Productive employees are an asset to every business. Their high productivity boosts output and profits. Businesses grow and expand when employees do more work efficiently. As an employer, there are a number of things you can do to boost the productivity of your employees in the office. Some of them include the following.
Organize Your Workplace
Disorder in the workplace can result in low productivity. Therefore, the first step you should take as an employer is to create an organized work environment. You should organize all aspects of your business including storage, work delegation, seating arrangements, work processes and time. When employees know where to get files, who to talk to in case of an issue, which process to follow when serving a customer, what time supplies should be ordered, and who does what, there will be less chaos and productivity will improve.
Set Clear Expectations
Setting clear expectations with your employees is another step you should take to boost productivity. You should communicate your expectations when advertising a job, during the interview, on the employee’s first day of work, and continually after that. Let the employees know the goals they are working towards and conduct performance reviews regularly to check whether expectations are being met.
Create a Good Work Environment
A good work environment will motivate your employees to work harder and more efficiently. There are five aspects of an ideal work environment. One, the work environment should be safe. When employees don’t feel safe, they will be worried, and worry lowers productivity. Two, the environment should be clean. Three, you should provide comfortable working desks and chairs. Four, the workplace should be free from distractions, including noise. Finally, you should maintain a positive atmosphere by treating your employees with respect and making them feel valued.
Get the Right Work Resources
Productive employees can be slowed down by slow systems. Therefore, upgrade your hardware and software to avoid delays that affect productivity. Also, ensure that there are enough tools for each employee. If employees have to wait on each other to use a certain tool, a lot of time is wasted.
Invest in Employee Training
By organizing training for your employees, you boost their knowledge and skills and this improves their productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Aside from training programs organized by the company, some employees will take other courses from outside to grow their career. As an employer, you can support such decisions by allowing them to plan their annual leave or work shifts in a way that gives them time to study and take exams. For instance, if your nursing staff have registered for online nursing programs in Vermont, you can support them by allowing them to clump shifts together so that they get a few days off to study. Your employees will be more productive when they have your support and also, you will benefit when they apply the new skills they learn to your business. However, such freedom should be given with guidelines to avoid inconveniences in your business.
Reward Productivity
Rewards are a great motivation to work harder. Consider rewards for the most productive employee of the month, quarter or year. You could also have a reward for the entire team when you achieve a certain mark. For instance, you can organize trips or give each employee a gift certificate when you meet a certain sales volume. Having a reward for the entire team can also be beneficial in promoting collaboration in the workplace.
Invest in Employee Wellness Programs
Employee wellness programs promote health, which is essential for productivity. Examples of employee wellness programs you can consider for your company include a workplace gym, subsidized gym membership, healthy snacks, nutrition training, fitness classes, mental health counselling and addiction counselling, among many others.
Encourage the Use of Productivity Apps
Encourage your employees to make use of productivity apps. Such apps can help in time management, listing tasks for the day, getting more done in less time and setting reminders. You can choose a number of apps for official use and allow the employees to add more based on individual responsibilities. Evaluate productivity apps and software carefully before installation.
A big mistake that employers should avoid when enforcing productivity in the workplace is setting unrealistic demands. Some examples include denying your workers breaks, having them switch off phones the entire day, and long working hours. When your demands are too much, employees will be unhappy and productivity will go down. Thus, instead of asking them to switch off phones the entire day, consider setting a rule that allows use of phones during breaks only. Combined with the other tips we have discussed in this article, you should see a rise in productivity.