Creating an inspiring and motivating workplace environment that boosts work performance and improves employee productivity is easier said than done. There are countless ways to boost work performance. However, if you focus on making small changes, like changing employee habits, you can drastically improve productivity in the workplace and ensure your staff members stay happy.
Let's take a look at nine foolproof ways to improve employee productivity and boost performance in the workplace:
1. Recognize and Implement Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
As an executive, manager, or team leader, the first thing you need to do is implement Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the workplace. Let us give you a small recap of what exactly is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed a motivational theory of five human needs. He portrayed this theory in the shape of a pyramid that illustrated the idea that a person must fulfil needs in a specified order, starting with the lowest tier (physiological) and then moving onto the higher tier (self-actualization) once it is fully satisfied.
When it comes to applying Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the workplace, here are some actions you can take to fulfil the productivity needs of your employees:
Physiological: Maintain workplace facilities and pay fair salaries to your employees according to a set schedule.
Safety: Develop a safe and secure office environment, provide health benefits, and offer pension plans.
Belongingness and love: Celebrate diversity, promote cross-collaboration across teams, and offer equal access to all employee initiatives.
Esteem: Recognize team contributions, provide feedback to employees, and reward exceptional performance.
Self-actualization: Create personalized training plans, offer custom management tracks, and provide high-level mentorship from executives.
As your employees move from the lowest tier (physiological) to the highest (self-actualization), they become more productive. Your goal should be to develop a culture that continuously encourages and motivates them to reach their greatest potential.
2. Implement a Workplace Wellness Program
Workplace wellness programs are trending nowadays. A wellness program shows employees that you value their long-term health and well-being. Many businesses have found via research that such programs reduce the total number of sick days that employees take. This not only means more productivity but also translates to a lower healthcare insurance expense for a company.
For example, a workplace wellness program that successfully encourages employees to quit smoking will likely result in a healthier workforce. However, for that investment to pay off, you must constantly customize your wellness programs according to the needs of the participants.
Ensure you create a workplace wellness program that aligns with your company's culture. This will show your employees that you are dedicated to carrying out an integrated mission. The majority of your staff members will appreciate the emphasis on wellness and consistency of your workplace wellness programs.
3. Improve Workplace Conditions
If your work environment or workplace conditions are uncomfortable, your employees will not be motivated to work.
To create comfortable working conditions, ensure office temperature is always between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. An environment that is too hot or too cold will distract your employees as they will spend more time walking around to get their coats and access fans. Ensure both heating and air-conditioning systems in your workplace are in perfect order all year round.
The furniture you choose for your employees can also make or break your workplace productivity. Uncomfortable chairs and uneven desks can irritate employees during work, affecting the speed at which they perform. Consider adding ergonomic chairs from FlexiSpot around your workplace.
4. Ensure Your Employees Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Every company is different and needs to define work-life balance for its employees. Finding the right work-life balance for your company will take you some time and require a lot of effort, but in the end, it will improve employee satisfaction and productivity.
According to a survey by Gallup, 53% of employees agree that a role that allows them to have greater work-life balance and better personal well-being is very important to them. Your employees have lives outside of the office, and the two different environments can sometimes impact one another. Offering incentives like flexible work schedules or unlimited vacation days shows employees that you truly care about their well-being.
If your company operates on a strict 9-to-5 schedule, look for alternative ways to accommodate your employees' personal needs. For example, you can offer work-from-home opportunities. Try to create an open communication system based on trust to boost employee productivity and help you develop a balanced environment.
5. Practice Positive Reinforcement
One of the best ways to boost work performance and improve productivity is to encourage, motivate and reward employees. Whenever your employees do a good job, recognize their accomplishments and provide constructive criticism that will help them improve. Above all, offer personal incentives to your employees for performing well, like a free paid holiday or free coffee for a week.
Whenever a staff member achieves something, discuss their accomplishments with other employees. This will help you cultivate a sense of fulfilment in the workplace and motivate others to do their best. When you motivate your employees to work harder and offer rewards for good work, they become more likely to increase their productivity.
6. Encourage Frequent Breaks
This is arguably the most important tip. Please remember that no one can be 100% productive 100% of the time, so if you force your employees to do so, they will eventually suffer burnout.
Studies have shown that taking regular breaks makes you more productive. A study conducted by the Draugiem Group found that the most productive employees were the ones who stepped away from their desks for 10 minutes at a time to take a break. They concluded that productivity increases when employees work for 45 minutes and then take an extended break for 10 minutes to grab a snack, chat with a coworker, or go for a walk.
7. Provide the Right Tools and Equipment
There's no doubt that when you provide the right kind of tools and equipment, your team's overall performance and productivity improve substantially. In today's digital age, IT has recently become a strategic enabler of modern businesses. More and more organizations are shifting to technology and cloud-based tools to leverage their benefits.
To ensure your employees deliver top performance and maintain high productivity, keep them up-to-date with the latest tools and technology. Explore the wide variety of choices available on the market and evaluate the best ones according to your business's specific needs. Find cloud-based software that simplifies project management for your employees, facilitates open communication, reduces conflicts, and improves productivity every day.
Here is a list of some basic questions that you should answer before buying an IT solution or tool for your business:
What are the key processes of your business, and how can you improve those using online tools and apps?
Are you already using a business tool? Is it delivering results as per your expectations?
How much are you willing to invest?
What kind of support services and training do you expect?
Providing the right equipment also means equipping your office with comfortable furniture. Instead of using cluttered, small traditional desks, get your hands on a few standing workstations and fixed-height desks and tables from FlexiSpot.
8. Give Your Employees Space and Freedom
It is never a good idea to create a strict work environment that limits your employees. You need to provide more freedom to your employees in how they work. Whenever possible, offer flexible hours to your employees and allow them to set their own work schedules. Please encourage them to work from home whenever they can. This flexibility will allow your employees to figure out what approaches work best for them.
If you want to increase productivity in the workplace, you must find a reliable way to measure it. You can do this by keeping track of how your employees spend time, how many tasks they complete in a set period, their email response time, the number of projects completed, and other metrics.
9. Communicate Effectively
Lastly, regardless of whether you are the manager, try to establish a consistent communication channel among all your team members. Make it your ultimate goal to communicate effectively. Effective communication can take the following forms:
Making sure everyone knows their opinion matters during brainstorming sessions
Evaluating work performance frequently to keep your goals and responsibilities in mind
Creating a solution after talking to your employees or colleagues and actively listening to what they have to say
Always remember that communication is a two-way street. Whenever you're feeling uncertain or unclear about something, you should ask someone and make them feel heard.
In the End
This brings us to the end of our list of ways to boost work performance. Whether you are an executive director, a manager, or a team leader, incorporate these nine ways in your workplace and witness your productivity employee satisfaction increase.
