The productivity of your employees will have a major impact on your business’ bottom line. So, if you want to boost your profits and promote your long-term success, you’ll need to make sure you’re getting the very most from your staff members. Here are five top productivity tips to help you along the way.
1) Create a dynamic workspace
The days of dull offices with row after row of desks and chairs are numbered. Change is afoot in the world of workspace design as firms seek increasingly dynamic setups that help them harness the full potential of their personnel. So, rather than relying on a traditional, homogenous office, you might benefit from splitting the space up into different zones, including a quiet area where people can concentrate without distraction and a breakout space where staff can have impromptu meetings and discussions without feeling inhibited. Establishing distinct areas like this can help ensure your employees are able to find a suitable environment whatever they’re doing.
Creating a more dynamic workspace might be easier than you think. Office experts Furniture At Work™ recommend using screens to cordon off sections of your work area. These dividers
are lightweight and easy to assemble, helping to take the hassle out of rearranging your workspace.
2) Focus on every last design detail
It’s not just the overall layout of your office that you’ll need to think about. The finer details of your workspace design can also have an impact on productivity. You’ll need to get everything from your storage solutions to your desk sizes spot on if you want your workers to perform at the highest level. Even the temperature of your office could impact on productivity. Highlighting this point, a study of workers conducted by a team from Cornell University found that typing errors dropped by 44 per cent and typing output increased by 150 per cent when their office temperature rose from 68°F to 77°F.
3) Promote worker wellbeing
Sickness absence can throw a major spanner in the works when you’re trying to bolster productivity. While you can’t eliminate the risk of your employees taking time off due to illness, you can take steps to boost their general wellbeing. For example, make sure you keep stress levels among your staff members under control. Setting up a cycle to work scheme could also help to keep your personnel fit and healthy. Even small steps, like providing free fruit in your office, might help to minimise absences. Make sure you offer good quality, supportive seating too. Musculoskeletal disorders, which are often caused or exacerbated by poor workstation setups, are responsible for millions of lost working days each year.
4) Incentivise results
Be sure to incentivise results as well. For example, employee recognition programmes that reward personnel for their achievements can encourage people to push themselves that little bit harder. It’s also important to provide employees with training and promotion opportunities. When workers can see a chance to progress, they often up their efforts.
5) Foster a sense of team spirit
More generally, it’s worthwhile fostering a strong sense of team spirit among your employees. When staff members feel like they’re working for a collective, worthwhile cause, they tend to be more focussed and dedicated. To boost morale and to encourage staff members to interact more, it helps to arrange team activities. This can include anything from informal nights out to corporate away days.
There’s no panacea when it comes to maximising productivity, but by following suggestions like these, you stand a good chance of increasing output.
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