How to improve productivity in the workplace
Have you ever wondered why some companies thrive and grow while others struggle and stagnate? One of the key differences lies in workplace productivity. The ability to harness work efforts efficiently is often what separates the successful from the distressed in today's competitive business landscape. So how can your business avoid falling into the latter group?
Let’s explore the definition of productivity, unveil common barriers, and provide you with practical advice to boost the performance of your employees and facilities.
What is productivity in the workplace?
It’s important to keep in mind that productivity is not just about being busy. Rather, it's about efficiently using time and resources to achieve more effective outcomes. While this concept may seem straightforward, it is one of the biggest challenges for companies nowadays. Research conducted by online job platform Zippia shows that the average employee is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes a day, or 31% of the average 8-hour workday. [1] This, of course, has a significant effect on a business's overall output.
Understanding how to optimize productivity can help your employees get the most out of their day. This means getting the most work done with the least amount of time, resources, and effort.
Ultimately, by empowering each of your employees to reach their full potential, you enable your business to reach new heights.
Barriers to productivity in the workplace
There are several factors that can negatively impact employee productivity. Let's look at them one by one so you can try to avoid them:
Unhygienic & cluttered work environments
While employee illness and subsequent absences can’t be avoided completely, an unclean workspace can increase the risk of germs spreading, leading to health issues. This may result in decreased productivity for employees who stay at work, as no one performs at their best when they’re ill. In other cases, an unhygienic work environment may lead to a rise in sick leaves.
On the other hand, a messy workspace can cause employees to spend more time trying to locate tools and documents than tending to their responsibilities. As well as this, clutter can increase the risk of slips, trips, and falls, which not only disrupts productivity, but is a considerable safety hazard.
Workplace distractions
Distractions significantly impact productivity across various industries by hampering workflow and making it challenging to maintain focus.
In industrial settings, unexpected machine noises, frequent equipment malfunctions, or interruptions from supervisors can derail concentration, leading to delays in production schedules. In the food service industry, distractions such as loud kitchen environments and disorganized workstations can slow down service, resulting in longer wait times and decreased guest satisfaction. Office employees can also lose focus with unnecessary phone calls or meetings and messy desks.
Unclear goals and priorities
Unclear goals and priorities can lead to confusion and inefficiency. Without clear aspirations, your team members may waste time and energy on tasks that don’t add value or even head in the right direction.
Additionally, unclear priorities can lead to a lack of focus. When priorities are not clearly defined, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of assignments to tackle. This can cause decision paralysis, putting deadlines at risk. It also means that important duties may be overlooked and time could be wasted on less crucial activities, further diminishing productivity. In the worst cases, this can lead to employee burnout, which only affects the company output even harder.
Poor communication between colleagues
Faulty communication between team members leads to misunderstandings, conflicts, time waste, and overall inefficiency. When colleagues are unable to clearly express their ideas and needs to each other, projects can be delayed or completed incorrectly.
Also, deficient communication across teams may lead to a breakdown in trust and collaboration, making it difficult to work together effectively. These roadblocks can cause a significant decline in productivity.
Inefficient processes
When tasks are not streamlined and optimized, employees end up spending more time than necessary on simple duties. This can lead to lower output and a decrease in overall workplace efficiency, causing frustration among your teams.
In fact, 72% of employees say that inefficient processes negatively impact their job satisfaction and performance. [2]
Lack of motivation
Motivation gives individuals a sense of purpose and direction, helping them stay focused and engaged in their work. Without incentives, your employees may lack the drive to perform at their best, leading to decreased productivity levels and weaker results.
4 ways to increase productivity in the workplace
There are a number of ways in which you can support your teams in improving their productivity. Here are a few ideas to get you started:1. Create a healthy work environment
Ensuring the health of your employees is crucial so they can do their jobs to the best of their abilities. This includes both taking care of their mental health as well as their physical one.
You can promote mental health through work-life balance. Achieving this is possible not only by improving the communications and processes within your teams but also by providing mental health support and tools from external providers.
From a physical health perspective, incentives like discounted gym memberships can make a big difference. But don’t underestimate the impact of a clean and hygienic workplace. According to a study by The Staples Corporation, 94% of workers feel more productive in a clean workspace. [3]
As well as making it easier for employees to focus on tasks, a sanitary and spotless facility decreases the likelihood of illness-related employee absences, thus boosting your business’s productivity.
A clean work environment can be achieved through a combination of two initiatives: access to hygiene products and comprehensive hygiene training.
A simple way to ensure this is by installing products like hand sanitizers, hand soap, and paper towels throughout your workplace to promote proper hand hygiene among employees.
Be mindful that while making these products available is all well and good, if your employees don’t know how to use them properly, there is still a risk that they could become ill at work. Placing reminders of correct handwashing procedures and holding engaging training sessions regularly will encourage them to adhere to the highest hygiene standards.
2. Effective communication between teams
Ensuring effective communication between colleagues in the workplace helps your teams feel more engaged, motivated, and productive. [4] This entails:
- Establishing channels of communication.
- Setting clear performance expectations.
- Fostering a company culture of transparency.
Regular check-ins, team meetings, feedback sessions, and project updates can help keep everyone informed and aligned. They also create a culture that encourages open dialogue, active listening, and constructive feedback among colleagues.
Additionally, educational opportunities, such as in-house or online training sessions and workshops, can boost your employees’ communication skills.
3. Review and streamline processes
Improving your company's processes is vital for productivity in the workplace and it involves several steps:
- First, identify and document current processes in detail.
- Next, analyze each step to identify any inefficiencies, bottlenecks, or redundancies. It’s worth gathering feedback from your team to understand their pain points and needs.
- Once you are clear of the improvement areas, ideate with key team members to come up with potential solutions — remember to document them!
Keep in mind that people can often be resistant to change and new processes, even if they are beneficial. This is a completely natural human behaviour. So, try to be patient and implement changes gradually, monitoring their impact on performance and productivity.
Ensuring clear and consistent communication with your employees throughout this process will also help you get their support. And don’t forget to review and assess the updated processes regularly to ensure they continue to be effective and efficient.
4. Boost employee morale
Recognizing and appreciating your employees' hard work can go a long way in uplifting morale. Not only does this help give their jobs meaning but it can also lead to higher rates of productivity, improved attendance, and more collaborative teams. [5] A true win-win!
Consider that there are many ways to show gratitude, and that actions speak louder than words. Here are some examples of policies that can improve employee morale:
- Career development opportunities to help your team expand their skills.
- Bonus schemes and incentives for high performers.
- Flexible working hours and remote work options where possible.
- Team bonding activities like volunteering days, game nights, or field trips.
Overall, showing genuine care and support for employees can significantly enhance their work satisfaction and encourage them to be more productive. Just be mindful that what makes a difference to someone varies from individual to individual, so taking personal interest in each team member will help you figure out the best angle for everyone.
By following these simple steps, you can significantly improve your employees' productivity. And remember, productivity improvement can involve major changes, so you don’t have to modify everything all at once. It’s okay to prioritize between maintaining a healthy workspace, optimizing processes, improving communication, and boosting employee morale. Take it step by step, keeping in mind that the more of these initiatives you implement, the better. Together, each small change adds up to enhance your business's output and success.
Learn more ways to enhance your workplace experience by checking out our in-depth guide on cleaning and sanitizing office equipment, or discover how improving sustainability in the workplace can improve productivity too.