When running a business, employee productivity is key. It’s simply not economically viable to have unproductive employees working for you, as they take resources to employ, and being unproductive means needing more of them, which therefore takes up more resources, etc.
Over the years, many solutions for low worker productivity have been implemented to varying degrees of success, but as society changes, so too do the challenges of keeping an employee focussed at work; where they once needed a better typewriter, they now need a dual monitor mount for their computer.
With this in mind, we have compiled a list of 7 habits that destroy employee productivity in the hopes it will help make your workplace more efficient.
1. Stone-Age Tech Impact Employee Productivity
A habit of not moving with the technological times can be frustrating and wasteful of that ever-precious resource- time. Upgrading your employees’ computers and phones allows them to stay at the cutting edge of technology, and with little technological roadblocking.
2. Efficiency Meltdown
Losing efficiency is like throwing money down the drain. An efficient employee is fantastic when it comes to productivity, but not all employees are efficient. Try setting individual goals for your employees to find out who may be falling behind, and offer support and discussion in private for those who are.
3. Ergonomic Egress
Ergonomics are important in workplaces because they allow efficiency to flow more easily. Imagine that you have a worker who has great work, but has to walk halfway across the building to submit each piece of work finished. Creating an ergonomic working environment allows for less wasted time in transit for that worker, and less wasted time overall, meaning higher efficiency.
4. Communication Calamity
A lack of communication can cause even the most successful of businesses to make critical errors from time to time. Making sure every employee knows exactly what they’re supposed to be doing is a good way to ensure everybody’s work gets done while allowing you to identify who is falling behind in their own work and why.
5. The Seclusion Trap
Secluding your employees used to be seen as a way to increase their productivity, and so divided “cubicle” offices became the norm for most businesses. In the modern era, with computer capabilities being what they are, and the whole internet is at your employee’s fingertips, a private cubicle isn’t exactly a sign of productivity anymore. Trying a more “open-plan” style office can help improve productivity.
6. Management Mayhem
Different management styles work for different people. Some people are better suited to autocratic management styles. On the other side, others flourish under a more even, equal approach. Finding out what works for your employees is a huge step in the right direction for productivity. This simply may revolutionize the output of your team.
7. Distraction Disarray
Removing all distractions from an office can often be counterproductive to the cause of creating better, more focused, and more productive employees. A series of blank walls and blank desks can make employees minds’ wander from the task at hand. This will cause their attention to slip and their work to suffer as a result. Try removing all alluring distractions and replacing them with mentally stimulating, but ultimately non-distracting art. This not only decreases the “de-railers” but also adds some tasteful decorations.
Putting these tips to good use can result in a more focused, more productive office. Hopefully, they work to your advantage, and everything runs smoothly.
