Five Problems with Staff Productivity and How to Overcome Them

Regardless of the type of job being done, it's critical to make sure that employees are productive, wise with their time, and feel they are making a difference. 

At its core, productivity refers to the ratio of output to input. The expression is reminiscent of a time when people were viewed as components in a manufacturing line, and their value was determined by how long it would take them to make a single thing. However, this productivity indicator is no longer valid in the knowledge-based economy of today, making it more challenging to assess employee performance.

It's difficult to gauge knowledge-based workers' productivity solely by their output. Since quality matters a lot, a person's productivity may not always be immediately correlated with the amount of time spent on a project or the amount of work that is ultimately produced. In the knowledge-based economy of today, firms that just measure productivity as the quantity of output from people's labor are likely to have a stressed-out, disengaged workforce that feels misunderstood.

Even so, it's crucial to make sure that employees feel like they are making a difference at work, are using their time properly, and are being efficient. Here are some of the most common productivity roadblocks for today's knowledge workers, along with solutions:

People that are disengaged are probably not working at their best since they don't feel a sense of loyalty to the organization. However, a Gallup survey found that firms with high engagement levels have 21 percent higher output. People are more motivated and hence more likely to be productive when they feel passionately linked to a firm, which helps the success of that organization.

Successfully fostering a workplace culture where employees feel supported and connected is crucial to employee engagement. The company's values must be clearly stated and communicated to every team for this to be successful so that everyone is aware of the goals they are all striving towards. Individual motivation for one's work and daily duties will increase with a stronger feeling of purpose.

Additionally, consumers need prompt, sincere acknowledgment. People feel like they are a part of something important and develop an emotional and mental attachment that is advantageous to both them and their company when they are informed that their work has a direct impact on business results.

According to a Gallup poll, half of employees are unsure of their responsibilities at work. When this occurs, they may set the wrong priorities, experience confusion, and ultimately work on the wrong things, which lowers overall productivity. However, supervisors that help their staff members create goals for each work hour can see productivity increases of between 5% and 10%.

In order to effectively manage their teams, managers must set goals for them, but they also must routinely align with them and provide opportunities for check-ins. People need more frequent opportunities to assess their performance and identify areas for improvement than once a year.

People should be able to regularly identify their areas of strength as well as the goals they should be pursuing throughout the year. Introducing quarterly or sprint-based performance reviews made specifically for them will provide them with the knowledge they need to keep growing and improving.

People will still require ongoing coaching and assistance throughout the quarter or sprint even after setting clear expectations and goals. Some people might try to work through their problems on their own out of a desire to avoid appearing incompetent, but doing so could result in taking more time or making mistakes, which could reduce productivity as a whole. Instead, it's critical to foster a culture of continual learning that encourages individuals to ask questions and feel empowered to pick up new skills while working.

The responsibility of a manager is to show that they are always willing to offer their team members helpful criticism or advice in order to support their growth in their positions. Great feedback can actually boost performance by 5–20 percent, according to research from Western Michigan University.

Open office layouts and app notifications increase distractions in the workplace more than ever. Meetings, though, are a common offender.

There are times when you have back-to-back meetings the entire day, or worse, days with just brief breaks of 30 minutes, which are not long enough to get back to work but are long enough to feel the minutes of productivity disappear.

If your company culture is strong, make sure that it permeates everything you do, including how you conduct meetings and the effects this may have on employees. Help people identify effective meeting procedures that won't reduce their productivity and create unnecessary waste if you represent a lively and engaging culture.

The implementation of "no-meeting Thursdays," the establishment of silent offices, or the establishment of a signal for when someone needs complete concentration time free from distractions are a few strategies for reducing workplace distractions.

Low productivity can occasionally have a personal cause. But in those circumstances, trying too hard to get work done just causes tremendous stress and burnout. It's crucial to make sure individuals feel supported at those times rather than squeezed, keeping in mind your company culture and an engaged workforce.

Employers are frequently overlooked by businesses. However, as was stated at the outset, productivity is not only a matter of putting in money and obtaining labor in return. Non-work-related stress can significantly affect a person's ability to concentrate and complete tasks. Give people the time and assistance they need to recuperate rather than squandering resources, and you will develop devoted brand advocates in return.

Establishing regular 1-on-1 meetings between managers and their direct reports is one approach to ensuring that employees feel supported by their employer. If they regularly check-in, not only on work but also on how they are feeling about their jobs, this gives people a chance to speak up when things are tough.

Additionally, you may promote a coaching culture throughout the entire organization, allowing individuals to feel supported by all of their coworkers rather than just their supervisors.

Fundamentally, you want to make sure that your employees feel appreciated and are contributing to the company. Increasing their sense of productivity and providing the appropriate framework for support both help with this.

Some of these, including management style, training, company tool investments, and work environments, have already been mentioned. All of these factors contribute to higher employee productivity.

But even with the fundamentals in place, what should you do if team members aren't producing as much as you'd like? Here are some concepts to aid in the creation of your strategy.

Use a carrot instead of a stick. Employees will feel good when they receive praise for their productivity, and the entire team will get the message that you value their efforts and successful outcomes.

If you can, try to find ways to encourage someone who is tackling a difficult assignment. They'll be reminded of your faith in them by it.

A Harvard Business School study found that praise inspires workers by reflecting their "best selves" and enabling people to appreciate the worth and significance of their work.

It may seem counterintuitive to offer employees time off to increase their productivity, but doing so makes sense if it also gives them a chance to rest and refuel. Without a doubt, burnout limits us from giving our best effort. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. According to a Glassdoor survey, 66% of US workers believe they would perform better at work if they slept more.

Being human animals, we enjoy blending in with the crowd. Within that group, we also hope to compete and excel. An underperforming employee who is disengaged from their work could be motivated by the introduction of some friendly competition and suitable rewards.

However, you should exercise caution in this situation. Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, researchers, found that 50% of workers thrive in competitive workplaces, 25% of workers wilt, and 25% of workers are neutral.

For many firms, tying incentives and rewards to output is a tried-and-true technique. But upon deeper examination, it appears that the way you carry out your incentive program will determine how effective it is.

Alfie Kohn first described how incentives can affect human behavior in the short term but fall short of long-term motivation in the 1990s. Over 25 years later, he is still researching this analysis. Incentives must fit into a larger employee engagement program that helps ensure that workers are engaged, respected, and listened to in addition to being rewarded in order to be effective.