High employee productivity is what sets successful companies apart from others. At the heart of a business are its people. Employees are the people that provide the services we sell and ensure that operations run smoothly. If your staff are highly engaged and motivated their productivity will increase, but getting to this point is sometimes difficult. In order to increase the output and efficiency of our workers, we first need to understand the main issues that affect their work and how we can correct these. Today we look at the top three problems associated with low levels of productivity and what steps can be taken to help rectify them.
Problem: Lack of Motivation
A lack of motivation in the workplace is a serious problem in terms of productivity. When a person is not motivated they lack the energy needed to complete tasks in a professional or timeous manner. These unmotivated employees are not concerned with any consequences or the effects that their behavior has on the company.
Every person is motivated by something; it is the driving force which pushes us to complete tasks to reach a goal. As people managers, we often fall into the trap of believing that employees are all motivated by the same goal; that is to earn money. Yes, most people do need to work to earn a living, however this is not necessarily what motivates them. Some staff members are motivated by their desire to achieve success and recognition while others may be driven by a desire to impress clients. The point is that we should not assume that we know what motivates our staff.
How do we turn it around?
There is only one way to uncover the motivations of our staff – we need to ask them. Our people managers and team leaders need to spend some time with each person and determine why they are there and what their motivation is. When doing this they need to read between the lines, a person may tell their manager that they are only there to earn a living, but once more conversation has taken place it may be uncovered that this wasn’t entirely true. Perhaps the employee has a new baby and he needs his job to support the baby. Money is not his motivation; the true driving force here would be caring for his family.
Once we have uncovered these motivations we can adjust our approach to the employee. The new father may be rewarded with an afternoon off to enjoy with his baby and the overachiever may be granted some new responsibilities. When our staff feel that we care about them and their goals, they are more likely to work harder so that the company may also reach its goals.
Problem: Issues outside of the workplace
Everyone has a life outside of the workplace and from time to time we will all experience issues that will affect us in the workplace. As hard as we try we may not always be able to leave our problems at home.
When a staff member is having a crisis at home it will impact on their ability to produce quality work because the thoughts of the dilemma are overwhelming. These issues can vary, but may include relationship issues, problems with children and quite commonly, financial difficulties.
How do we turn this around?
As employers, we need to rethink our approach to our staff and ask ourselves how we can assist them with these issues. Yes, there may be a cost involved, but the cost of having troubled and unproductive employees is far greater. We need to look at the resources we supply and ask ourselves if they are sufficient and whether they are truly addressing the staff requirements.
Programs that help staff to budget and plan their financial future are highly recommended, as are initiatives that target mental health and legal issues. Again, we need to consult with our staff members to determine what kind of services to look at. Another good example is that of a company that expected its workers to put in long hours. To make this possible they offered a wide array of services on site, such as a doctor, laundry service, errand service and a hairdresser. The less outside issues they had to deal with, the more motivated the staff were to put in longer hours.
Problem: Lack of Recognition
Employers often feel that the only recognition that they need to provide to their employees is a monthly paycheck. This is a huge mistake. While some staff are not concerned with recognition in the workplace, the majority of them are. A person may provide stellar work, but if they are constantly overlooked for promotion or awards they will gradually lose interest.
How do we turn this around?
Recognition comes in many forms. It can be in the form of a promotion, but it does not always have to be. Employees often appreciate awards and prizes as well as certificates and commendations. But it can also take other forms as well. Just praising an employee in front of others is often all that is needed. A person that feels that their work is appreciated is likely to continue to be productive. Others who wish to attain the rewards or recognition may put more time and energy into their work to achieve them. Many good employees leave businesses because they are never credited for their work. Once again we need to gauge our employees to see what type of rewards will be the most appreciated.
In conclusion…
Looking back on these reasons for poor productivity we can start to see a trend and that is that we need to engage more often with our employees. We need to understand them as individuals and we need to understand their motivations and concerns. If we wish to have staff that are high performing we need to treat them accordingly, making sure that we address their issues and praise them where appropriate. Staff who feel valued and are correctly motivated will consistently strive to achieve the goals that we set in place for them.
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Written By JessicaB 