Four Simple Ways To Improve Employee Productivity
When you are running your own business, it is easy to get bogged down and let the little things slide. At first, this is not likely to matter much. Everything will still run relatively smoothly. But, over time, the little things that you have missed can build up and start to have a more serious impact. Here are a few ways to improve productivity.
Fix poor signage
The bigger your business premises get, the more time everyone wastes walking from A to B. This is largely unavoidable. But, what can be prevented are people getting lost and wasting time. Good business signage like the kind you can buy from mydoorsign can really help with this.
It can be used to remind people of which way to go when they are visiting a part of the business premises that are new to them. They will waste less time wondering around and will not have to disturb other colleagues to find their way. Good signage will also help your visitors. It helps them to feel comfortable and to realize that they are dealing with a company that pays attention to the details.
Stay organized and create a clutter-free environment
The more organized an employee’s workspace is the more productive they will be. A recent study carried out by Harvard University showed that students who worked in a clean, uncluttered space were able to focus on the task in hand for 7.5-minutes longer than those who worked in a normal environment.
So, it makes sense to maintain an organized workplace, a subject which we recently covered in more depth. You can read more about the connection between clutter and productivity in this academic article.
Ensure your employees take proper breaks
In an attempt to cut costs, an awful lot of businesses have cut back drastically on employee breaks. On paper, this looks like a good idea. But, it may, in fact, turn out to be a false economy.
The longer someone focuses on a task, the more fatigued their brain gets. Yet, they only have to take a 5-minute break to return to the job re-invigorated. Again, there are plenty of studies that back this up. So, consider installing a drink’s station somewhere that is easy to get to. Or, send a trolley around, twice a day that is laden with healthy drinks and snacks. That five-minute break and interaction with someone else can make a big difference. Better still, reinstate tea and lunch breaks.
Don’t let the meetings culture develop
Having too many meetings is a very easy trap to fall into. If you are not careful, people will start to have meetings about meetings. On average, office workers spend a crazy 31 hours a month attending meetings. Most of the time, they are unproductive.
Often, people have to sit there for an hour or more, just so they can make a 2-minute contribution. This is very frustrating and stressful for them. Usually, they are acutely aware of what a waste of their time doing that is. They know that there is a big pile of work on their desk waiting for their return.
So, if you have not done so for a while, do a quick audit. See what is going on and work to correct things if the number of meetings being held has gotten out of hand.
Just implementing one or two of the above changes will make a difference. So, don’t delay, give one of them a go and you’re sure to improve productivity.
