Workplace productivity has always been a point to consider when you want to drive success and build healthy and happy employees. However, there are only so many hours to work in a day— we must make efficient use of our time and energy. There should also be more deliberate actions towards increasing productivity. This article will talk about the pros and cons of increasing productivity in the workplace and the ways to do them without resulting in burnout and compromising quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of productivity at work?
Productivity in the workplace helps employees provide better service to clients while increasing their morale and work engagement. It also improves your company’s profitability and builds a positive and forward-thinking work culture. With better work efficiency and turnaround times, a productive workplace helps employees create returns and profits that not only helps the company, but also accommodate any salary increases and benefits which can serve as another productivity motivation.
What is the effect of low workplace productivity?
One of the cons to lack of productivity in the workplace is disorganization among employees. This leads to a decline in business, increased employee turnover, and in worse cases, loss of clients due to delay of deliverables. Employees may also experience an inability to complete their goals efficiently and effectively. Low productivity can also lead to employee conflict, reduced morale, and stress.
What causes low workplace productivity?
Usually, low productivity is a result of poor management and integration of productivity routines. Outdated tools, resources, and policies can also result in a decrease in workplace productivity. Unsatisfied employees are also less productive, especially when coupled with personal problems or are micromanaged. Additionally, lack of proper training, competition, and excessive bureaucracy can cause employees to be less productive in the workplace.
11 Productivity Tips to Increase Workplace Productivity
Here are 11 productivity hacks to increase productivity.
Prioritize tasks.
You must focus on high-priority tasks and finish them on time. Remember, it’s not how far but how well, so having three high-priority tasks is better than having 11 tasks that only get you overwhelmed. For workplace productivity, you can also encourage using the Eisenhower matrix to help with organizing and prioritizing tasks according to urgency and importance.
This matrix helps you with time management and task management, ensuring you’re doing the right thing at the right time. And if the high-priority tasks are overwhelming, you can break them up into smaller bits.
Manage track your time.
Sometimes, some tasks require a certain amount of time to complete, but we forget that time is counting against us because we get so comfortable. It’s essential to gauge the time you spend on specific tasks. If possible, set a timer for each task and make sure you stay focused. You can adopt the Pomodoro technique, where you have a to-do list and timer set for at least 25 minutes to focus on a single task until the timer rings. After the bell goes off, enjoy a 5-10 minutes break. Now how you go about it is up to you, but make sure it helps you manage and track your time to be productive in the workplace.
Reduce or avoid distractions.
To increase workplace productivity, put off distractions from phone calls, emails, text messages, social media, gossip, or anything that can visually distract your attention. Most times, we get distracted at least every 10-11 minutes, and sometimes it takes us about 20-25 minutes to jump back into our work mood. Although some distractions can be unavoidable, such as colleagues dropping by, a noisy coworker, or unnecessary work meetings, you should be able to manage them by either using headphones to kick out the noise or communicating to the coworker about their noise. Employers can help with a particular noise-proof room that employees can use for their tasks.
Take regular breaks.
Sometimes, working for long hours without breaks or rest can cause mental burnout, fatigue, and loss of concentration, affecting your performance levels and workplace productivity. So, taking scheduled breaks helps to improve concentration and helps you relieve stress after a lengthy task. You can choose to take a break after every 30 minutes and during this period, you shouldn’t be on your computer or anywhere close to working. Take a walk, nap, drink water or chat with colleagues or family. It helps fuel your productivity engine and keeps you running for hours.
Quit multitasking.
We can all agree that multitasking helps to get a lot of things done, but this skill can decrease your productivity by 40%, increase stress, and decrease efficiency. Even if you’re skilled at multitasking, in the end, you’ll burn out, and it will affect other areas of your workflow. So, commit to a single task before moving on to your next project, or better still, work at intervals instead of working on two tasks simultaneously. Although individual productivity hacks can help employees be more productive in their space, it’s also a good practice for management to implement productivity strategies that can help employees.
Give out encouragement.
Employers should look for new ways to motivate their employees to be productive, either by using incentives, words of encouragement, or recognition. Most times, employees only need that extra push of self-worth to know that you appreciate their effort. If you can help with incentives, perks, benefits, words of encouragement, and some acts of recognition, it can go a long way in increasing workplace productivity.
Create a supportive work culture and environment.
People are often their best selves when surrounded by people who support them. It’s crucial that the management practice an inclusive work environment that considers every organization member. A diverse workforce is essential, but there should also be equity practices. When employees have a sense of inclusion, they realize that their effort also impacts the organization’s success, hence a drive to be productive in the workplace.
Make your physical work environment conducive.
Since we’re now moving to a hybrid model of work operation, re-designing the physical work environment can help increase workplace productivity. Consider using bright colors, designing the space with plants, keeping the temperature cool, and adding extra work areas for leisure and rest. Creating spaces close to natural light as natural lightning helps increase productivity levels to 20%– dim light can cause tiredness.
Research shows that people working in natural lighting stayed on-task for 15 percent longer than those who worked in artificial lighting. Employees spend a quarter or more of their time in the workspace, so why not make them feel at home and provide them with the right energy for work.
Stop micromanaging your employees.
Never play big brother around your employee; instead, give them options, control, and privacy. I know you want the job done asap, but if you continue making them feel scrutinized with each action, it only shows that you don’t trust them to get the job done. Give your employees the authority and space to do their job according to how best they can increase workplace productivity.
Provide training and mentorship programs.
Training and mentorship programs help to nurture talents, improve employee engagement and help them develop the right competencies and skills to work. Sometimes, your employees only need different skills to get the job done and be productive.
Build your employees’ skills through workplace training programs. You can also encourage employees to work together or pair them up in mentoring or peer-to-peer learning programs. Doing so can increase organizational knowledge, reinforce learning and double down your workplace productivity.
Proper tools and technology.
Using the proper tools and technology is another productivity hack you can use for your company. Your employees can’t be effective and productive in their roles without the right tools and resources. Sometimes they need more than just motivation. Tools like product management software help manage even complex projects with ease. Time tracking & resource planning software helps get the right task and allocate the appropriate time so that workflow aligns and doesn’t overlap. Tools for effective communication across teams can help your employees manage their time energy and prioritize the task.
To sum up,
Being productive in the workplace isn’t always about adding in extra work hours or filling up your calendar. Sometimes you have to take a step back and think about ways to work smarter, not harder.
Do you have any more questions on how you can increase your workplace productivity? Head on to our client service page at our eleven recruiting website.
