How to Improve Workplace Productivity

There is nothing more important to an organisation than its people. But if your employees aren’t happy, productivity can suffer along with the success and growth of your business. Small changes can often make all the difference and help your staff minimise ineffectiveness and produce quality results in a shorter period of time. Here are our top 10 tips on improving productivity in the workplace.

 

1 – Highlight Efficiency

Yes, it sounds obvious, but in order to increase productivity it’s worth taking a look at how your business as a whole is operating in terms of how your employees approach and complete tasks. There should be some degree of personal planning and prioritisation, however processes, operational systems and even computer software can all affect the efficiency of an organisation. 

 

2 – Encourage Delegation

Another one of the vital ways to improve productivity in the workplace is delegation. Allowing employees with a proven track record of success in certain areas to take charge (and trusting them with the process) can enhance operational efficiency. It also benefits not only your organisation, but gives staff the chance to gain skills, confidence and leadership experience and helps them solidify their career direction. 

 

3 – Reduce Distractions

The allure of social media can be a huge productivity killer, but it’s obviously not practical (or good management practice) to have a strict ‘no surfing’ policy in the workplace. Instead, keep your employees focused and engaged by allowing them time out when they need to. Regular ‘movement breaks’ are not only essential for physical and emotional health, they have been proven to help improve learning, restore motivation and enhance creativity.

 

4 – Optimise Conditions

A comfortable working environment can be one of the best ways to improve productivity in the workplace. Natural light, ergonomic chairs and even some oxygen-sharing plants can assist with improving mood and energy. Temperature is also important – the ideal working temperature is between 20 and 24 degrees depending on the season, so make sure your AC is set accordingly.  Take note of your digital infrastructure as well and ask yourself if an improved digital landscape could help to optimise your staff’s ability to get work done. If yes, then you might need to look at network design and infrastructure and speak with a professional about how to improve productivity through your digital systems. And of course, uncluttered, functional workspaces help as well!  

 

5 – Reward Employees

Most managers already have a strong sense of whether their employees are performing well or not, however are they being rewarded enough for their efforts? Clear expectations and KPI’s can help staff remain on track, and of course a pay rise is always well received! However, incentives don’t always have to be monetary. Gym memberships, free lunches or an amazing Christmas party at the end of the year can go a long way to keeping employees loyal.

Office space with desks and computers. A man sits at a computer.

6 – Minimise Motivation Killers

Another way managers can improve productivity in the workplace is to minimise stress as much as possible. Employees who are under constant pressure are more likely to be disengaged and take a few too many sickies.  Other ‘motivation killers’ include toxic staff, autocratic management styles and a lack of organisational vision. On the digital side of things, slow devices, internet, and a messy database can be stressful for employees who are trying to complete a simple task. If any of these motivation killers exist in your workplace, they need to go!   

 

7 – Improve Communication 

Good communication is essential to employee productivity, but when everyone is so busy, it’s sometimes difficult to achieve consistently. If possible, try to keep team meetings – particularly offsite – to a minimum, at a regular time and make sure they’re in a communication-friendly space with minimal distractions. Emails can be a bit slow when it comes to getting immediate feedback from staff without having to walk over and ask them in person. Many workplaces are turning to platforms such as Slack to minimise office chatter when it comes to  a simple yes or no question. It’s also worth offering your team a platform for anonymous feedback so they can really tell you how they feel! 

 

8 – Factor In Training 

One of the most important ways you can drive productivity in the workplace is by offering regular training that is tailored to both your organisation’s needs and your employees’ preferences. Whether it’s training via hands-on learning, in a classroom or E-learning, staff will not only gain new skills, they’ll be more stimulated, satisfied and confident and it can help reduce your company’s employee turnover costs.

 

9 – Offer Flexible Options 

Flexible working conditions are increasingly recognised as a valuable way to attract and retain employees as well as increase productivity. In fact, these days over 70% of organisations in Australia offer flexible working strategies and policies. Common types include flexible hours, working from home, job sharing, telecommuting, compressed working weeks or offering unpaid leave or time-in-lieu. If you’re looking to offer working from home days you’ll want to make sure that everything your staff would be using in the office is available online and can be easily accessed at home. We can chat to you about solutions you can implement to make sure that all documents, emails, and passwords can be stored in a way that lets your staff access remotely. 

 

10 – Be Tech Savvy! 

In this digital age, cutting technologies not only make a massive difference to how your organisation is perceived, but how your employees operate as well. Software solutions not only include basic office applications like Microsoft and G Suite, there are a whole range of industry-specific software applications for the accounting, construction, medical and real estate, engineering, recruitment and legal sectors (to name a few) that will transform your business!

Looking for ideas to improve productivity in the workplace? We offer a range of full and partial IT implementation services. Contact us today!  

Free Technical Site Survey

Reach out to our team to receive a free technical site survey from one of our managed I.T. specialists.