It's hard to imagine a company being successful if they are unable to promote an environment and company culture that encourages employee productivity while taking care of their employees.
Sure, there are multiple factors to measuring employee productivity at play, such as personal problems outside of work, new changes to adapt to, and more, but it is up to the company to give opportunities to employees that boost productivity and help them soar.
But what are some potential methods or even company-wide policies that engage employees and help them feel more motivated to do great work? Let’s take a look.
Here are 7 ways you can start to increase employee productivity:
1. Create a friendly work environment 😀
A friendly work environment should be the first priority. Employees will not thrive when they are stuck in a workplace where employee satisfaction, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging are lacking.
Toxicity in the workplace can come from both peers and supervisors, and it is crucial to address these issues before they snowball out of control. That's where positive company culture comes in.
A positive company culture promotes open communication, mutual respect, and support among employees, which combats workplace toxicity by discouraging negative behaviors and fostering a more inclusive and uplifting environment. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are less likely to engage in toxic behaviors, leading to a healthier and more productive workplace.
2. Gamification and Friendly Competition 🤼
Friendly competitions and gamification strategies are another example of how organizations can benefit on multiple fronts. Organize some friendly competition in the office with things like team challenges, sales goal leaderboards, or a good old-fashioned step challenge. Incentivize participation by treating your winning employee or employees to a prize!
When implementing friendly competition, it's essential to maintain a positive and inclusive atmosphere and make sure the focus is on camaraderie, collaboration, and employee development rather than fostering unhealthy rivalries.
Adding gamification strategies improve employee productivity by increasing engagement, setting clear goals, fostering competition and collaboration, offering recognition and rewards, and more! However, successful use of gamification means thoughtful and appropriate uses to fit the organization's unique needs and culture.
3. Necessary equipment 💻
Employees need to have access to the necessary equipment to carry out their tasks, especially when working remotely. Some companies might try to cut costs to save expenses, but it is the opposite of aiming to increase workforce productivity.
Consider someone who has to go on a video call with a client but struggles to understand how to open the camera on a MacBook or another laptop because the device is outdated.
Or what about a video call getting cut in the middle because the wifi connection is too poor to handle it and they don't have a backup hotspot?
Technical problems lead to frustration, especially if it was something that could have been solved by being equipped with the proper tools, to begin with.
Ensure that your team has everything they need to be successful at work by providing a work-from-home budget, where new employees can purchase a wireless keyboard, a new desk setup, or whatever tools they need to be more productive employees!
4. Team building 🧩
We already talked about how much better it is to work in a friendly environment, but it should not stop there.
Strong bonds between colleagues take employee performance and productivity to the next level. Team building activities not only provide an opportunity for coworkers to collaborate and work together, but they also provide a space for your team to strengthen relationships and create lasting memories.
Team building ranges from various intense challenges like completing escape rooms or finishing a rock climbing course to more relaxed trivia games and book clubs.
Ideally, there should be something to accommodate everyone’s interests. Moreover, employees should be encouraged to submit their own ideas if they believe that it would generate enough interest among colleagues.
One final thing to note about team building is that those working remotely should not be left behind.
More and more companies are looking for remote employees to join their hybrid teams, however, they might get overlooked when it comes to planning team building activities.
Thus, whenever an opportunity to have them join remotely comes, it should be taken. Try hybrid team building events to improve employee engagement and get everyone together all at once!
5. Realistic goals 📈
Most businesses set monthly, quarterly, and yearly targets with the hopes of achieving them. Qualitative targets such as OKRs and quantitative goals such as KPIs can provide employees with a more structured sense of what they are working towards.
Not to mention that seeing progress in real-time can help increase employee productivity and result in your team feeling like they are making a real difference with their efforts.
Problems start when companies go for unrealistic goals and expectations. One glance at what your target should be and that sinking feeling that you have no chance to accomplish it is one sure way to lose motivation.
Higher-ups who are in charge of setting goals should be in constant communication with department managers. A dialogue between the two about a company’s goals should leave less room for potential misunderstandings and putting employees in an uncomfortable position.
Teams can be set up with a number of frameworks to ensure they not only deliver but are also satisfied. One of the frameworks worth testing out is the AIDA model which can help streamline processes.
6. Training and career opportunities 💼
Employees who see that they are growing as both individuals and professionals within the company are more likely to be loyal and productive. According to Zippia, 45% of workers would stay at a company longer if they had opportunities to learn and develop.
It is much easier to get promoted from within when you put effort into showing how motivated you are and how you believe in the company. Loyalty gets rewarded, and it is natural to put in extra effort knowing that you will not be stuck in the same position forever.
Ensuring that there are learning and development as well as career advancement opportunities, whether that's upward or lateral, is another way to encourage your team and boost employee productivity.
7. Assurances 🌴
Companies have to provide assurances for their workers. Salaries, health insurance, and vacation days should be a given, but what about going the extra mile to take care of your employees?
Additional benefits like flexible scheduling and added time off help your employees stay motivated and productive while ensuring the priority of their health and wellness and their ever-changing lives outside of the workplace.
Burnout is a real thing. Instead of giving the bare minimum of sick days, why not implement a policy that encourages employees to take a day or afternoon off where they need it? This encourages your employees to take some reset time when their productivity may be slipping and shows that you care about their well-being. It's a sure bet that they'll come back feeling rejuvenated and ready to put their best foot forward.
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All in all, there are multiple ways organizations can improve employee productivity.
Motivating employees is not easy, but there are established methods that have been proven to work. If resources are available, a company's long-term success relies on a motivated workforce, so it is imperative to invest and encourage a happy and productive work environment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate employee productivity?
Companies may measure employee productivity by calculating output per time period, revenue generated, efficiency ratio, KPIs, revenue per employee, customer feedback, and goals achieved. The specific metrics used depend on the nature of the job and the organization's objectives.
What leads to decreased employee productivity?
Decreased employee productivity can be caused by factors like a negative work environment, ineffective management, lack of recognition, insufficient employee training, low engagement, and an excessive workload. Addressing these issues can help improve productivity and employee satisfaction.
