There are literally dozens of ways to increase your own productivity and that of your employees within the workplace, but not all methods will work for every company. Overall, the aim should be to raise employee morale, redesign work areas for efficiency, and encourage expeditious progress by creating a work environment and system that is conducive to productivity. To help you accomplish this in an easy manner, we’ve listed 10 of the easiest and most effective ways to improve productivity in the workplace:
1. Remove Clutter and Open Walkways
Employees should be able to easily pass each other without any holdups, and finding specific items should be a breeze. Thus, thoroughly organizing and de-cluttering the workplace is the first and primary step towards promoting productive work habits. Studies have repeatedly shown that cleaner, more organized workplaces are far more conducive to productivity.
2. Keep Computers Fast and Free of Malware
Since most modern businesses have a computer network, this is another primary step towards optimal productivity. Slow computers can drastically impede workflow while also putting sensitive information and business operations at risk of being hacked and compromised. Protect your data and keep your computer workflow running smooth with a powerful anti-virus suite and routine maintenance.
3. Get an Office Assistant
Did you know that interrupting a task can take much more time away from the workday than you might have thought? It takes time to readjust when you stop your train of thought to get up and do something menial like fetch the mail, grab some inventory, assist a customer, or some other task that breaks your focus. Hiring an office assistant to help your staff with such tasks is a great way to save everybody time and hassle.
4. Convert All Paper Documents to Digital Formats
Paper documents take a long time to sift through, and who has the time to dig through a filing cabinet? Not to mention the amount of space this archaic pollution takes up. Fortunately, there are programs like OmniPage from Nuance that can convert paper documents into legible digital documents that can then be stored and backed up on your computer network.
5. Let Natural Sunlight In
Studies have also shown that natural sunlight improves employee productivity. This is an easy tip to follow because in most cases all you’ll need to do is open some windows. However, this may take some rearranging of desks and office furniture and/or some anti-glare screens for your computer monitors, as the light can create a distracting glare on monitors that is visually counter-productive for computer-based work.
6. Setup a Lounge with Snacks
Another way to boost employee productivity is to make sure they have easy access to snacks and leisure during break times. It has been proven that small snacks throughout the workday can increase energy, especially in the form of fruits, vegetables, nuts, granola bars, small meals, etc. Of course, a coffee machine is another obvious addition here, but try to remind your employees that sugar-rich coffee will make them crash, as will excessive caffeine consumption. While you can’t control the coffee preferences of your employees, encourage them to try sipping unsweetened coffee with no cream at a gradual pace for maximum energy and minimum crash.
7. Use a Human Resource Management Software
Another great way to streamline workflow and enhance the management of employees and business operations is to utilize a powerful online human resource management software like the one at XCDHR.com. These programs can help you manage every aspect of productivity tracking and employee performance, in addition to facilitating and simplifying a wide range of other HR-related tasks.
8. Hold Weekly Conferences
Keep employees on track and provide an overview of what needs to be done in the coming work week with weekly conferences. Use these conferences as group meetings amongst key managerial staff and employees. Frequent communication and guidance is necessary for effective leadership in any workplace.
9. Hold Employees Accountable for Assignments and Goals
Set deadlines and milestones, and make sure employees understand the importance of adhering to these goals on an ongoing basis in order to maintain the security of not only their job position but also the success of the company itself.
10. Recognize and Reward Jobs Well Done
Finally, nothing drives productivity more than the sense of achievement that comes with receiving recognition for a job well done. Adversely, not giving recognition or reward for a job well done is a sure way to lower employee morale.
While there must be at least a hundred ways to improve productivity in the workplace, the above ten should be a simple start for any company, regardless of size or industry.
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