Managers should always be mindful of building and maintaining a work environment where their employees can accomplish as much as possible. The topic of employee productivity is garnering increased attention as the concept of the workplace evolves.
The pandemic necessitated the advent of new tools and technology, but the resulting hybrid structure also requires some focus on the psychology of the workplace.
Organizations are currently contemplating how to best manage the next transition from “working from home” to a “hybrid work environment.” This exercise is challenging for managers and leaders who must continue to focus on developing their greatest operating investment.
Labor is the single greatest cost on the balance sheet, so empowering and equipping managers to proactively engage their teams is critical to achieving business outcomes.
How Management Can Improve Productivity
Combining strategies that encourage ownership, facilitate collaboration, and boost morale can positively impact productivity and performance. Here are some of our top recommendations managers can use to improve employee productivity:
1. Provide the right tools for their job: The right technology can significantly impact how someone performs their job. Collaboration tools that provide business chat or project management capabilities can enable more efficient communication between individuals, teams, and departments. These apps can minimize the need for in-person meetings and help employees achieve workflows that depend on more than one employee. An effective file-sharing tool allows colleagues to share documents throughout the organization quickly.
A company-wide knowledge base that can be easily queried can revolutionize the productivity of employees seeking answers – and the managers they may otherwise track down for information.
2. Training and skills development: Empowering employees to learn new skills encourages personal and professional growth, which benefits both workers and employers. Training often provides a significant return on investment for organizations willing to invest the time and money. With the proper training, employees can quickly learn tips, tricks, and best practices it may have taken them years to acquire.
However, research recognizes that people only retain up to 40% of the knowledge gained through training. A recommended best practice is reinforcing learning with a “knowledge on demand” digital solution that ensures the team can independently and easily find the answers they need to remain productive as questions arise.
3. Encourage employee accountability and competency: While this is difficult for hands-on managers to accept, employees are actually more productive when they are not micromanaged. Studies have shown that a boss who micromanages every process and task sharply reduces employee engagement, weakens performance, and increases absenteeism. Instead, workers should be encouraged to grow their skillset and be free to contribute ideas regarding workflows.
Fostering a culture of self-sufficiency also frees up time for senior management – once they get used to it. Management can still track productivity with various KPIs, but they can do so without being overbearing.
4. Boost team morale: Employees are more productive when they are happy and satisfied with their job. These employees also tend to remain at the company longer – reducing turnover and the need for excessive onboarding training. Managers should find ways to generate employee enthusiasm – about where they work and who they work with. Be vigilant about notorious morale killers, such as a lack of trust and communication between management and staff.
5. Employ goals, feedback, and positive reinforcement: Productivity suffers when employees have no ownership of their job or feel unappreciated for the work they do. By establishing clear goals, your employees will understand what success looks like for any given task. Providing incentives for reaching these goals can also make employees feel valued and validated. Well-defined goals and milestones also allow for more constructive feedback and positive reinforcement.
6. Communicate with your team: Establishing levels of communication within the company allows for the effective transfer of knowledge among employees. New hires should understand where they can get the advice or guidance they need if they have a problem or question.
Establishing an open dialogue between employees and management can help identify any issues negatively impacting productivity. Once you’re aware of any potential problems, they can be addressed.
7. Offer hybrid and work-from-home opportunities: Traditionally, the stereotype of remote workers was that they were probably not working very hard. But research and recent experience have proved just the opposite. A 2012 Stanford study showed that remote workers were up to 13% more productive than office workers, clocked in and out more promptly, and took less time off. When the pandemic forced everyone home in 2020, many companies were surprised to find that the work model was efficient and productive – and kept the work structure in place even after lockdowns were lifted.
Consolidating Knowledge Enables Your Productivity Goals
Organizing your company’s vital information, policies, and procedures into a user-friendly digital system can significantly enhance your company’s productivity.
Companies can implement the above strategies more intuitively with the right knowledge-based information portal. Training can be digitalized, employees can independently find information, and goals and feedback can be easily shared.
KLONE is one of the most powerful tools for aggregating and disseminating company knowledge – no matter the source or platform it was created on.