It is no secret that not every employee pays all of his or her attention to work while in an office. The Muse carried out research and determined that some people spend as much as three hours every day on their personal stuff rather than the work-related matters. If you take five days of the week, the total comes to about 15 hours.
Efficiency is certainly one of those things that quite a few companies struggle with, and solving the issue is not that simple. And it is not necessarily personal matters. The collective lack of productivity is common as well.
If your business is also suffering from inefficient employees, it would be time to make some changes. Here are some tips that ought to improve the situation.
Tip #1 – Create a Solution via Personalized Software
Sometimes, there are processes that seem so monotonous that you would do anything but that. So you end up procrastinating everything until the last minute. But what about getting software that could help with automating some of the tasks?
There are benefits to digital business transformation. For instance, you could make use of chatbots that would respond immediately, leaving people who work in the customer support department with more free time that could be put to better use.
Tip #2 – Analyze Your Current Approach
You should have some people who are in charge of keeping track of the overall efficiency in the workplace. And these employees should collect data that can be used to analyze where things are great and where you need improvements.
It is possible that some areas are lacking and need improvements right away. Also, if you are not sure what is the best approach to finding the solution, why not look for a professional who specializes in this. Or maybe you can ask for advice from another company leader?
Tip #3 – Have Open Communication Policy
Lack of communication tends to grow and reach a point where everyone in the company is no longer happy with the environment. It starts from the bottom and goes all the way to the top. Supervisors and regular employees should have no problem talking to each other, even if it is about random things. Creating a great microclimate inside the company should be one of your priorities regardless if it influences work efficiency. But given that it does, the importance of open communication becomes that much clearer.
Tip #4 – Implement Employee Training
Some employees might lack motivation because they have been stuck in the same place. And even raising their salary could not be the trigger that allows them to get out of the slump.
On the other hand, a training program that would improve their skills can be one thing that would help with finding motivation again.
Tip #5 – Appoint People to Specific Tasks
Lack of communication, as well as other internal issues, lead to misunderstandings. It is possible that some tasks have more people involved than necessary. The opposite is possible as well when a lack of manpower is causing various problems.
For example, if your website is failing, get the developers and some testers from unrelated departments to work on it. The chances are that developers are missing something because they lack different perspectives. But another person could be just the thing to help with a breakthrough and solve the problem. And that is just one of the examples.
Tip #6 – Consider Changing Schedules
Working hours are another matter that you might need to readjust. For instance, not everyone is eager to wake up at seven in the morning and commute to work early, so they do not get stuck in a traffic jam. It is natural that the mood is not that great if you have to rush every morning.
But what about starting a bit later in a day? It might be that the work would be finished regardless if you start an hour later than everyone else. Some employees might appreciate it even more because they get to sleep an extra hour. And that could be the difference-maker.
Tip #7 – Get Rid of Distractions
Distractions at work are something that each individual needs to take care of themselves. But implementing some policies could also be beneficial. What about the usage of smartphones? Confiscating them would be too much, but you can limit the usage because so many people use smartphones for something like social media.
Tip #8 – Provide Enough Break Time
Lack of enough break time could also be one of the biggest reasons why so many employees are struggling with productivity. Sure, there are instances when a break cannot extend for too long, but do not put your employees in a place where they have to rush through their lunch and get back to work right away without having enough time to relax.
