BizForce technologies reveal that 80% of small-to-medium businesses state that the use of technology has contributed to their current success. Technology plays an integral role in any business, from employee satisfaction to work quality to productivity, including strategies on how to increase the productivity of employees.
If you are wondering how to increase the productivity of employees, read on for actionable tips and strategies, such as assessing their needs, utilising automation, and, most importantly, upgrading technology which will not only boost productivity but enable your business to gain a competitive edge in today’s digital landscape.
How to Increase the Productivity of Employees: Assess Their Needs
To increase the productivity of your employees, the first step is to assess their individual needs in the context of the company's needs and objectives. This involves researching the various roles within the company that need to be filled, considering your team's current skill set, analysing areas that may need additional training, and identifying any organisational changes you may need to make. In addition, it's important to implement strategies on how to increase the productivity of employees, such as providing regular feedback, setting clear expectations, offering incentives for exceptional performance, and creating a positive work environment that fosters collaboration and creativity.
By taking these steps, you can help your employees reach their full potential and achieve greater success for your company. This will ensure that your employees are placed in the right roles and can increase their own productivity, which will, in turn, benefit your organisation.
The following are two ways you can assess your employees’ needs:
- Observe the current processes within the company and determine what changes can be made to increase productivity. It could be as simple as introducing a weekly team meeting to discuss challenges, obstacles, or inefficiencies. Or, it could simply involve updating the company software.
- Conduct employee surveys to collect feedback and identify any potential improvements. Not only will having these measures in place create a more effective working environment for all employees, but it will also let your team know that their opinions and voices are valued.You could survey employees on everything from their opinions on the office culture to how they feel about introducing new initiatives or software.
How to Increase the Productivity of Employees: Upgrade Technology
One of the ways to address decreased productivity is to update outdated technology, such as legacy systems. Legacy systems can inadvertently sabotage your employees because they remain the same as time passes and technology advances. By upgrading technology, you can improve workflow processes and give your employees the tools they need to be more productive. Additionally, implementing strategies to increase employee productivity, such as providing training and setting clear goals, can also help improve overall productivity.
As a result of outdated technology, your business processes can become inefficient or fail to work altogether, leading to decreased productivity. Investing in modern, up-to-date technology compatible with existing systems is essential to increase productivity.
The Benefits of Upgrading Technology
Maybe you’re not convinced that upgrading technology is worth it.
In the long term, upgrading technology offers you many benefits. In addition to enabling greater efficiency, the following are several benefits of upgrading technology within your business:
- Increases engagement and morale. This is because advanced technology can make working more enjoyable. It can reduce mundane tasks, free up creative thinking and problem-solving time, and enable employees to develop their skills.
- Boost the accuracy of results and reduce human mistakes. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction, a better reputation among clients and business partners, and higher levels of trust.
- Advanced systems provide more detailed information, enabling employees to make more informed decisions.
- It is often more cost-effective to replace existing legacy systems with new and advanced ones, such as cloud-based systems that save resources and provide greater flexibility. Not only will this lead to improved productivity, but it can also help to reduce unnecessary costs.
- Updating technology also allows for more advanced systems, which can provide better information security in the face of cyber security threats.
How to Increase the Productivity of Employees: Focus On Training
One of the most important aspects of increasing employee productivity is focusing on their training and development. Employees need to be given the tools and resources to perform their roles efficiently, especially if you want them to take on more work, expand their skill set, and deliver high-quality results.
The following are several ways you can build a culture of continual learning and improvement for your employees:
- Giving constructive feedback.
- Holding structured training sessions.
- Allow employees to attend conferences and seminars.
- Offer an incentive for employees to complete online certifications.
- Encourage employees to share tips with each other.
How Do Legacy Systems Hold Me Back From Success?
How to Increase the Productivity of Employees: Create an Engaging Work Environment
Creating an engaging environment is beneficial for increasing productivity and can lead to improved morale and a more positive workplace culture. Allowing employees to enjoy their work and feel valued can positively impact their motivation and productivity. This, in turn, benefits you and your company.
Forbes reports that engaged employees are more productive, and this results in a potential increase in profits by 21%.
The following are several ways to create an engaging work environment:
- Incentivise team members by introducing rewards and recognition programs.
- Offer flexible working hours or even allow remote working. After the pandemic, 71% of employees actually want a hybrid or remote working style.
- Provide a comfortable working space.
- Recognise and reward employees for their hard work and achievements.
How to Increase the Productivity of Employees: Utilise Automation
Another way to increase the productivity of your employees is to take advantage of automation. Automation can help to reduce mundane activities, redirecting your team to focus on providing your company’s core services.
Automation has several benefits:
- Reduces errors and saves time, as data entry and processes can be automated.
- Simplifies processes.
- Promotes a more efficient working environment, allowing employees to focus on the tasks that really matter.
How to Increase the Productivity of Employees: Enhance Communication
You can never over-communicate. You want to ensure that team members voice concerns, challenges, and questions before it’s too late, and you want to guarantee that everyone is meeting deadlines and managing client expectations. Effective communication makes all of this possible.
According to Dynamic Signal, ineffective company communication stresses out 80% of US employees.
Enhance communication between your team with the following:
- Project management software or instant messaging applications.
- Use document-sharing software like Google Drive or Dropbox to make collaboration and workflows run smoothly.
- Meet with your team, either online via video or in person. Sometimes, a message or email can work, but often it helps to meet with your team face-to-face to avoid misunderstandings.
How to Increase the Productivity of Employees: Encourage a Healthy Work/Life Balance
If you're wondering how to increase employees' productivity, it's worth considering the benefits of stepping away from work. When did you last step outside and feel the sunshine on your skin? The ability to step away from work, even for a couple of hours a day, can help reduce stress levels and encourage creativity. You can create a more productive and engaged workforce by encouraging employees to take regular breaks and prioritise their well-being.
Ensuring that your employees take care of themselves and maintain a healthy work/life balance is important. This can improve productivity in the long term as your team will be more focused and motivated. Statista found that work-life balance is an important factor for employees considering a job position, according to 72% of respondents.
The following are two ways to encourage a work/life balance among your team:
- Provide employees with resources and training to help identify stress levels, manage their time, and take time for breaks.
- Allow employees to work from home when necessary.
How to Increase the Productivity of Employees: Celebrate Successes
Increase the Productivity of Employees Today
Modern, up-to-date technology is a major driver in increasing employee productivity. It provides a foundation from which they can grow, excel, and contribute to your organisation’s success.
At solverASSIST, we understand the shipping and logistics business and the underlying technologies. This enables us to tailor service solutions to your specific needs so that they can concentrate on core business and scale up their digital ambitions without worrying about whether your technologies function correctly.
Let us help you increase your employees’ productivity today. Start by upgrading your technology and legacy systems.