Are you looking for ways to improve productivity in the workplace?
Business leaders who are dedicated to raising staff productivity don’t have to grant significant salary increases. There are definitely more efficient strategies to increase business productivity. For example, have you ever considered offering additional training to your employees? Greater productivity can also be achieved through even simpler means. We’ll get into all of that in this article.
But first, let’s take a look at what workplace productivity actually is, why it’s so important to long-term business success, and how managers can address this issue (and maybe even make it their top priority).
To that end, we’ve put together 8 practical tips on how you can improve productivity right now!
What is workplace productivity?
Productivity at work does not mean filling every free minute with tasks.
True productivity means that everyone can put all their creativity, expertise and specific skills into tasks that are truly worthwhile. The most important sign of a team’s productivity is quite simple: It gets its work done. And not just by simply working off their tasks. By completing their projects, they also achieve important goals, contributing to overall business productivity.
Why is employee productivity in the workplace so important?
Employee productivity is a key requirement for any successful business.
After all, if productivity falls, this can have a huge impact on the entire company. This, in turn, impacts employee well-being, company profitability, and retention rates. So, engaged employees can really make a big contribution to the overall success of a company!
How can you increase employee productivity?
If you want to encourage employees to really give their all, you obviously have to reward them for it.
That’s why it’s important to not only offer fresh fruit and amazing coffee at the office, but company leaders should actually try to check in with their employees on a regular and individual basis. The focus should be on their goals and personal progress.
However, there are certainly many more ways to sustainably improve business productivity and employee performance:
8 simple methods to boost productivity in the workplace
Create better employee engagement by implementing some of these suggestions:
1. Give only realistic tasks
Motivating productive employees to do their best is certainly fine, but you shouldn’t overdo it.
If you constantly bombard your employees with tasks, they might eventually get tired of it and start putting off their duties. This, of course, is an absolute productivity killer in the workplace.
So what can you do?
Only assign your employees with achievable tasks. This way, you can improve their impact on their function in the company, as well as their efficiency and awareness.
2. Perform regular reviews
Establish a performance review system and motivate your employees to work towards specific goals.
📝 Note: Setting relevant goals for your staff members can actually lead to greatly improved performance and also higher productivity.
How can you achieve this?
Make sure the objectives are reachable and provide assistance if needed. Never be afraid to encourage, praise, and inspire. Offer constructive criticism and also reward individuals for a job well done.
3. Set up a great break room
To increase productivity in your business, you can set up a really cool break room.
📝 Note: This is not to encourage your employees to do nothing and be on break all day, but to fill the designated pauses with as much recuperation as possible.
How can you create an amazing recreation area?
The break room should include exciting things, like video games or recliners that provide massage, maybe even climbing walls that offer a challenging workout, or simply a hammock to relax in and feel refreshed afterwards!
4. Delegate tasks
Task delegation, and thus increasing accountability for employees, is an amazing way to improve job satisfaction.
📝 Note: There is some risk in delegating tasks, but if you keep checking in, offer support, and encourage your employees to ask for help when needed, it shouldn’t be a problem.
How can this be done?
Provide opportunities for your employees to expand their skills and experience by giving them challenging but rewarding tasks.
💡 Tip: You can also assign an entire team to a special project to encourage collaboration and improve team spirit at work!
5. Promote wellness
Everyone is happier and more productive when they are able to attend to their physical and mental health.
So gym memberships are a good start and have the potential to keep your employees physically fit, but what about other ways to promote wellness in the workplace?
You could set up standing desks in the office, for example. Also, make sure your employees have the option to work from home to avoid the stress of commuting. And why not offer a weekly yoga class after work hours or during lunch break?
💡 Pro-tip: Offer your team discounts by collaborating with nearby eateries that serve nutritious food!
6. Only hold essential meetings
Did you know that reducing meetings can significantly boost productivity?
If you have the possibility, you should limit the number of meetings, as they can become very time-consuming and unproductive.
How can you do this?
Only schedule meetings on topics that require employee attendance, such as business strategy and major announcements. This will save valuable time that everyone can use for operational work.
📝 Note: There is actually an exception for remote workers: Since meetings can strengthen cohesion and communication between colleagues, they should not be eliminated altogether. If your company offers remote work, regular face-to-face encounters can help employees feel more connected.
🙌 A great team spirit can really boost work ethic, which in turn increases productivity.
7. Equip staff with technology
Providing employees with the necessary tools to ensure success can also help increase employee productivity.
Employees who don’t have the right tools for their jobs will be increasingly frustrated and less productive.
📝 Note: There’s no money to equip all employees with the latest technology? The fact that (smaller) companies can’t afford advanced technologies is actually becoming less of a problem nowadays with the advent of cloud computing.
How can you give your employees what they need?
First, talk to your employees to find out what they require. For example, this might include certain collaboration tools in addition to the necessary hardware. Be open to suggestions and try to enable your employees to work with the latest technology!
8. Provide training
A key component of increasing productivity is training.
The reason for this is that regular training not only enables your employees to continuously expand their expertise, but also allows them to achieve a higher level of productivity.
📝 Note: This is perhaps the best strategy for increasing employee productivity!
How can you give your employees the opportunity to learn more?
Again, you should let your employees have their say: What kind of seminars or training do they want? Is there something that every employee in your company absolutely needs to learn?
💡 Tip: This doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money. You could for instance hire a trainer to teach all your employees in a single seminar. Or resort to online learning. The possibilities are endless!
How to increase productivity in the workplace – conclusion
Any business that wishes to increase productivity needs happy and motivated employees.
After all, increased productivity translates into less stress, higher profits, and a happier work environment for everyone. The more productive a company is, the easier it is to achieve organizational growth and also a great company culture.
And as you can see, even minor changes can dramatically improve productivity in the workplace.
How to increase productivity in the workplace – FAQ
In order to increase your team’s efficiency, you need to eliminate any issues that may hinder your team from performing their daily work.
To increase productivity, it is very important that all employees have a sense of team spirit. They should feel valuable to their organization and always keep the “big picture” in mind. Carefully selected incentives contribute to maintaining this feeling.
Show your employees that you value them by: 1️⃣ Offering flexible and remote working possibilities. 2️⃣ Taking your employees’ health and well-being seriously. 3️⃣ Asking your employees for their opinions. 4️⃣ Don’t forget to reward employees for their successes.
