A business that only runs at half its productive abilities will eventually suffer negative consequences. Significantly smaller than projected profits stunt growth, and left too long can result in closure. A lack of productivity also points to problems that bosses must address within the organization. Thankfully once a business owner identifies the root causes, there are plenty of ways to improve business productivity.
Gauge Employee Attitudes
The workplace culture and environment have significant impacts on the productivity of staff. Look at what employees perceive the company culture to be. If they feel it’s a place of fear and discrimination, they won’t be interested in giving their best effort. Take things too far the other way, and the staff may love coming to work because they know they can slack off without ramifications. Once you understand the perceived culture, you can make positive changes.
Foster A Safe Environment
Providing employees with a safe work environment where they feel respected and comfortable is essential to a successful business. It also reduces the possibility of workers making complaints of discrimination or harassment that could lead to legal problems. If you’re unsure how to navigate these issues, an employment lawyer like those at hkm.com is the best person to approach. Not only are they there to support workers’ rights, but also to support employers in protecting their staff.
Effective Management
The best managers guide their teams while allowing them autonomy to carry out their individual tasks. Micro-managing people breeds resentment and keeps them on edge as they wait for further interference. Yet having a manager who’s constantly absent, drops their workload on others, etc., also breeds resentment. Installing managers who treat their team fairly and firmly in an open and approachable manner will significantly increase productivity and employee satisfaction.
Training
New staff who join a company and receive no training will find it difficult to do their new job, even if it’s relatively simple. They will also feel unvalued from day one and develop little loyalty in return. Ensuring all employees receive appropriate training as needed ensures they can undertake their roles correctly. Providing further training opportunities that help with career development strengthens feelings of being valued, keeping staff motivated.
Motivation And Reward
Toiling for little reward becomes a drag for anyone after a while. Staff who feel unmotivated and unappreciated don’t work at their total capacity, which tanks productivity. Find innovative ways to motivate and reward employees to stop such drops in productivity. Also, ensure the reward matches the thing being rewarded, or the intent will be lost. After all, laying on pizza as a pick-me-up is excellent if you have staff working the weekend shift, but not so much if you’re celebrating a significant milestone.
By figuring out the root causes of decreased productivity within your business gives you the tools to rectify them. If the company culture isn’t right, take steps to make it conducive to better results. Consult a legal specialist if there are potential legal issues to be resolved.