As employees and businesses struggle to achieve the ideal work-life balance, it leads to questions. Do longer hours translate to greater efficiency? What’s the best way to motivate employees? How can we increase productivity while respecting that employees have lives outside of work?
Indeed, longer hours do not necessarily mean that people are more productive. If anything, it usually leads to people feeling over-stressed, overworked, and less efficient as a result.
We’ve put together some simple, yet effective tips to boost productivity around the office that also leaves employees feeling appreciated and valued.
Incentivise employees
People are more productive and less stressed working for a company that cares about their happiness and wellbeing. There are numerous ways to achieve this, such as offering recognition for a job well done, and bonuses where appropriate.
However, a simple way is to offer things that put your employees health first, so they feel taken care of, such as in-house yoga classes, relaxation hours, and free office fruit.
Fruitful Office makes it easy to get fresh, seasonal fruit delivered straight to your place of business, and healthy, relaxed employees are more incentivised to perform well.
Training and development
Sure, employees are more productive with extra training, but it is more beneficial when this is clear professional development that is matched to them. Helping employees expand on their current skill set and allowing them to learn new ones that interest them will serve your company well in the long one, but it requires taking the time to let your employees self-evaluate, while also sitting down with a lead to discuss where they’d like to be in the near future.
There are a number of easy ways to support this professional development that does not need to result in an off-site conference or days of missed work. Instead, consider individual coaching by mentors within your teams, in-house workshops, courses, seminars, and shadowing or mentoring.
Telecommuting
This one can take a while for some businesses to embrace, but studies show that people who work from home are 13% more productive than office employees. Allowing employees to choose telecommuting on a schedule allows them to coordinate with their peers, save time telecommuting, feel more in control of their time, and feel more valued. It’s a clear win for business.
Peer review
Employees can easily feel stifled by a top-down management style. Even if they do have a direct lead or manager, utilising peer review as part of your business practice can enhance communication and collaboration within departments, while helping employees to learn from each other. Employees can self-evaluate to see areas they need to work on when there is transparency across the team. It can also help them ask for extra assistance or more creative freedom as a result. Either way, it leads to a more productive office.
Overall, boosting office productivity means listening to employees and meeting their needs. With a few simple steps, you could soon have the results you want without breaking the bank.