improve productivity

7 Simple Changes Employers Can Make to Improve Productivity

Making the right changes, no matter how small, can effectively increase the rate of productivity in the workplace. We cover seven simple changes to help.

Investing time and effort into bettering productivity in the workplace can lead to organisational success. All employers have to do is to keep the well-being of their employees in mind, and workplace productivity is sure to improve.

Give proper recognition that your employees deserve

There is an undeniable relationship between how satisfied one is with their workplace and their level of productivity. One factor that significantly contributes to an employee’s job satisfaction is work recognition.

All anyone wants to do is to provide exceptional results and be recognised for the effort. You should apply the same logic to your employees. As an employer, you must be generous with compliments and private with criticism.

On that note, an employer must then make it a habit to acknowledge good work, both small and big, from their employees. Establishing a robust recognition program is a good way of formalising this practice in your organisation.

Encourage them to take risks

When an employer gives the green light on employees to take risks, what they’re saying isn’t that they should be reckless with their actions. What they communicate to the employees is trust.

Encouraging your employees to take risks may seem like a scary concept. Who doesn’t like being in control? However, if you discourage this behavior entirely, it hinders your employees from thinking independently and creatively.

Additionally, just because you encourage your employees to take risks doesn’t mean you can’t teach them how to be smart about it. You can tell them which boundaries they shouldn’t cross and which ones are a free game. This way they don’t end up endangering the well-being of the company.

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Incorporate physical fitness in their daily activities

Stress is one of the most impactful factors that are contributing to the decline of workplace productivity. There are many ways to reduce stress levels in the workplace, one of which being physical fitness.

Exercise has many benefits such as increased focus and fewer sick days. Aside from that, getting one’s blood pumping is a way to make people happier. A happier employee is a satisfied employee, and we all know that job satisfaction equals productivity.

To help incorporate physical fitness into your employee’s life, setup fitness and wellness programs in the workplace. Encourage your employees to make use of this office perk and watch employee productivity step-up amongst your staff. It is an efficient system that can help energise your workers both mentally and physically.

Provide your employees with the right tools

Providing the right tools for your employees is sometimes the key to improving their level of productivity. There are many reasons why having the right tools can help increase workplace productivity.

The biggest reason is that these tools can help automate everyday work tasks. Sometimes, the old way isn’t the right way, and it is time to update specific organisational processes. From sales software to time management tools, there are plenty of digital tools out there that are capable of optimising everyday organisational tasks.

When you invest in the right tools, work can get done quicker and more efficiently without reduced work quality. This small change can have a significant impact on workplace productivity so always check up on the different ways you can improve on existing tools and processes.

Allow them to work from home from time to time

People may have this misconception that working from home makes employees less productive. Surprisingly, results have shown just the opposite. A study has shown that enabling employees to work from home significantly boosted work productivity occasionally.

There are many reasons why this proved to be the case. Employees who are allowed to work from home have taken fewer sick days. Aside from that, their day isn’t bogged down by commuting time. They also experience fewer distractions.

Allowing your employees to work from home occasionally is an uncomplicated solution that answers the need for improved employee productivity. Not only is it good for productivity, but it is also excellent in making employees happier.

changes to make to improve productivity

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Improve workplace conditions

Sometimes, what is hindering the growth of productivity in the workplace is the place of work itself. When was the last time you have had your office cleaned by a professional? If your office isn’t squeaky clean regularly, then you may be fostering a poor workplace environment.

Your office’s cleanliness, the amount of daylight it receives, the air quality, and office temperature are all workplace conditions that employers must monitor. Always have your office cleaned regularly to reduce sick days in the office. Speaking of improving workers’ health, letting the daylight in the office is also useful in enhancing office health conditions.

Aside from that, the quality of air in the office is also crucial to the improvement of your employees’ health and wellness. Ideally, the office should receive plenty of outdoor air and sunlight and should have an average temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

All of these factors are what make up your workplace, and all of them contribute to the overall health and wellness of your employees. With the ideal working conditions in place, it is easier to be productive.

Try to minimise distractions

The reason why working from home has shown to increase employee productivity is because there are fewer distractions for them to deal with. If you can’t make your employees work from home, then you should do your best to reduce workplace distractions.

Although it would be cruel to inhibit freedom completely from your employees, there are many other ways that you can minimise distractions. One way is by reformatting the office space.

Collaboration is indeed essential, but sometimes it can be a big distraction. Reconsider the open office concept and try to balance your office out by having areas for collaboration and private spaces for private work.

Speaking of collaboration, do think about whether or not a meeting you are trying to hold is necessary. How often have we been in meetings that could’ve been tackled over via email? Ask yourself a few questions first before you think about holding a meeting.

Can the information that we will be going over in the meeting can be told via email? Are the presences of certain people in this meeting necessary? Just asking these two questions goes a long way in making sure that you don’t waste your time or your employees’ time with the conference.

Overall, distractions abound in the workplace, and it can be difficult as an employer to manage them all without overstepping some boundary. Minimising workplace distractions need not be a difficult undertaking with the right mindset and a different perspective.

In Summary

Listed above are just a few of the simple changes that you can act on as an employer that can help improve workplace productivity. Simple they may be as solutions, but they have a significant impact in fostering the right environment for your employees to do their jobs.

No matter what changes you make, the important part is that you always have the well-being of your employees in mind. After all, they are the backbone of your business, and their overall wellness is the driving force behind a highly productive workplace.

 

About the Author

Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for Maid Sailors Office, the #1 office cleaning services in NYC. Maid Sailors provide a wide range of cost-effective, yet high-quality office cleaning services that are sure to delight their customers.