7 ways to improve employee productivityIt is critical to any organisation that their employees are able to keep productive throughout their time with the business. Maximum productivity equates to maximum results, and this doesn’t just apply to those in management positions – it applies to all staff within the organisation.

To ensure success, organisations must not only make sure that their management team is engaged, they must also take steps to ensure all their employees are engaged, motivated and productive.

Here are 7 practical ways that are proven to help you improve the levels of engagement and increase productivity within your organisation.

7 Practical Ways to Improve Productivity

Respect your people

  • There have been clear links found between an employee’s productivity and the respect they believe they receive in the workplace. Employee who feel their work is valued and respected by their leaders, will go the extra distance to achieve the desired results.

Recognise the efforts of your people

  • Recognition is one of the most powerful forms of motivation. It is more valuable and certainly more cost effective than other forms of incentives. So don’t be afraid to say “Well Done” and praise the efforts of those within the organisation when warranted. Recognising their efforts and making them feel valued will increase their productivity.

Provide regular feedback

  • As an employer, you have a responsibility to offer constructive and meaningful feedback to employees on a regular basis. It is a key part of your role as a leader and builds the capability of the business.  Your staff are looking for regular feedback that will engage them and help them succeed in their role. Give it to them in a way that helps them understand and allows them to improve their contribution.

Support your people

  • Support can be defined in many ways. It may be seen as something as simple as updating equipment or software when it is out of date, or by standing by an employee when they are presented with unfair feedback. By offering support to your employees, you are showing that you value them as individuals and they are a valued member of the organisation. One thing is for certain – if you show your employees support, you will gain their loyalty, respect and commitment.

Train your people

  • Your frontline and middle management leaders need leadership training as much as your senior leadership team (some would argue they need it more than the senior leadership team).   A large number of organisations seem to forget that leadership is an organisational wide skill and end up placing more of a focus on providing leadership training to the senior managers only. Try providing leadership development programs to all levels within the organisation and watch the benefits that the business receives on this investment.

Lead and inspire

  • A senior management team that appears incapable of engaging with and lack respect for your employees will ensure your employees are disengaged and less predictive.  Ensure that those in senior management teams lead by example, inspire those around them and treat all people in a respectful and a valuing way.

Offer incentives to all

  • Too often an organisation’s incentive scheme will only offer performance bonuses to senior managers. What message is this approach sending to the employees?  To increase employee engagement and productivity, you may look at also offering economic incentives to all employees – not just senior management.

Research shows that employees would rather work for teams and in an environment that is engaging, supportive and inspiring. If a workplace is all these things, employees will be committed to their work and productivity will be increased.