Increasing Employee Productivity: What Works?

0 comment Published on October 6th, 2023

Every employer wonders how they can increase employee productivity. In the last few years, we have seen businesses try different strategies to ensure this, with some failing and others succeeding. So, which strategies have worked to increase employee productivity?

 

Having Clear Goals and Expectations

Businesses and managers should have clear goals and expectations for their employees to improve their productivity. After establishing your company’s vision and mission, managers should align individual key performance indicators (KPIs) with them. Unfortunately, research has shown that 95% of employees do not fully comprehend their company’s goals or what is expected of them to achieve these goals.

Once employees understand the overall business goals, they should be encouraged to define their KPIs. This encourages innovation in the workplace and allows them to flourish creatively. Although this process may require several iterations at first, it will eventually lead to greater independence and increased productivity.

 

Reward Programs

Employee reward programs have been a popular way of showing employees they are doing a great job for decades. They have also been proven to be a great way of increasing productivity and improving morale, while benefiting employees who do a great job.

Businesses have an endless choice of rewards they can give their employees. For those who feel motivated by money, a bonus at the end of the year can work great. However, some people feel motivated by something personal. In this case, businesses can instead buy gift cards for employee rewards in bulk to ensure they are not left out on feeling appreciated.

 

Encouraging Employees to Be Autonomous

Encouraging autonomy can also foster growth within your organization and show your team it is valued. Doing so requires respect and trust, which are key components to making employees feel important.

Employees are more likely to perform at their best and be confident in their abilities if they feel as though the business and its leadership trusts them. It’s essential to give employees ownership of their ideas and provide what they need to bring those ideas to fruition.

Make sure your team knows their ideas are valued, and you trust them to lead special projects, task forces, and committees. By recognizing and supporting their ideas and decisions, you create an environment that encourages innovation and rewards creativity.

This motivates employees to consistently develop new ideas, and their peers will see their hard work is recognized and appreciated. When employees feel valued, they are more likely to perform better and create a great work environment.

 

Listening to Them

It’s critical to establish personal connections with your employees to make them feel valued and heard. Without these connections, it’s challenging to execute different ideas. It’s crucial to make interacting with employees a priority in your daily routine.

Take time to ask how they are doing, discuss any stresses they may be experiencing, and get input on new directions. Additionally, ask for feedback on what they appreciate about their work environment and any improvements they would like to see. These conversations generate great ideas and also convey that you value your employees and see them as critical to the team and the organization.

Employees who do not feel valued are less likely to perform at their best. For this reason, businesses and managers should do everything they can to counteract this. Keep their needs and wants in mind, too, so they always feel special and appreciated.