Companies are rethinking their employment strategies and the future of work in light of the changing global economy. Research conducted in the previous year found that remote workers were 47% more productive than in-office employees. [1]
Nevertheless, not every business is adopting a remote-first mentality. Sixty-seven percent of workers in a Workest survey of one thousand small business employees reported that their organization was making plans to resume regular business operations in 2019. [2]
So, how can employers and managers boost productivity without sacrificing efficiency? As a keynote speaker, who speaks to some of the largest organizations globally, I have realized the need for productivity our employees should have. Listed here are the top eight ways to boost productivity in the workplace.
Don't Hesitate To Delegate
Despite its apparent simplicity, this piece of advice is frequently overlooked. Obviously, we want to have a say in all the business decisions that affect our company.
While it is essential to put quality first (after all, that's what makes a company successful), spending too much time on micromanaging rather than delegating might be counterproductive.
Instead, have faith in the abilities of our staff and provide them with increasing levels of responsibility.
In the long run, this helps our business since our staff will have the chance to develop their leadership abilities. They were employed for a purpose; now we should give them an opportunity to show us what they can do.
Streamline Tasks With Skills
If we want to maximize productivity, we need to know our employees' strengths and tendencies. Someone who is outgoing, creative, and can think outside the box would be ideal for presenting ideas to clients.
However, if we give them work that requires a lot of attention to detail or adherence to a lot of rules, they may struggle.
Employee productivity plummets when we expect them to master every skill our company offers. Before assigning a task, consider whether or not the employee is the best fit for the job. If they don't, look elsewhere until we discover someone who does.
Companies are rethinking their employment strategies and the future of work in light of the changing global economy. Research conducted in the previous year found that remote workers were 47% more productive than in-office employees. [1]
Nevertheless, not every business is adopting a remote-first mentality. Sixty-seven percent of workers in a Workest survey of one thousand small business employees reported that their organization was making plans to resume regular business operations in 2019. [2]
So, how can employers and managers boost productivity without sacrificing efficiency? As a keynote speaker, who speaks to some of the largest organizations globally, I have realized the need for productivity our employees should have. Listed here are the top eight ways to boost productivity in the workplace.
Don't Hesitate To Delegate
Despite its apparent simplicity, this piece of advice is frequently overlooked. Obviously, we want to have a say in all the business decisions that affect our company.
While it is essential to put quality first (after all, that's what makes a company successful), spending too much time on micromanaging rather than delegating might be counterproductive.
Instead, have faith in the abilities of our staff and provide them with increasing levels of responsibility.
In the long run, this helps our business since our staff will have the chance to develop their leadership abilities. They were employed for a purpose; now we should give them an opportunity to show us what they can do.
Streamline Tasks With Skills
If we want to maximize productivity, we need to know our employees' strengths and tendencies. Someone who is outgoing, creative, and can think outside the box would be ideal for presenting ideas to clients.
However, if we give them work that requires a lot of attention to detail or adherence to a lot of rules, they may struggle.
Employee productivity plummets when we expect them to master every skill our company offers. Before assigning a task, consider whether or not the employee is the best fit for the job. If they don't, look elsewhere until we discover someone who does.
Convey Thoughts Clearly
Every supervisor is aware that open lines of communication are essential for a successful team. Thanks to modern technology, we can now get in touch with one another instantly (or should we say, tap of a touch screen).
So, it stands to reason that our present forms of communication are as effective as they get, right? Actually, that's not always the case.
Emails may consume up to 28 percent of an employee's time, according to research by McKinsey. Workplace surveys have shown that responding to emails takes up more time than any other single duty.
To facilitate even more rapid team communication, try using social networking technologies (like Slack) instead of email.
We may also periodically have our staff revert to a more archaic mode of interaction, namely, talking to each other over the phone. The time and effort spent exchanging emails on a problem that might have been solved with a brief phone call or meeting is now saved. This can also create positive social connections at work and create a sense of belonging. It make the experience more personal.
Maintain A Focused And Clear Direction
It's unreasonable to expect productivity from our staff if they aren't working for a common objective. Staff members will be less productive if they are unable to determine whether or not the objects they are working toward are realistic.
For this reason, it is important to provide staff with tasks that are as specific and manageable as feasible. Tell them what we anticipate of them, and explain the significance of this task.
To do this, it is recommended that we create "SMART" goals that are detailed, quantifiable, reasonable, achievable and time-bound. We should ask our employees to practice mindfulness in every aspect of their work. Mindfulness is much more than sitting and meditating. It requires us being thoughtful during our daily tasks.
We should ask ourselves if the job really meets all of these criteria before handing it off to an employee. If not, consider how we may modify the task so that employees are able to give their whole attention to it.
Reward Workers
Providing workers with an incentive to improve their productivity is a tried and true method of motivating them to do so.
Rewarding employees who have gone above and beyond their duties will make them feel valued and appreciated, hence enhancing their motivation to keep working hard. Appreciation boosts employee morale and motivation and furthers the feeling of a sense of belonging.
Consider each employee's unique situation and preferences when deciding on a reward for hard work. As an illustration, one worker may thrive on public acclaim, while another would rather get a more discreet "thank you.” So, let’s be mindful of this.
Get Rid Of The Excess
When our team is working toward a broader objective, avoid distracting them with menial duties. Look at the team's typical activities and see whether there is anything that can be eliminated to free up more time for the staff to concentrate on more pressing tasks.
If, for instance, workers want to submit daily reports to their superiors but their superiors don't have time to read them, the word count limit might be reduced. Doing something only for the sake of doing it wastes time that could be used toward more productive endeavors.
Employee Training And Improvement
It may seem like a smart idea to reduce or eliminate training as a means to save time and money for the company. However, in the long run, this strategy may fail. Implementing a policy of "learn as you go" might be quite inefficient for staff members.
We should take the additional day to train our staff properly so they can execute their jobs without stumbling around in the dark. They'll be able to go to work on their own, and we won't have to waste time in the future, fielding obvious queries or fixing obvious mistakes.
Take Advantage Of Remote Work
It could seem wasteful to let our staff work from home; after all, how can we ensure that they will still be productive if no one is watching them?
Yet the truth is far different (in fact, studies show that people who work from home are more productive than office employees). By allowing some or all of our staff to work from home, we'll help them reclaim hours of their time that would have been entirely squandered.
Take the case of a sick worker who does not want to infect the rest of the office but who can still do their job. It's more likely that they'll call in sick if we don't let them work from home.
If an employee needs to wait the recommended 2–4 hours for their refrigerator to be serviced, it's inefficient to make them miss a whole workday. Instead, we should let our workers work from home so they can make the most of their limited time or create some type of a hybrid model.
Conclusion
Things that seem like a waste of time right now might end up paying rewards down the road. Before we say "no" to anything that seems like a waste of time, consider what good it may do for our business.
References
1. Prodoscore Research from March/April 2020: Productivity Has Increased, Led By Remote Workers [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2022 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200519005295/en/Prodoscore-Research-from-MarchApril-2020-Productivity-Has-Increased-Led-By-Remote-Workers
2. 64% of Unvaccinated Employees Don’t Intend on Getting a Shot, Plus Other Return to Work Insights from SMBs [Internet]. Workest. 2021 [cited 2022 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.zenefits.com/workest/64-of-unvaccinated-employees-dont-intend-on-getting-a-shot-plus-other-return-to-work-insights-from-smbs/