Unfortunately, low productivity runs rampant in many modern workplaces. This common issue ultimately impacts a company’s bottom line, resulting in unnecessary monetary losses overtime. Examples of productivity killers include ineffective management, poor communication, and job-related anxiety. Eliminating these triggers and implementing productivity hacks will benefit your entire business.
Tried and True Methods for Boosting Productivity
Before exploring unconventional ways to increase employee productivity, it is essential to acknowledge a few traditional methods.
Encourage Employee Self-Care
Valuing employees’ needs involves prioritizing their well-being, including their physical health and mental state. Encouraging them to adopt healthy practices, such as nutritious eating and sleep hygiene, will lead to a more efficient workplace.
Practice Positive Reinforcement
Managers can effectively motivate employees by rewarding them for quality work and company loyalty. This incentive will encourage them to not only maintain but improve upon their efforts in the future.
Provide Ongoing Training
Providing continual instruction and investing in employees is a surefire way to increase productivity around the office. Consider sending them to conferences, conventions, and seminars to reinforce confidence and further develop each person’s skill set.
Unconventional Ways To Boost Productivity
Transition To a Fully-Remote Model
Working in an office brings a host of barriers to efficiency, including everyday distractions, off-topic discussions, and time-wasting boardroom meetings. These roadblocks tend to fly beneath the radar, leaving many managers in the dark when it comes to identifying pertinent underlying issues. Despite pervasive misconceptions, studies have shown that remote employees are more productive overall.
Businesses that choose to adopt fully-remote structures can benefit from using a virtual office. In this online environment, employees work seamlessly while minimizing distractions they would typically encounter in a physical office space. As long as managers are reachable throughout the workday and employees stay engaged, businesses stand to reap the benefits of remote work structures.
Furthermore, employees working virtually report higher rates of job satisfaction compared to their counterparts. Given the current political climate and coronavirus concerns, many companies have chosen to transition to a work-from-home model for the foreseeable future.
Should you choose to return to a traditional office setup in the post-COVID-19 era, you’ll need to keep pace with your competitors currently capitalizing on the productivity-boosting benefits of WFH structures. After stepping out of the comfort zone boxing you in, you’ll likely realize that optimizing workplace productivity doesn’t automatically translate to boring training Powerpoints. Get creative, and bear the fruits of improved workday productivity.
Allow Pets in the Office
A Central Michigan University study found that working in proximity to animals benefited worker productivity in multiple ways. Employees exposed to dogs while completing a project showed higher levels of mutual trust and team bonding. Allowing pets in the office also mitigates the stress that people often feel when leaving their furry friends at home.
Create a “Nap Room”
It might sound unprofessional, but sleeping in the office may be the best-kept secret to heightened productivity. Letting employees take power naps allows them to recharge and return to their work in a refreshed state. Getting a much-needed dose of zzzs also enhances general job performance and increases satisfaction.
Do Away With Conventional Desks
Many companies have replaced traditional desks with alternative solutions. Newer options, like standing desks and treadmill desks, discourage sedentary workdays and fend off fatigue. A balanced approach might include a mixture of seated and standing positions for maximum freedom. This combination of desk styles provides employees with the flexibility to choose what works best for them, resulting in a happier, healthier, more productive office.
Play Games During Breaks
Pressing the pause button to engage in an enjoyable activity can significantly relieve stress. Doctoral research found that participants working on mentally-challenging tasks reported mood improvement after taking five-minute breaks to play video games. These participants had higher rates of relief than those who did not partake in any gameplay.
Final Thoughts
Employees looking to combat stress may also consider outdoor games and bursts of physical exercise. These options tend to bring coworkers closer together by intensifying bonds and boosting morale. Even short breaks are enough to experience these benefits and bolster collective productivity.
Time management double exposure -DepositPhotos
