Worker productivity is an important facet to your business’s profitability and future success. However, many companies forget to cultivate productivity and it can cost them. According to one expert, a disengaged and unproductive employee can cost up to 34 percent of that employee’s salary. This means you’re essentially pouring money down the drain because your employees aren’t living up to their potential.
Unproductive employees are an issue your business can’t afford to ignore, especially if you’re managing debt or aiming to expand your enterprise in the near future. You need to find a way to overcome the most common challenges to productivity in the workplace.
Below are some prevalent productivity issues and how you can work around them.
- Bodily Needs
Employees have limits, and once they hit these limits, they’re not going to be as productive. This is especially true if they’re hungry or sleep deprived. The time it takes to satiate such needs, like going to the nearest restaurant for a meal or taking an unscheduled cat nap, can cost valuable time. However, not providing a way for people to sate their needs will results in a poor work environment and disgruntled employees.
The Solution:
You can remedy food issues handily enough by stocking your employee lunchroom with delectable snacks. For example, you can put bottles of fruit infused water in the refrigerator so employees have access to a quick, refreshing beverage. You can also stock fruit and other healthy snacks in the pantry so employees can have quick snacks when they are low on energy. Your office should also have a designated napping area for employees who need to take a quick nap. This is essential if you have night shift workers who will definitely need such an area to recharge.
- Distractions
According to a survey on unproductivity, respondents ranked which events where the most distracting to their day. It revealed that 75 percent of employees were distracted by talkative co-workers and 71 percent were bothered by co-workers interrupting their tasks. Such activities can be very disruptive and derail someone’s train of thought. It can interrupt workers while they’re in the zone and carry on for prolonged periods.
The Solution:
Talkative co-workers and employees are less of a problem when you have work-from-home policies. However, in an office setting, your best bet to curb such distractions is by firm leadership and cultivating discipline. Have team managers talk to their members and ask them to postpone non-essential conversation until their lunch breaks. You can also ask them to schedule mini meeting where employees can enjoy casual conversation, so they’re not as likely to do so during critical work hours.
- Meetings
Meetings are a great way to catch up with employees and set agendas but there are such things as unnecessary meetings. According to a recent study, half of employees believe meetings are a waste of their time and what most of them do during meetings shows it. Only 4 percent of people attended meetings, and 39 percent of attendees slept through them. The same study found that unnecessary meetings cost U.S. businesses as much as $37 billion in salaries as employees sit through them when they could be doing other work.
The Solution:
Before you schedule any meetings, go through the points of discussion and consider if all your talking points can be condensed into an email instead. Reserve meetings for important company announcements and updates. If you expect lots of questions, send out the content of the meetings beforehand so attendees are well-prepared by the time the meeting begins. This reduces time wasted on explanations and allows you to proceed to the meet of the conversation.
- Miscommunication
Employees will have a hard time doing their duties if they receive confusing or vague instructions. Whether someone sends a poorly worded email or fails to clarify important details during a meeting, your employees won’t be as productive if they received clear instructions from the beginning. This can cost valuable time as employees redo their tasks or seek clarification.
The Solution:
Prevent employees from rambling on during meetings and encourage them to keep their presentations short and concise. Supplementary materials likes emails with clear step-by-step instructions and slides with details of the discussion on them will be necessary, so employees can refer to these materials if they need clarification. Encourage employees to ask as many questions as they can in set appointments to prevent confusion later on.
Employee productivity is an essential aspect of running a business. Keeping an eye on which issues prevent your employees from reaching their maximum potential each day is key to securing your profitability and the future of your business.
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