How to Boost Employee Productivity

Productivity is a crucial part of the culture that an organization upholds. And a lot of it depends on the decisions and actions that leadership undertakes for its people.

So if you are wondering why productivity levels are low in your team or company, it is a good reason to check the pulse of the organization. The one sure shot and proven way of increasing productivity is by creating a culture of happy workers. Studies have shown that productivity increases on happy employees by an average of 12%. So how can leaders actually start building a happy culture?

“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

~ John Wooden

When we talk about increasing employee engagement and enhancing productivity, strategies often get lost in the middle of conducting surveys, carrying out expensive well-being programs or getting lost in a sea of data. While all of these strategies are important, but they should not let the little things get sidelined.

Small things often have the greatest impact on the well being and happiness levels at work. Leaders should make sure they have taken an active stand on creating a happy workplace for their employees and do so with utmost sincerity. Because employees do not engage by themselves. The company needs to work on it by creating a culture of fulfillment and appreciation. Here are some ways to do it:

1. Compensation Matters

In a CBPR survey in 2017, only 44% of organizations said that their employees feel that they are paid in a fair manner. However, only 20% of employees actually agreed to this statistic. So it can be argued that culture supersedes compensation, that in no way undermines the value of the latter! If employees are not paid fairly, chances are high that they might start looking out.

The war for talent is real and only having the best employees can set organizations apart from their competitors. If you want your employees to be giving their best to you, ensure that they are paid competitively and honored with monetary rewards every now and then. For fast-paced organizations where much more is expected from employees, pay needs to be examined and revised frequently.

2. Employee Wellbeing Should Be A Priority

Wellness is more important than ever for organizations, as innovative programs for financial, emotional and mental health are aimed at increasing worker productivity. The line between work and life is increasingly getting blurred, which needs to be filled with well-being programs that need to be treated as corporate responsibility. Well being programs focused on physical, mental, financial and spiritual health are now being used as a strategy to drive employee productivity, retention, engagement, and performance.

The amount of stress in the workplace is increasing every year.  Studies have shown that more than 40% of all workers face high stress in their jobs, the negative effects of which spill over to other areas of their lives. Organizations have started understanding the importance of such holistic wellness programs. According to Deloitte’s survey, Global Human Capital Trends Report 2018, two-thirds of organizations now state that well-being programs are a critical part of their employment brand and culture.

3. Transparent Communication

There are very few things that an open and honest communication process can’t solve. If employees are to feel productive, they need to know they are valuable in the larger picture, and they need to know exactly what kind of impact their contribution creates. Because there is nothing more demotivating than knowing that there is no real need for a job.

Open communication regarding goals, feedback, reviews, and team dynamics need to be had as much as possible. A transparent stream of communication creates trust and promotes the feeling that everyone is being treated equally. It also ensures there is harmony within teams and across departments. Make sure people interact as often as possible and all details on progress and goals are discussed in an engaging and participatory environment.

4. Give Them A Purpose

The two most basic human desires are validation and recognition. If employees see the fruits of their labor in front of our eyes or are appreciated for it by someone they look up to, they will stay motivated.

In a Harvard Business Review study, 72% of respondents ranked recognition given for high performers as having a significant impact on employee engagement.

Some people confuse motivation with money. This is why money becomes a reward that is given to change people’s minds and behavior. The new age thought is to find meaning and value in the work that a person does. The balance lies between both these elements. Money is extremely important to satisfy the basic needs of an employee and also indulge in luxuries that he/she always wanted to. But it stops at that and once that is achieved, requirements raise to a more spiritual level, such as the desire to feel happy and fulfilled. According to Dan Ariely, a noted MIT professor, both money and happiness play a part. Money is a powerful lever but there are things that go beyond it.

5. Create A Culture Of Learning

Employees want to grow continuously in their professional career and they want to be involved in organizations which understand this aspiration of theirs. 87% of millennials say development is important in a job. Career growth is the biggest contributor to higher retention levels for employees in today’s day and age. Employees should be given all the tools and resources that they might need to accomplish their tasks to the best of their ability.

With the massive rise in the manufacture and use of mobile devices and the internet, knowledge can be accessed at the click of a button. Employees want to be actively learning and on-demand training and access to a pool of rich content are what can keep them satisfied. Training delivered across mediums and devices, along with flexible learning opportunities can give them the assurance that their organizations deeply care about their professional development and contribute to employee engagement.