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Five Unique Ways to Boost Employee Productivity

Posted: 14th August 2019 13:42

Time is one of the most important commodities in the world of business, but when it’s not being used efficiently, it becomes useless. Your employees being present at the office from 9 to 5 does not necessarily mean that they or you are using the time available to benefit the business. In fact, if you have an inefficient workforce, they could be there 24/7 and still not achieve what needs to be achieved. If you’re concerned about the productivity of your workforce, you need to take action as soon as possible. Here are 5 unique ways to boost employee productivity at the office.
 
Introduce incentive schemes
 
Motivation is key when trying to get the best from your team and you could try to incentivise your employees to perform more efficiently by offering reward schemes for those who go above and beyond. Essentially, this is all about letting your employees know that you value their hard work. You could arrange a competition with a voucher as a prize or even a commission based scheme. It’s important to remember, however, that sometimes a simple thank you is all someone needs to feel appreciated.
 
Streamline the to-do lists
 
Make sure any goals are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). Are your employees wasting time on unnecessary and time-consuming tasks when there are more important goals and projects going on? Take the time to meet with them or ask for reports from supervisors to ensure that what they’re working on is adding real value to the business.
 
Organise regular training
 
Minimizing the amount of training your staff receive might seem like it will cut costs and save time, but in the long run you run an increased risk of them making more mistakes. By continuing to train and refresh the knowledge of your employees you are giving them the tools they need to work autonomously. In addition to training them for their specific role, it’s also a great idea to continue to develop their skills and experience through courses, seminars and mentoring schemes.
 
Embrace flexible and remote working
 
More and more companies are recognising the potential value in providing flexible working options for their staff, including flexible hours and working from home. While it may seem counterintuitive at first, research has shown that employees are more productive when given the freedom and
flexibility to work in the way that suits them.

In addition, employees who have the option to work from home also take less sick days. An employee with a cold, for example, might not feel up to being in the busy office environment or could be hesitant to come in to the office in case they spread their illness to co-workers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they cannot work at all. For employees who want to work remotely but haven’t got an appropriate office at home, you could suggest using a shared office space near them such as a coworking office in London.

Keep communicating
 
It’s important to keep the lines of communication between you and your staff open at all times. Carry out regular performance reviews so you can encourage what they are doing well and address areas in which you’d like to see improvement.