Productivity at work is defined as the amount of work -products or services- that are produced within a certain amount of time. Increasing productivity leads to get more work done in less time with the same number of employees. For that reason, productivity is one of the business’s main concerns as it indicates the efficiency of employees in the company. However, increasing productivity is not an easy task as many factors influence it.
How to increase the levels of productivity at work
In today’s blog post, we prepared the most effective methods by which you can increase the levels of employees’ productivity in your company. These techniques are:
- SMART Goals
- Leadership and Culture
- Motivation
- Better Equipment
- Training Programs
- Empowerment
- Performance Reviews
Set your objectives using SMART
One of the problems that affect productivity is the lack of vision and guidance. Lack of clear and well-defined goals leaves employees disoriented and inefficient, leading to a significant decrease in productivity at work. Therefore, you should first set and communicate the organizational objectives throughout the organization using SMART criteria.
First, employees must have clear and well-defined goals as this will enhance their work efficiency and help them understand their purpose in the company. In addition, they will not be sidetracked by other tasks that do not contribute to the organizational objectives. Second, managers must set the goals in a quantified way that allows them to measure and track the completion of the goals afterwards. Third, you should set realistic goals given the company’s position and the market conditions, otherwise, it will be impossible for employees to accomplish them. Fourth, the goals have to be linked and relevant to the business’s operations and contribute to the betterment of the company. Finally, the goals have to be bounded by time. Setting a deadline makes it easier for employees to stay on track and accomplish the goals most efficiently.
Leadership and Culture
Setting SMART goals is only the first step in addressing the lack of vision and guidance issue. The second step is to provide a sense of leadership and mentorship as leaders play a significant role in affecting the organizational overall productivity. Additionally, leaders take initiative and influence employees to follow their lead in working efficiently to achieve the company’s goals. Leaders are also highly energetic, self-motivated, and very eager to learn and exert their maximum effort. When leaders exhibit these characteristics, they establish certain standards for employees to abide by. Leaders are not limited to influence and motivate employees, they also change the entire organizational culture by creating a highly engaged work environment. This culture would encourage employee participation and engagement in their position and throughout the whole business. This results in increased levels of productivity at work and among employees.
Motivation
Focusing on various ways of motivation certainly increases productivity in the workplace. Motivated employees work harder than others and achieve better results. For instance, you could adopt Job redesign strategies in which you rotate jobs between employees from the same level. By doing this, you will be able to eliminate boredom from repetitive daily tasks. Managers can also utilize job enlargement and job enrichment strategies in which they increase the number or the depth of tasks that employees undertake. For more information about various methods of motivation, refer to the article, “Intrinsic Motivation: Non-financial Motivators for your Employees.”
Moreover, improving the work environment by adding some benefits and perks around the office tremendously increases employees’ productivity. For example, offer free food, a coffee machine, and fruits. Additionally, nice decorations, plants, and lots of natural light. Finally, managers can add some weekend activities, after-work drinks, and interdepartmental competitions. All that contributes to raising the employees’ motivational levels, increasing their productivity at work.
Better Equipment
Lack of proper equipment is crucial to productivity at work. Tackling this issue is rather simple but might be very costly and capital intensive. It is, however, an essential step in increasing employees’ productivity. Without the proper equipment, even the most qualified workers will not be able to perform their tasks effectively. Providing better equipment includes, but not limited to, faster and better performance computers, especially for those who work in programming and design fields. It also includes providing employees with advanced programs and communication apps they need in carrying out their tasks and facilitate communication throughout the organization. Most importantly, you need a program that manages your employees’ documents, prepares reports, and has a time tracking feature that allows you to efficiently manage your employees working hours as wells as their holidays and absences. You can obtain all these features and much more through our free software, Factorial HR.
Training
Employees who are not qualified nor have the necessary skills to perform their daily tasks will be incompetent. This will decrease productivity at work. Managers can address this issue by introducing training programs. These programs allow employees to improve and acquire the skills and knowledge necessary in their job, making them more experienced performing their tasks. They also enhance the employees’ ability to maximize their full potential. Moreover, training plays a significant role in increasing employees’ morale and motivation levels. All this tremendously increases employees productivity at work.
Empowerment
One of the worst things you could ever do in managing and directing your employees is micromanaging them. The reason lies in the fact that no one wants to be told in every single detail what they need to do. Employees might interpret this as a lack of trust, leading to deteriorating employees’ morale. It also leads to the absence of innovation spirit within the organization. These factors will lead to a decrease in productivity levels. On the other hand, delegating tasks to employees and empowering them to have decision-making power will tremendously increase their levels of productivity at work. The reason lies in the fact that autonomy allows employees to make decisions much faster and complete their tasks much more efficiently.
Performance Reviews
Managers use performance reviews to evaluate their employees’ level of productivity and degree of contribution towards achieving the organization’s overall goals. Similarly, you can use performance reviews to increase employees’ productivity at work. These reviews help employees identify their areas of weaknesses and strengths, allowing them to constantly improve and develop their skills. Moreover, performance reviews can raise employees’ motivation as they identify hard-workers and serves as a feedback and communication tool between employees and their supervisors. That results in a considerable increase in the levels of productivity at work.
