Technology has played a vital role in increasing the efficiency of organizations by streamlining business operations and automating tasks, but human resources remain an organization’s most important and valued asset.
However, the performance and output of an organization’s workforce depend on several factors and the human resources or HR team of the organization will implement various strategies to increase employee productivity.
While there are several ways of doing this, these are the top five ways to increase employee productivity.
1.Encourage learning to increase employee productivity
During the recruitment process, the focus will be drawn to an employee’s qualifications, especially in terms of education and training. What is satisfactory at the point of an employee joining an organization may not be sufficient a few months or years down the road.
Employees who remain stagnant in terms of education and training will often find it challenging to increase productivity as their knowledge could be outdated and their skills insufficient. This is why it is important for organizations to encourage learning and innovation, especially in order to increase employee productivity.
By talking to employees about areas of study they wish to pursue, the human resources department of the organization can introduce various training and educational programs employees can pursue.
2.Align company goals with individual goals
One of the main reasons for reduced productivity within organizations is a sense of disconnect between the company and its employees. If employees do not feel like their goals and targets contribute to the overall goals of the company, they are less likely to see how their product contributes to the overall efficiency and output of the company.
HR teams should thus implement strategies to align company goals with individual goals as it is one of the best ways to increase employee productivity.
3.Flexibility can increase employee productivity
The past year has made organizations across the globe understand the importance of flexibility in terms of working hours as well as location. Working from home became the norm and hours were adjusted to accommodate the unique challenges of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
The benefits of flexibility in the workplace are important even as businesses resume operations as usual. Employee satisfaction grows with flexible working conditions and employees are known to be more productive when they are not limited by a fixed schedule.
4.Improved work environment
One of the best ways to increase employee productivity is by improving the environment in which the organization’s human resources carry out their tasks and responsibilities. HR teams should look at the working environment as consisting of two key components; the physical environment and the psychological environment.
The physical environment should be clean, appealing,, and suitable for the type of work that is carried out. Access to water and comfortable seating are examples of ways of improving the physical work environment.
The psychological environment is also important as employees will be unable to perform well if they are unhappy at work or are under a lot of stress. If an employee is finding it hard to fit in with the rest of the workforce and engagement is low, HR teams can organize group activities and team-building exercises.
5.Employee wellbeing
The physical and psychological environment at a place of work has a direct impact on employee wellbeing. Physical and mental health is extremely important and organizations should ensure employee satisfaction and wellbeing is a priority when implementing strategies to increase employee productivity.
Flexible work conditions are a key factor in ensuring employee wellbeing, but so is access to a fitness facility and activities like meditation and yoga. Spaces that employees can use to take a break or relax can also be extremely important when increasing employee productivity.
Other ways to increase employee productivity
While the above strategies are some of the best ways to increase employee productivity, there are several other strategies HR teams can look at. Providing employees with the necessary tools and technology to meet goals and objectives in an efficient manner is extremely important.
It is also important that HR teams talk to employees and carry out necessary surveys to better understand the organization’s workforce. Knowing if employees are satisfied with the current work environment and benefits, what they believe will help increase their productivity, and training programs and workshops employees are interested in will give HR teams an idea of how to better implement these strategies to increase productivity in the workplace.
