No matter the size of a business, one of the most important aspects of it is its employees. If workers are satisfied, happy and healthy, productivity will rise, and that’s something every business needs to strive towards. Both office workers and remote workers battle productivity slumps and lack of motivation.
Oftentimes, a simple change in habits is all it takes to drastically improve productivity, but other times, you need to invest in new tech and training. All of these upgrades will ensure a better quality of work and faster production. Here are some of the most effective ways to boost productivity at work or at the home office.
Reduce distractions
Countless things can distract workers from their tasks, no matter if they work from the office or home. Social media is one of the biggest culprits, but banning phones is not a viable option. Instead, encourage workers to turn off their phones or put them on silent, while allowing some breathing room while they take breaks.
Meetings are another problem that’s bothering workers since the dawn of offices, and this pest doesn’t stop with remote work either. Meetings are important for planning approaches and strategies, but managers should strive to be economical with language and keep things simple since lengthy meetings can completely ruin the workflow and destroy productivity. Long meetings waste time, but they also include pre-meeting activities, preparation, post-meeting to-dos and “switching time”.
Provide all the right tools
To perform their duties efficiently, workers need the right tools and equipment, both in the office and at home. We all know how frustrating it can be to waste time standing around a slow printing device waiting for it to finish. High-quality programs and equipment make a big difference to the workers, as well as the ways your company is perceived by clients and partners. With the right tools such as an MFP which can print, scan, copy and fox, you can save time and effort. Or you can go paperless in your office.
Ensure optimal work conditions
Another common office distraction is the temperature at the office. According to research, the best temperature for producing efficient work is between 70 and 77 F (21 to 25 C). In environments that are too hot or cold, workers can be distracted from work and spend most of their time messing with heaters or fans or struggling with their clothing. Both heating and air-conditioning need to be in order at the office to prepare for changing temperatures.
Pay attention to eye health
One of the main reasons for distractions reduced productivity and focus, as well as absenteeism, is eye strain. No matter if working from a traditional office or home office, workers who spend hours behind a screen can suffer from headaches, eye strain and reduced vision. To prevent those issues and ensure smooth working conditions, encourage healthy eye-care practices. Taking plenty of breaks is crucial, especially when combined with eye exercises and practices that reduce glare. Workers might also benefit from a practical eye massage tool that helps relieve tired and strained eyes. These are fully portable and rechargeable, so they can be used whenever and wherever you might need a relaxing and therapeutic experience. After a nice eye massage break, the return to work will be more pleasurable and effective.
Practice positive reinforcement
Motivation, encouragement and rewards are some of the best drivers of productivity. If you’re the boss, give employees feedback and constructive criticism together with compliments. What is most important is to offer incentives for best workers, thing a free holiday, vacation days or free lunch as a reward for performing above average. When your employees are motivated to work hard and know their work will be rewarded, they will boost productivity and produce good results.
Provide training opportunities
Providing new training opportunities benefits your business in many ways: it reduces the frequency of errors, minimizes the need to repeat tasks, improves the knowledge of workers and makes them feel valued. According to data, Millennial workers rank training opportunities as one of the most important factors when choosing a workplace. Being committed to your employees’ progress will boost the sense of loyalty and automatically encourage more productivity. This step is especially important when working with managers since they are the key to organizing the company’s operations.
Update your technology
Powerful tools and applications can enable your business to streamline complex tasks and processes like calculating payroll, collecting and sorting information and paying bills. If you manage to automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks, people’s work will be simplified and leave them with time to be truly productive and focused. Whenever there’s a slump in productivity, it’s smart to analyze processes and see which tasks can be automated with tech.
Choosing solutions that require very little time to set up, maintain and learn how to use is crucial, but make sure to also consider the future needs of your workers. To create connected work teams and save time, it’s best to opt for programs that are compatible with multiple devices and can be integrated with existing software and hardware.
With these productivity-boosting strategies, all employees, from full-time ones to interns and remote workers, will start to achieve amazing work results and grow as professionals.
