11 Ways HR Can Improve Employee Productivity
The average employee spends 7-8 hours at work everyday, and the workplace and co-workers are an integral part of his/her life. Creating an environment that enables positive experiences and motivates employees to work well together and deliver their best is, therefore, a key priority for HR managers. Cultivating positive attitudes, driving communication, openness and respect, and fostering a safe and cohesive work environment are some of the basic measures needed to foster a productive workforce.
Here, we discuss some of the top strategies that are helping HR managers in positively influencing workplace productivity.
1. Drive a deep sense of belonging and connectedness
First things first, a productive work environment is one where employees feel a deep sense of belonging and connectedness. It is a vital element that secures positive work orientation and favorable attitudes among employees.
It can seem challenging to drive these values given today’s context – where employees regard employment as being short-term and contractual as against a life-long engagement. However, HR managers can work with managers to help employees feel welcome and supported during the brief 2-3 year stints they may spend working in the organisation. This ensures positive employee experiences and motivates them to be highly productive and committed to meeting work goals.
2. Understand employee motivations
It is important to remember that not all employees are the same and each is driven by different priorities and motivations when they turn up to work every day. Understanding their professional and personal aspirations, offering opportunities to develop relevant skills, and encouraging them to share ideas and seek inputs helps secure high engagement and motivation levels.
3. Stay focused on learning
In today’s context of rapid technology advancements and continued disruption, employees are increasingly aware of the need to keep their skills relevant. Even if they are content and happy in their current roles, and feel they have the required competencies to perform well, they are keenly aware of the need to develop more wide-ranging skills.
Engage with them to understand their learning needs better and craft avenues for increased learning and skill development. Employees today care less about being in comfort zones and are keen to take on stretch/ challenge assignments to drive increased learning and career advancement – capitalize on these needs and ensure they are assigned to roles where staying focused, productive and finding solutions to complex problems is critical to learning and succeeding.
4. Listen, evaluate and communicate
All of us deeply value people who are fair, just and considerate, and employees are no different. While in an organisation, it is impossible that the management can pay heed to everybody’s wants and desires, it certainly is important to listen to some of the core messages and offering employees a space to be heard and understood. Valuing employee opinions and listening to their inputs drives deep commitment among employees.
5. Gifts and incentives count
Everybody values gifts and incentives, however small they may be. So, catch them doing a good job or going the extra mile and hand out gift cards and vouchers to make them feel rewarded and recognized for their efforts. Ensure they know that you are taking note of their efforts and contributions – these gestures go a long way.
6. Counsel, guide and support
Not all of us can perform optimally at all times, and sometimes even the best of us can have an occasional slip. When intermediary performance gaps occur – do not react instantly with a punitive measure, instead, choose to connect and engage with the employee on the issues impeding performance. Understand the reasons/ challenges faced and work together with their managers to create a path that will help them get back on track. Such steps help employees experience positivity and trust and allow them to collaborate better in delivering on work goals.
7. Respect goes a long way
It is important to understand that even the most committed employees have their lives, and like to maintain clearly drawn lines between their personal and professional spaces. Ensure everyone in the organisation treats these spaces with care and respect and avoids impinging on them unnecessarily. Employees are appreciative of such gestures and will stay highly productive to complete tasks well in time, and minimize such situations.
8. Health and ergonomics at the workspace
We needn’t emphasize on this more – ensuring employees work in well-designed and safe spaces, with adequate lighting and proper equipment promotes postural comfort and enables them to stay energized, alert and productive at the workplace. Also, encourage the employee to keep healthy and fit, and stay tuned in on their mental and emotional health.
9. Discourage favouritism
Although we may not like to accept this – the issue of favouritism still crops up, even if only as an occasional challenge in most organisations. Instances of favouritism need to be nipped in the bud very early, as they can deeply threaten employee morale and productivity. Ensuring managers know how to set and communicate goals clearly, and evaluate performance in an objective manner is key to eliminating favouritism.
10. Communicate goals clearly
Employees feel energized when managers involve them in the goal setting process. Ensure that all managers subscribe to this practice and work on defining and communicating goals within their teams.
11. Celebrate accomplishments
Celebrations at the workplace serve to keep employees feeling motivated and stay on course with making positive contributions. They help communicate that their team/ individual efforts are valued and that their productivity is driving a big difference to the organisation.
Finally, it is essential to ensure all managers walk the talk and model the values that are relevant to the organisation. Nothing inspires productive behavior more than a boss who is committed to the organisation’s core values and demonstrates pride and energy in delivering to goals.
11 Ways HR Can Improve Employee Productivity
The average employee spends 7-8 hours at work everyday, and the workplace and co-workers are an integral part of his/her life. Creating an environment that enables positive experiences and motivates employees to work well together and deliver their best is, therefore, a key priority for HR managers. Cultivating positive attitudes, driving communication, openness and respect, and fostering a safe and cohesive work environment are some of the basic measures needed to foster a productive workforce.
Here, we discuss some of the top strategies that are helping HR managers in positively influencing workplace productivity.
1. Drive a deep sense of belonging and connectedness
First things first, a productive work environment is one where employees feel a deep sense of belonging and connectedness. It is a vital element that secures positive work orientation and favorable attitudes among employees.
It can seem challenging to drive these values given today’s context – where employees regard employment as being short-term and contractual as against a life-long engagement. However, HR managers can work with managers to help employees feel welcome and supported during the brief 2-3 year stints they may spend working in the organisation. This ensures positive employee experiences and motivates them to be highly productive and committed to meeting work goals.
2. Understand employee motivations
It is important to remember that not all employees are the same and each is driven by different priorities and motivations when they turn up to work every day. Understanding their professional and personal aspirations, offering opportunities to develop relevant skills, and encouraging them to share ideas and seek inputs helps secure high engagement and motivation levels.
3. Stay focused on learning
In today’s context of rapid technology advancements and continued disruption, employees are increasingly aware of the need to keep their skills relevant. Even if they are content and happy in their current roles, and feel they have the required competencies to perform well, they are keenly aware of the need to develop more wide-ranging skills.
Engage with them to understand their learning needs better and craft avenues for increased learning and skill development. Employees today care less about being in comfort zones and are keen to take on stretch/ challenge assignments to drive increased learning and career advancement – capitalize on these needs and ensure they are assigned to roles where staying focused, productive and finding solutions to complex problems is critical to learning and succeeding.
4. Listen, evaluate and communicate
All of us deeply value people who are fair, just and considerate, and employees are no different. While in an organisation, it is impossible that the management can pay heed to everybody’s wants and desires, it certainly is important to listen to some of the core messages and offering employees a space to be heard and understood. Valuing employee opinions and listening to their inputs drives deep commitment among employees.
5. Gifts and incentives count
Everybody values gifts and incentives, however small they may be. So, catch them doing a good job or going the extra mile and hand out gift cards and vouchers to make them feel rewarded and recognized for their efforts. Ensure they know that you are taking note of their efforts and contributions – these gestures go a long way.
6. Counsel, guide and support
Not all of us can perform optimally at all times, and sometimes even the best of us can have an occasional slip. When intermediary performance gaps occur – do not react instantly with a punitive measure, instead, choose to connect and engage with the employee on the issues impeding performance. Understand the reasons/ challenges faced and work together with their managers to create a path that will help them get back on track. Such steps help employees experience positivity and trust and allow them to collaborate better in delivering on work goals.
7. Respect goes a long way
It is important to understand that even the most committed employees have their lives, and like to maintain clearly drawn lines between their personal and professional spaces. Ensure everyone in the organisation treats these spaces with care and respect and avoids impinging on them unnecessarily. Employees are appreciative of such gestures and will stay highly productive to complete tasks well in time, and minimize such situations.
8. Health and ergonomics at the workspace
We needn’t emphasize on this more – ensuring employees work in well-designed and safe spaces, with adequate lighting and proper equipment promotes postural comfort and enables them to stay energized, alert and productive at the workplace. Also, encourage the employee to keep healthy and fit, and stay tuned in on their mental and emotional health.
9. Discourage favouritism
Although we may not like to accept this – the issue of favouritism still crops up, even if only as an occasional challenge in most organisations. Instances of favouritism need to be nipped in the bud very early, as they can deeply threaten employee morale and productivity. Ensuring managers know how to set and communicate goals clearly, and evaluate performance in an objective manner is key to eliminating favouritism.
10. Communicate goals clearly
Employees feel energized when managers involve them in the goal setting process. Ensure that all managers subscribe to this practice and work on defining and communicating goals within their teams.
11. Celebrate accomplishments
Celebrations at the workplace serve to keep employees feeling motivated and stay on course with making positive contributions. They help communicate that their team/ individual efforts are valued and that their productivity is driving a big difference to the organisation.
Finally, it is essential to ensure all managers walk the talk and model the values that are relevant to the organisation. Nothing inspires productive behavior more than a boss who is committed to the organisation’s core values and demonstrates pride and energy in delivering to goals.
