Every company needs employees that have superior work efficiency which boosts the productivity of the company. It is essential for the companies to keep their employees motivated and dedicated enough to pursue excellence in their work and at the same time meet deadlines. In corporations, a delay in a project can mean a loss of a lot of money and hence it is imperative for the corporations to ensure that the employees are always working in their peak condition. A motivated employee is the best employee as he/she gives his/her all to the assigned work. All this sounds wonderful but it has been a headache for the companies to try and maintain a level of dedication in its employees. The very reasonable goal of the HR departments in corporations is to constantly motivate and push employees to do their best and monitor them.
Living Examples
The most successful companies in the world have their own way of motivating employees and allowing them to express their creativity and ideas in their unique ways. From the carefree work atmosphere at Googleplex to the offices of Apple which are even more secretive than some national governments. Every one of the big companies has their own work culture developed through a long process and one which they are the living proof of being effective. The employees in all these companies are all expected to do their best work and be as productive and efficient as possible. It is no secret that in the corporate world, your productivity and creativity is what takes you up on the corporate ladder.
Digital or Organic
To successfully run your business and satisfy your client with the final product or launch a market breaking product, you need your employees to be giving their best. The time they spend in the office should be more productive if not the same as yesterday. As an employer, project leader, team leader or manager you’re expected to bring out the best in the people working under you and it can get a little tricky sometimes and at some points, downright impossible. Humans are not machines and they need to be treated as such. Not every day is the same and not every one of your employees has the same life. They all have different issues in life and different approaches to life and work. As their boss, you have to take all of this into account and be ready for a day when the employee is not up to the task or even goes for an extended leave. All these uncertain factors can influence your employees which in turn influences the productivity of your company. You need to be able to perceive such situations and manage the overall productivity of your employees and ensure efficient work at the same time to meet deadlines.
10 ways to boost productivity
We are providing a list of 10 methods through which you can boost the productivity of your employees and your company.
Offer Incentives
Offer your employees incentives and perks for their work. It is advised to set up monthly or project goals with corresponding incentives and awards that will motivate your employees to put in that extra effort. A bonus for all the hard work your employee put in after the completion of the project based on performance will encourage him/her to perform better and relieve any stress or frustration pent up as it will make them feel the entire workload to be worth it. Be considerate when offering incentives as too little incentive can demotivate and too much will lead to higher expectations in future and may create complacency.
Provide training
New employees are more often than unfamiliar with the work and are lacking in skills needed for the efficient completion of the job. A practical training and skill development will go a long way in ensuring quick assimilation into the work environment and the office culture and lead to greater efficiency of work in the shortest possible time. Letting employees learn by working can backfire and have enormous consequences. Training sessions are much more effective and safer for them to learn the job and pick up the skills necessary for a productive day at the office. When providing training, cost cutting may not always be the best option as such substandard and incomplete training will only harm in the longer run.
Giving Space
Micromanaging is good but is not the best and not always the right option. The one thing people hate over anything else is someone else having control over their lives. Constantly managing every single detail for your employees, setting schedules and time frames can be frustrating for both you and your employees. It is thus advisable to let the employees work at their pace and manage their own time and project. A simple time frame reminder of set deadline and checking in after a while is enough to ensure work is being done. Give the employees’ free reign as to how to manage their own time to finish their project.
Allow breaks
Continuously working can be taxing on the mind and leads to the accumulation of stress. Your employees are not machines and cannot be expected to work for 9-10 hrs. straight. Allow small breaks in between of their work and encourage them to take breaks at set periods to stop them from working for extended periods of time. A short break more often than not will clear up the mind; help them move around to get the blood flowing and get fresh ideas or perspectives to deal with the projects they are working on and issues they are facing.
Improve the office environment
A well-arranged workstation and a clean workspace are a great way to avoid distractions and keep your employees focus on the work. A well-arranged workspace represents a well-organized mind. Encourage your employees to keep their workplace tidy and clean. Ensure that the work area and cubicles are planned in a manner that looks pleasing to the eye and is decorated to keep your employees at ease. While maintaining the openness of the work area, make sure that your employees have enough personal space to give their workstations a personal feel and touch. A healthy office environment lets the employees concentrate on their work and be more productive.
Reflect
A feedback system that lets your employees point out the issue and the problems they are facing or the things they have liked about their work will make them feel inclusive and important for the company. Being heard is a great way for the employees to assess their standing in the company. A clear communication has to be established between you and your employees and amongst employees working together. Without clear communication of ideas and feedback, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand what the other side wants or their ideas are. Boosting morale of your employees by pointing out the positives of their work and recent positive attitude helps in making employees feel respected and motivates them to work harder.
Healthy life
Urge your employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle and offer incentives and perks for those who do. A healthy employee will take fewer sick leaves and will be much more energetic and productive in the office. A healthy mind and a healthy body are necessary for the human body to function at its peak condition. Encourage your employees to utilize their holidays and go for a break at least once a year to re-energize and truly relax. An office with healthy, happy employees is the most efficient and productive office and is most likely to foster employees who will go on to do more for the company than just what they are being paid to do.
Focus
Don’t let your employees take on multiple projects at once. While they may argue that they can indeed multitask and are great at handling the pressure, the workload can significantly hamper efficiency and sustained work pressure will impact employee health and productivity. Make your employee focus on just one project at a time and tell them to complete the project with as much quality and efficiency as possible before jumping on to the next project. Make dedicated teams for a project to avoid overloading your employees with work and create a system of assigning projects on the availability basis, i.e. only if the employee is free to do the work will he be allowed to take it.
Excursions
Organising corporate dinners, office picnics, holidays are a great way to make employees feel at home at the company. These outings allow them to mingle with their co-workers and truly feel that they belong to the company community and the work they are doing for the company is something they should do as a personal responsibility. These events foster a sense of belongingness thus increasing the motivation they have for doing their work.
Added perks
Your employee is working for you because he/she expects a salary in return. Providing added benefits and perks add to the attractiveness of the job and makes the employee reluctant to leave. Added perks act as a stimulant for the employees to give in that extra hour of work because they feel appreciated and want to prove you right for giving out the said benefits and perks. An employee happy with his/her work is the employee that is the most efficient and productive.
