Productivity looks different for everyone. However, the more productive an organization can be, the more profits can theoretically be generated. While productivity is typically measured based on a quantitative output metric, the quality of output should not be overlooked.
Employees may be the first measure of organizational productivity that comes to mind. However, there are actually many pieces that can contribute to productivity in the workplace.
Consider factors such as:
- Implemented processes, policies, and procedures
- Applications and software solutions in place
- Workplace culture and atmosphere
- And more!
There are many ways that individuals can increase their productivity ranging from using meditation to leveraging various apps, and more. However, how can you improve productivity in the work environment overall? Moreover, do the benefits of improving productivity outweigh the costs of doing so? In this blog post, we explore workplace productivity.
Why Increase Productivity in the Workplace?
There are many benefits to increasing productivity in the workplace. One already mentioned is the potential profits that can be reaped from doing so. Productive employees generate more output. This could be in the form of producing more, selling more, or any other measure of output.
Consider that one very productive employee can even have output levels comparable to that of two very unproductive employees. From this perspective, an organization would be generating more output with productive employees. By hiring productive employees, organizations could save money. Theoretically, a fewer number of productive employees can produce the same amount of output as a greater number of unproductive employees.
While profits can be heightened with a boost in productivity, your organization can also save on costs and expenses. Generally, the cost of training and onboarding employees can be quite high. More productive employees are generally brought about by employees feeling high morale.
With employees enjoying their time at your organization, you can expect lower turnover rates and more loyal employees. Happy employees are more likely to speak highly of your business through word-of-mouth and social media. High employee boosterism can greatly enhance public perception of your organization, overall lifting your bottom line.
How You Can Improve Productivity
So now that we know of the benefits in increasing productivity in the workplace, it leaves the question of how? Of course, there isn’t one method that will work for every organization. Employees can pursue activities that will increase their respective productivity levels. However, it’s important to consider how you can make all of your teams productive, especially in the long term.
Making an environment that fosters productivity is essential to boosting your overall workplace productivity. To be done well, this environment should be consistent throughout the organization. It stems from how well leaders can implement such an environment, all the way from the top of an organization.
Studies show that happy employees are productive employees. In fact, research shows that happy employees can be 13% more productive (University of Oxford, 2019). As such, the question becomes, how can you improve employee happiness and morale?
For one, ensure that you’re encouraging the people at your organization. Encouragement and other forms of positive reinforcement may be the key to improving employees’ performance. This is because it makes them feel valued at work. Of course, there are many ways to approach this, including but not limited to:
- Changing up the physical environment to increase comfort
- Updating equipment to reduce downtime and technical issues
- Encouraging a better work-life balance culture at your organization
- Offering greater support for employees
Strategies to Improve Workplace Productivity
After reviewing how productivity can be enhanced in a workplace, it’s time to talk strategy!
It’s important to have strategies in place to keep team members productive or even enhance their productivity further.
Your team may be more productive relative to before, after implementing some of our suggested ways to increase workplace productivity. However, are they spending more time doing data entry compared to your competitors?
Implementing software solutions can help your organization automate repetitive tasks, streamline business processes, and overcome other business challenges. This will allow your employees to reallocate their time towards completing other tasks and more important work.
In determining strategies that can improve your workplace's productivity, it is salient to evaluate what is already in place. However, it’s important to be mindful and flexible for change.
Your strategy may need to be reviewed occasionally and altered to suit the needs of your organization and industry. What works for a competitor may not work for your organization. The first strategy you try out may not be the final answer.
In closing,
The journey to heightening productivity can look different for every organization. Slowly incorporate different suggestions to see how they can boost productivity at your workplace. Of course, it is important to remain open-minded. Consider taking opinions and suggestions from employees to get a sense of what they think could help them be more productive.
As you’re working on increasing productivity in the workplace, it’s important to measure your success! Track KPIs and metrics to determine how successful you were in enhancing productivity through your workplace. Of course, we understand that many employees are currently working from home. As such, it can be even more challenging to increase productivity and track the results.
If you’re looking to increase productivity, the journey starts now! It’s important to first examine the current productivity levels at your organization. This would give you an understanding and the ability to benchmark against your ideal productivity levels. It’s essential to keep your employees engaged and happy at work.
