10 Tips to Increase Workplace Productivity

10 Tips to Increase Workplace Productivity

It’s important to keep your employees happy in order to keep the business running effectively, so we have put together our top tips to increase workplace productivity.

All employers want to increase productivity in the workplace and the reason is simple: the more productive the workforce the greater the results.

Workplace Productivity = Profitability

As an employer you need to regularly assess the workplace to identify any factors that could potentially be killing employee motivation. Such common workplace dampeners can include conflicting personalities, negative people, lack of opportunities, poor organisation and management, demeaning tasks and lack of appreciation. Once you have addressed these factors you then need to eradicate them and put a strategy in place to prevent them reoccurring.

If you need some inspiration to help you motivate your workforce and increase workplace productivity have a read through our top ten tips:

1. Management

It is essential to have clear leadership in place to unite teams and communicate a clear vision of the businesses future. Management teams always need to be chosen wisely to ensure that the people representing you and managing your employees will maintain your ethics, standards and ideals.

2. Reward System

To work effectively we all require incentive, whether that may be money, promotion or something else. Without incentive we lose all motivation which is why it is so important to put a rewards system in place. As its not economical to hand out promotions left right and centre, you need to think of alternative incentives to motivate your workforce.

3. Feedback System

Everyone has a voice and everyone likes to be heard, yet there are often too many employees’ opinions going disregarded. It’s good practice to encourage employee feedback – you could install an anonymous feedback box for people to drop notes into or you could even send an email asking for ideas for the next staff social, then choose the best three and open it up to an in-house vote; your employees will appreciate that you value their opinion.

4. Workload Balance

It’s in everyone’s best interest to determine a well-balanced workload. Overloading employees can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety which has a direct negative effect on performance. On the other side of the coin employees need enough work to remain challenged and mentally stimulated.

5. Team Building

In order to improve productivity you need to strengthen your workforce and the best way to do that is to build relationships, communication and trust within your organisation. Team building not only offers everyone a break from their everyday routines, it also provides an opportunity for employees to become more familiar with their colleagues. Our venues are great away day locations, so get in touch if you need help organising one.

6. Communication

Establishing a strong management team will help maintain effective internal communication but there are also steps that you, the employer should take to ensure strong company communication. It’s important to keep everyone informed and up-to-date on company news; not only so everyone is aware of the latest updates but also so they feel to be an integral part of the company. It’s important that your employees know who they are working for so they can become familiar with you and recognise that you are invested in the company and actively support your team. By sending out an email or walking around the offices every now and then, interacting with your staff, you will remind them of your presence and reassure them that you are engaged with the company.

7. Workplace Culture

The likes of team building, management and feedback will help improve the workplace culture but it is the responsibility of all employers to ensure the company principles are reflected in the workplace. This includes building and maintaining good working relationships between colleagues and offering equal opportunities.

8. Encourage Innovation, Technology and New Ideas

Be open to new technology and digital innovations; we are living in the digital era so take advantage of it. Chances are that your office is not using the most effective software available and you’re employees are wasting time frequently on outdated software. By encouraging innovation and embracing technology you’re likely to find more efficient ways to operate your business.

9. Employee’s Needs

Stress accounts for a staggering 43% of all days taken off work. By addressing the causes of work-related stress you may improve employee attendance. All employees have different personal needs but there are five main categories that you can monitor: equality, stability and security, pecuniary, freedom and purpose.

10. Review and Revise

On a monthly basis, review the changes you have implemented and the effects they have had; positive and negative. Collect feedback from employees if necessary and then revise your strategy in order to improve it i.e. if you found that offering a weekly incentive helped improve office morale then consider making it permanent, or if you find that two members of staff’s personalities are clashing then address the situation – schedule in a meeting to discuss the issue, move them into separate offices etc. This is your opportunity to find solutions to the problems identified.

As an employer it is your duty to act in the best interest of the business and as it happens this includes acting in the best interest of your employees; by increasing productivity you will increase profitability and therefore all of your efforts will result in a stronger business and workforce.