Are you observing decreased productivity in your workplace and worried about the long-term effects?
Don’t worry. We got you!
While some factors that influence productivity are internal, like motivation, some are external and directly related to the workplace.
Considering the productivity influencing factors, let’s tell you the factors that influence the productivity of your employees.
Workplace
You might be surprised to know, but the structure of the workplace plays a major role in the productivity of your employees. The environment you provide to the team makes a huge difference in their attitude towards their job and influences performance. It includes both the infrastructure/ design of the space and the working environment they resonate with.
When designing a workspace, it is ideal for giving enough space to each employee to work comfortably. Besides the space, other features that contribute to increase or decrease in productivity relating to the office design include
- Choice of colors that motivate the employees and leave a positive impact. Choose shades that represent the thought and motive behind a specific space.
- Opt for lights that are neither too bright nor dim.
- Provide thinking spaces with motivational quotes and comfortable seating.
- Create a relaxing area where they can play critical thinking games and get back to work after a while.
Working Environment
No employee can give their best when they are continuously worried about their boss being angry or not getting credited for their work. To make sure that you achieve high productivity, you must be a leader than a boss and encourage your team members to take the initiative and support them in their ideas.
The working environment should inculcate values like integrity and transparency, so everyone knows that their contribution is acknowledged. Create a trustworthy atmosphere where your employees feel trusted, offer feedback, and prioritize their mental health.
Goals
How will your team members help you achieve goals when they are not aware of them?
As we talked about transparency, your employees need to know short-term and long-term goals to work accordingly to give the results you are looking for. Without being aware of the goals, they work in an unknown direction and may not be able to deliver what you expect. Informing them of goals also gives you relief that everyone in the organization is working towards a shared interest.
Technology
With the tech-savvy world, it isn’t easy to compete with others in the market without being well-versed with technology. Productivity is highly dependent on tools and technology in today’s time. They help you perform well while reducing the time of processing.
Automating many processes enables you to perform a task of days in hours by using appropriate automation formulae. Using cloud-based technologies helps employees and teams communicate without having to remind each other to check their email.
Training
You may think that your employees are giving their best and have accustomed to the company’s culture and do not need any training. Yet, it is important to train your employees about their job roles regularly, imparting them the advanced knowledge and skill they need for their job roles.
You may have an utterly talented employee who continuously gives his hundred percent but does not achieve any outcomes? It happens when the employee does not know that he is putting the effort in the wrong direction. Training does not only help with enhancing the performance of your workers but also improves coordination between teams to ensure productive outcomes.
Employee Wellness
In the past, it was common for employers to keep work above everything, and employees were expected to work in deteriorating health, and no benefits were offered.
Such work culture ensured short-term high productivity, but what about the long term?
Now it’s all about creating long-term clienteles and retaining employees. The best way to achieve long-term outcomes is to prioritize your team members’ mental and physical health giving them the confidence that their job is secure in any such circumstances. Giving them a few days off to focus on their emotional or physical health can save you from losing a diligent employee.
To improve employee health, you can also introduce a healthy eating culture in the office or encourage everyone to go to the gym for at least half an hour after office timings.
Diversity
Diversity means having a blend of different cultures and backgrounds in the workplace. Diversity promotes acceptance, and your employees feel themselves to be a part of the space, putting more effort into work. Ensuring equal opportunities and representation gives confidence to your team members which you can see in their performance.
While diversity might not directly influence productivity, it can be a crucial element in team performance and job satisfaction. Engage people in healthy conversations apart from work to give them a breeze of freshness to boost their analytical and critical thinking abilities that help with productivity.
Leadership
Leadership is one of the most important factors affecting productivity in a workplace. The leader must be an example of honesty and diligence to their employees, and they should look up to them for advice when needed. A leader’s personality should be influential and unbiased. Leaders should encourage people who work hard and guide others to perform well.
Accepting Feedback
As customer relationships are made through accepting feedback, so are with employees. If your employees or team members are not comfortable sharing the lacking in the business with you, they cannot achieve the goals you are looking forward to.
The way you handle that feedback is one of the crucial factors that influence productivity. When you brush the feedback under the carpet and do not heed what your employees have to say, the issue will not be addressed and continue to prevail.
The Bottom Line
Productivity is not related to anyone’s particular cause as many factors influence productivity. From creating a trustful, transparent environment to providing tech-savvy tools and offering work breaks for physical and mental health, everything contributes to productivity. You can improve productivity by allowing them to take care of themselves and give feedback without being judged or mistrusted. It adds to a diverse company culture that believes in team benefit instead of personal benefit.
Matthew is a Co-Founder at BusinessFinanceArticles.org. Matthew was a floor manager at a local restaurant in Wales. He lost his job after the pandemic and took initiative to make a team and start the project.
Leave a Reply