Easily increasing employee levels of working productivity with 5 methods

Increasing workers’ productivity is on the agenda of almost every business owner or line manager. After all, who wouldn’t want to get maximum output from their employees 100% of the time?

Unfortunately, though, that’s where a great many leaders fail when it comes to making their employees more productive. Why?

Because human beings are not machines and until you replace your workforce with them, it’s unrealistic to expect people to work like robots. Driving your employees too hard will lead to burnout, errors, downtime and maybe even increase turnover. So, before you scare your best hires away, check out these 5 steps to making your workers more productive.

Challenge them

By 2025, millennials will make up more than 75 percent of the workforce, so more than likely your team is comprised of young minds that thrive off challenges. Millennials are inspired by entrepreneurs and have watched many people their age became successful billionaires.

The most unproductive thing you can do for this section of the workforce is to limit them in their position or give them a list of daily tasks to complete. Mundane duties won’t sit well with your workers and you’ll end up getting poor output and lower productivity. Ask your employees what areas they would like to develop in and give them a challenge they can rise to.

Give them room for growth

One of the best ways of keeping your employees motivated is by letting them know that they can grow in their position. Showing your workers a glass ceiling will only lead to a lack of motivation and work that falls below standard. Meet with your staff often to discuss their possible career trajectory. Make it clear how and where they can realistically be when they move up the ladder.

Ongoing training is great for productivity, as your employees apply their new skills to the position with enthusiasm while adding another string to their bow. Ana J. Pana, Human Resources Manager at online translation services provider, Day Translations confirms: “One of the first things we say to new hires is that we offer long term positions with plenty of room for growth. It’s a great way to keep our employees invested.”

Get socially responsible

You might think that your workers are only financially motivated. While it’s true that the majority would be unable to work without adequate compensation, not everyone’s main driver in life is money. This is good news for smaller businesses and firms that don’t have the budget to compete with large multinationals.

Instead, passion can be a great motivator when it comes to productivity. So, think about getting around a cause and weaving social responsibility into your core values. A study by Stanford Graduate School of Business found that as much as 90 percent of grads preferred to work for companies with social responsibility high on their agenda. Knowing that they’re helping out a cause by working for your company is a great way of keeping productivity and morale high.

Let them take time off

Your employees are entitled to their vacation time and shouldn’t have to feel guilty about taking it. Countless studies have shown that humans are at their most productive after having a rest or taking some time out. So, let your employees take their vacation time as they need it. Don’t try to impose upon them the times of year they can choose to be off. Life throws unexpected surprises our way. Knowing that they have company support should they need an impromptu day off can encourage greater commitment.

Say thank you

Showing appreciation might sound like something simple, but it’s a very powerful way of incentivizing your staff. After all, who wants to work from morning till night without receiving so much as a thank you for their efforts? Feeling like they’re a cog in the wheel, or that their hard work is going unappreciated will have a direct hit on productivity. So, get into the habit of thanking your staff periodically. It can be motivation enough to keep their energy and output high.

You don’t need a huge budget or extensive training in human resources to get the best output from your staff. Using common sense, creating a supportive environment and challenging bright minds will go a long way. When you back that up with appreciation and trust, as well as on-the-job learning and room for growth, you’ll increase workers’ productivity effectively.

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation in writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.