How can you track employee productivity?

Regardless of the general definition of employee productivity, there are multiple ways to measure it effectively. They are:

• Measuring the profit made
• Assessing the quality of work completed
• Tracking the number of goals and targets achieved
• Measuring the amount of work done
• Gauging how much time was spent on each task

How can you track employee productivity?

With a firm understanding of the concept of employee productivity as well as its essence, let’s explore how to improve it.

1. Positive organizational culture and good workplace conditions

The journey towards enhancing employee productivity begins with the organization’s culture and physical environment.

Organizational culture is how things get done at an organization. It’s the totality of the systems, behaviors, and values prevalent in an organization, all of which determine the experience of employees and customers alike as they interact with the organization.

To improve employee productivity, you need a company culture that fosters respect, support, communication, relationship building, teamwork, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Thus, it’s imperative to weave these desired elements into the company’s values and policies.

Instead of mindlessly insisting on individual success or positions and hierarchies which can lead to selfishness and sabotage, demonstrate that every employee and their opinions are valued regardless of their rank.

Equally important is the work environment. To boost employee productivity, see to it that the workplace conditions are top-notch. Here are some pointers to ace this requirement:

• Equipment should be working properly
• There should be adequate lighting and ventilation, both artificial and natural
• Office walls should be painted and decorated to give a calm ambiance
• Design the environment with plant life and other compatible forms of nature

Good organizational culture and workplace conditions keep employees in good spirits which leads to an increase in their output.

2. Optimize communication, feedback, and collaboration

To ensure that employees operate more efficiently, it’s mandatory to strengthen communication, feedback, and collaboration.

Undoubtedly, communication is the spine of every relationship. So, it’s indispensable in business. But, multiple organizations miss the mark when it comes to communication and, consequently, employee performance crumbles.

For optimized communication, ensure that employees are fully aware of their responsibilities and expectations. There should be no questions about what should be done, when it should be done, or by whom. 

Since communication is always a two-way process, feedback is also an absolute necessity. It will help employees understand how they can do their jobs better and reduce misunderstanding. 

Additionally, the means of communication should be hassle-free. Email and communication software are much better options than incessant meetings. Research by Atlassian proves that meetings aren’t always productive and 50% of employees considered them wasted time. Fix meetings only when absolutely necessary. 

Seamless collaboration is necessary as well to actualize the hopes of greater employee outturn. It takes the friction out of teamwork and even enhances communication and feedback. There are various collaboration software; leverage any of them to kick collaboration up a rung in your company.   

3. Technology

The right tools make working easy and enhance output. In every aspect of business, be it communication, scheduling, collaboration, payroll, accounting, and all forms of task execution, manual setups have run their course. Technology is no longer a nice-to-have.

It’s a must-have.

Technology guarantees quicker completion of tasks with minimum effort. It gives easy access to data and information which helps employees accomplish much in less time. If your employees are hitting set targets with greater ease and in less time, that’s an increase in employee productivity!  

4. Encourage proper work-life balance

Often, employee productivity drops as a result of poor navigation of the work-life blend. There’s a time and place for everything, but if your employees can’t draw a clear distinction between their professional lives and personal lives, their performance at work will suffer.

A good way to enhance productivity among your employees is to inspire work-life balance. 

Implementing better scheduling is an excellent way to achieve work-life balance at your workplace. Insist on strict observance of breaks and overtime work rules. Urge employees to utilize the various work benefits and take their paid time off. Always stress the importance of exercise. It would be innovative to have an exercise program and arena at the workplace.

Greater flexibility in terms of the time of work, as well as location, will help amplify employee productivity. The University of Chicago’s study has proven that working from home improves performance. 

So, as much as possible, allow flexibility.   

5. Recognition and Rewards

Do you want happy and engaged employees? Are you interested in a dedicated workforce?

Then, I’ve got two words for ya! 

Show gratitude.

There are two significant ways to demonstrate gratitude to employees and they are recognition and rewards. Recognition and rewards give humans the enthusiasm to improve their efforts, whether in sporting events, academic pursuits, or career-wise. According to Deloitte, employee productivity is 14% higher in organizations that prioritize employee recognition and rewards than those that don’t.

Every organization should have an elaborate employee recognition program

To show recognition, you could send them a handwritten note detailing how you appreciate their efforts. Other good options are to mention them during meetings and to put their name or picture on the company’s wall of fame for a while. 

In terms of rewarding your employees, remarkable ways to incentivize them include taking them out for a meal and spending quality time with them. Giving additional paid time off, booking a spa session, promotions and bonuses are on the list too.

As far as incentives are concerned, be sure that you get a good idea of the person’s preference. That way, you can reward them with something they like. 

Failing to demonstrate your gratitude will cause your employees to feel like they’re wasting their efforts. Thus, they might decide to reduce their input. Worse still, they could leave your company for your competitors.

6. Provide learning and development opportunities

As simple as it sounds, one of the most effective ways to enhance employee productivity is by providing learning and development opportunities. How this leads to greater performance is no mystery. Firstly, your workforce will become more competent at executing tasks. Also, they’ll know how to work with new software which will amplify their performance.

Beyond those, learning and development opportunities boost employee satisfaction and engagement. Giving your workforce various gateways for professional development is proof that you’re invested in their success. As a result, they’ll be more dedicated to your company’s goals and increase their efforts.

To provide learning and development opportunities for your workforce 

• Arrange training sessions both online and offline
• Provide financial assistance for those engaging in advanced education
• Implement a thorough onboarding process to acquaint fresh employees with internal tools and processes
• Engage them in mentoring programs  

Constant training of your employees improves their efficiency.

7. Champion delegation; shun micromanagement

Teamwork makes the dream work. 

You can’t do it all. No one can.

A fantastic way to boost employee productivity is by delegating tasks to them. You should give responsibilities to the employees who are qualified to handle them. This entails that, initially, you should have a fine understanding of each employee’s skill set and assign tasks that match their skills. 

When you assign the duties to them, give them their independence. Trust that they’ll execute with competence. You don’t have to breathe down their necks or pore over every insignificant detail. Micromanagement is a time waster; this is a fact! 

Assigning responsibilities to your employees helps them sharpen their skills and nurtures independence and confidence which will serve your company better in the long run. What’s more, it ensures that more is done in less time, thus, boosting output.

8. Clarity of goals

If your employees have a definite target to aim for, they’ll most probably execute their tasks flawlessly. However, if the goal is vague and cluttered with pettier unnecessary tasks, the employees might get distracted and their performance might slump. 

Since this is the case, the best thing to do is to ensure that the tasks are clear and focused. Ensure that the goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (SMART). Evaluate all tasks to ensure that they meet this standard before assigning them to employees.

Employee productivity is essential and should be boosted by every possible means. These tips will ensure that your employees’ performance records a meteoric rise. 

Seeing how technology is relevant to productivity, find out how Roosted can help your company with scheduling, communication, and more.