Six Ways to Increase Employee Productivity
Your employees and their performance are key elements that can drive your business to success. Therefore, you must provide them with enough support to get them behind the company’s mission and make them more productive. Give your employees feedback that will help them to improve, and take on board the feedback they give you. Help them to learn more about the part of your industry they want to succeed in and support them in getting out of their comfort zone. Here are six things you can do to make your employees more engaged and increase employee productivity.
Give And Receive Valuable Feedback
Giving and receiving feedback well can significantly influence the company culture. Getting positive feedback always makes you feel better. However, you need to master the art of receiving negative feedback as well. It is easy to get angry and defensive when someone points out your flaws which can create a bad working environment. On the other hand, thanking for the feedback and taking the time to ponder about what you can improve can create a much better atmosphere and inspire your employees to do the same. If your employees often work in teams, consider implementing the system of 360 feedback that will allow you to discover your team’s strengths, weaknesses and soft skills.
Equip Them With Technology To Make Work More Efficient
If you want your business and employees to become more efficient, make sure that they have tools that will help them to finish their tasks faster and with higher quality. For instance, you should ensure that your business has devices that can handle the workload you are experiencing. Install the latest updates of all the software you are using. That will help you to avoid serious cyber attacks and data loss that could hold you back and make your employees perform slower. You should also keep up with the maintenance of all devices to prolong their lifespan and improve their performance.
Keep The Work Accessible
Offering your employees flexibility at work can make them significantly more productive. To achieve that, you should have in place solutions that will allow your employees to work from anywhere. Companies such as SaaS Protection offer cloud storage that will back up all files from Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. That way, your employees will have access to all the assets they need to complete their tasks successfully. At the same time, you will be able to rest assured that your business data are safe and have a high chance of recovery in case you lose them.
Make Communication Between Employees Easy
Giving your employees a way to build relationships with each other can make them more productive and more confident in their abilities at the same time. Sometimes, it might be necessary for your employees to work in teams to ensure that the project is finished successfully. On other occasions, your employees might face a problem or struggle with their tasks. In that case, you should give them the possibility to get in touch with other employees who might have more experience. Perhaps they faced the same issue before, or they have a more efficient way of completing the task. Good communication channels will bring your employees closer together and help them to become more productive.
Authentic Leadership
Be authentic. Be yourself. You might read this advice in all the books about leadership. It might seem straightforward, yet it might be something you are not too good at because no one explains what they mean by saying it. You do not need to try every leadership style you read about in books or on the internet. Instead, find a style that fits your personality. When you try to do something that is not in your nature, your employees will know that you are putting on a front that is not you. If you are doing what feels comfortable to you, your employees will be more likely to approach you if they need anything. With the support and feeling of safety, they will be able to boost levels of their performance.
Encourage Employees To Take Risks
On some occasions, your company might receive orders on projects that are challenging and can mean a lot for your reputation. In that case, you need all hands on deck. For some of your employees, it might be the first time they are working on a bigger project, and it is up to you to ensure that they feel confident enough to do their part. They will most likely underestimate their skills and could be worried that they do not have enough experience to take on such responsibilities. Do your best to make them believe in their abilities again and highlight past projects that were similar and that they were successful at. You can also connect them with other employees who are more experienced and could bring them peace of mind. If they feel like they have gaps in their skills, you can support them by providing them with resources that will help them learn more.