their employee see 2.5 times more revenue compared to those who don’t.

A lot depends on how the management or the project managers handle office issues. Being proactive and engaging employees in a positive manner can help them achieve goals faster.

Here are a few steps they can take to improve employee productivity:

1. Communication is Crucial

Clarity and transparency are the two elements that contribute to the success of an organization and they can only be achieved through effective communication. Communication lowers errors and builds trust. But most of the time, the management only communicates with high-level executives. This is a mistake that organizations must never make. Ground-level employees contribute to the success of the business immensely, so communicating with them is important.

Hold a meeting with all your teams and maintain an open door policy. Listen to what employees have to say and react appropriately. When employees know that you will support them, they will be more willing to give their best.

2. Training Must Go On

According to the Corporate Learning Factbook, organizations in the U.S spent $1,169 per learner on an average (on learning and development (L&D) initiatives) in 2013. Employers often think they will lose the employee they train, but research shows the more an organization spends on polishing talent, the higher is the likelihood of retaining them.

The Training Magazine ranks 125 organizations every year based on their employee development programs. For instance, the Cheesecake Factory invests an average of $2000 annually per employee for training them. The result: the chain experiences sales of $1000 per square foot, almost double the industry average.

The ASTD Report “Bridging the Gap” indicates, 41% of employees working in companies that invest little or nothing in training are likely to leave within a year; whereas only 12 percent employees are likely to leave a company (within one year) that invests in training and development. Quality project management training programs help not only the employees but organization achieve business goals faster.

3. Reward to Encourage

Financial rewards are great, but they don’t work in isolation. Recognizing employees’ effort publicly is a great non-monetary way to encourage and motivate them. You can mention names of hardworking and dedicated employees on your website or on your official social media account. You can also award them trophies or mementos during annual meets.

Some employees, however, may feel embarrassed with public felicitations, which is why it is best to ask them what motivates them the most. Every employee is different, so you must think about rewarding them differently. Efficient project managers can take the responsibility to identify the most productive employees and reward them accordingly.

It might seem complex, but organizations need to find a way to determine what motivates individual employees. You can ask employees during an appraisal interview or include a question in the appraisal form.

4. Give Them Space

Respect employees and provide them with enough space. Employers often become too stringent about the way employees work or behave in the office. By allowing some personal space, employers can ensure the tasks are performed with greater responsibility and independence and completed more efficiently.

This is because happy employees mean better productivity. A recent study by economists at the University of Warwick found happiness led to 12 percent increase in productivity. So, allowing your employees to spend some of their free time on social media or in playing online games can make them more productive. Take the example of Google, it keeps its employees happy by offering perks such as free breakfast, lunch, video games, football and massages at subsidized rates.

To ensure employees do not get deviated from their work, communicate to them about goals and deadlines and let them know what you expect from them. Track their progress, but refrain from interfering; provide feedback instead to make sure the work gets done at the end of the day.

Conclusion

Employees are your assets and the bloodline of your organization, so it is crucial to manage them well. Engage with employees and think about ways to keep them motivated, always. Employees must never feel they are micromanaged. So, think about how you can uplift the company culture to make employees feel valued. If you don’t know where to start, try implementing the points discussed above.

Dipti Parmar
Dipti Parmarhttp://diptiparmar.com/
DIPTI is an experienced business and marketing consultant. She helps startups, brands and individuals build a stellar online reputation and establish thought leadership in their industry, with innovative content and digital marketing campaigns. Dipti's insights have been featured on major publications like Inc, CIO.com, CMO.com and Entrepreneur Mag. Head over to her website DiptiParmar.com to find out more about how she can help you.

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