How to Increase Productivity in the Workplace

1/4/2017

Any great employer will understand that their employees make for the success of the company.

Productivity is often an indicator of morale within a working environment. If employees are unhappy, then productivity will be low, and if productivity is low, then the success of the company will plummet. Here are some simple steps to follow to ensure the happiness of your employees and the success of your business:

Train Your Staff

Training and development is important in the workplace as it highlights and addresses any weaknesses that you and your employees may have. Some of the most successful companies and institutions provide regular training sessions to ensure that they are ahead of the game and one step in front of the competition at all times. More informed employees will provoke better practices and more employee satisfaction.

Regular method and health and safety regulation training sessions will ensure that your staff are meeting the expectations of the job requirements. Whether you are a restaurant owner, training your staff on COSHH and safety procedures; or an employer within an office environment providing training on client service or how to act in case of an emergency, all sessions are valuable and can ensure that your company becomes a more successful and safer operation.

Set Targets and Incentives

Some employees love a challenge and a target to reach. Implementing KPIs and targets into an office environment can appeal to the competitive nature of your employees. If you set incentives, for example a bonus at the end of the month, then you will see a noticeable change in the way your employees carry themselves in the working day. Reaching the end goal and being rewarded with an incentive is like dangling a carrot in front of your employees. You will be happy with the increased productivity and they will be happy with the incentives!

On a cautionary note, always make sure that you stay true to your word, as failing to keep an incentive will lead to even lower morale and dissent amongst your employees!

Promote A Healthy Lifestyle

A working environment can breed unhealthy habits, i.e. eating lots of biscuits, drinking too much tea and coffee and even smoking. If you provide your employees with healthy alternatives like fruit, other healthy snacks and water, and begin cycle to work schemes, then this can promote a healthier lifestyle. It’s equally important to make sure that the working environment is healthy and safe for your employees to work in.

Indoor air quality is one of the most important, yet most easily forgotten factors to ensure workplace safety. Studies have proven that poor air quality and indoor air pollution can actually be more hazardous to your employees than outdoor air pollution. Building materials, carpets, cleaning products and poor ventilation can present air quality issues in the workplace. Despite the many causes of poor indoor air quality, there are simple steps you can take to improve the air that you and your employees breathe: no smoking indoors, clean and vacuum regularly, install a carbon monoxide detector, invest in a dehumidifier to prevent damp. All industries and work environments are different, if you are working within a hot kitchen environment for example, you will need to comply with correct ventilation legislation and implement structures such as stainless steel ducting, whereas offices will need smaller scale ventilation systems.

Recognise Effort

There is nothing worse than working for an employer who doesn’t recognise your hard work efforts.

If you want the productivity of your employees to continue, then it’s important to make it known that you appreciate them. This could be as simple a task as having a weekly round-up, where you give a shout out to all of the employees that have impressed you, to setting up an “employee of the month” scheme. Even a little bit of recognition does a long way.

Work Hard Play Hard

The proof is in the name, allow your employees the opportunity to unwind and to “smell the roses”.

Team building activities and employee nights out are the perfect way to let your employees unwind and to have a little bit of fun. Not only will this keep your employees happy, but it will also bring you and your team closer together, which makes for a much more successful company!