There is nothing more critical to a business – large or small – than productivity. It’s a chain reaction: the less happy the employee, the slower and less motivated they are in the workplace, and this then leads to less work being completed to the right standard. If your employees are happy, they’re going to be more productive while they work and this is the formula for a business that is successful.
If you find that your staff are not as productive as they could be, then you need to consider which habits you need to change to improve the levels of productivity that your employees are offering in your business. You need to be on the level of your staff if you hope to understand how satisfied they are in their jobs, and you have to remember that you want your team to feel happy in their work. The more comfortable they are, the better they perform, and the better your business is when it comes to quality work. You want to optimize the way that your people work while also reducing the time that you spend on unnecessary tasks. So, with all that in mind, you need to learn how you can boost the productivity in your team, and we’ve got eight solutions to help.
You Need To Be Efficient
A business has to operate as efficiently as possible while also being open to the possibility of change in the future. It’s essential to know your staff and the way that they work, but it’s also necessary to understand your goals in the short term and the long term. This way, you can prioritize the tasks that matter the most. Give your staff clear goals and tasks and create a plan to ensure that these goals can be met.
Delegate Tasks
It’s always risky to hand people jobs that you are used to doing yourself as a manager, but increasing responsibility for your team is a great way to boost morale and give your staff more job satisfaction. When you delegate, you take on the risk that the job will be done in a way that is different to how you would do it, but it’s a reasonable risk to take if it improves the productivity of your employees.
Eliminate Waste
A big area in which people struggle when it comes to productivity is in workplace boredom. We’re not going to lie to you; it happens. You know it, and we’re sure that you get bored, too, now and then. By changing the way that you do things, you can reduce time wasting and cut costs. For example, you can use technology like Deputy’s timesheet app to achieve better accuracy in payroll and get a good overview of how your team are performing. Eliminating waste should be a priority for a better workforce and a more productive day.
Reduce Distractions
While social media in the workplace can kill productivity, it wouldn’t work to take it away completely. The best thing that you can do is to remain as engaged and focused as possible during working hours. Encourage no phones at their desks, but they can take breaks once an hour to check their phones. Not only will you have a staff willing to meet you halfway, they know they’re allowed to look – which takes away the taboo.
Use The Right Tools
You cannot expect staff to be productive in their work if they do not have the right tools to work with in the first place. You need to have equipment that is up to date and ready to go, and you also need to think about the right programs for your computers so that they run to the maximum efficiency. The timesheet app we mentioned earlier by Deputy is a prime example of equipping your staff with the right apps and tools to make their day easier.
Better Conditions
Do your staff have to work long hours? How are you making their working environment a positive one? Heating and air conditioning are basics that you must have to be better and productive staff, but have you considered laying on unlimited refreshments and biscuits? You want to ensure that your staff are hydrated and eating during the day and it is always appreciated if you consider their feelings.
Set Realistic Goals
The people who work for you need to have a strong sense of where they are going as part of their career. You need to know if they are performing well, and this means setting goals that you know are definitely achievable. With a clear focus and goals, your staff can be more productive.
Positive Reinforcement
In the same way that children require love bombing from time to time, you need to consider how you can do the same with your staff. Don’t hand them a positivity sandwich: positive comment, negative comment, positive comment. Instead, encourage, motivate and reward them. If you have a member of staff doing a good job, tell them so. Offer incentives for goals hit and make sure that your criticism is constructive at all times. Always have an incentive above and beyond anything else, too, such as an additional few days of vacation time. When you announce to the room that a member of staff has performed above and beyond their duties, everyone else can see that a sense of commitment to the role is something to aspire to – and they will follow suit.
Showing your employees that you are willing to make their working day more comfortable, more profitable and in a place that they want to be will encourage better productivity in the workplace. Take the time to ask your staff what will make them tick, and follow through with some of their suggestions so that they know that they have been heard. Your team keep your business moving and growing – reward them for it if you want them to work hard.
