Efficiency in the workplace plays a vital role in any company’s success. But even though that seems straightforward, many leaders struggle with helping their employees succeed and getting the most of their time at work.
Companies need to manage employee wellness and happiness while ensuring that they improve employees’ performance consistently, achieve company goals, and stay competitive.
But how to increase the productivity of employees? And what are some of the reasons it could be low?
We’ll answer these questions in this article. But first, let’s define employee performance.
What is Employee Performance?
In the simplest terms, employee performance measures the rate at which workers complete their tasks and fulfill the general duties at work. The term can cover a broad range of factors, such as the effectiveness of the work process, the quality of the performance, and the quickness at which tasks are completed.
Depending on the employee’s role, the types of tasks they have to perform can differ significantly. Because of that, using one singular measure when figuring out productivity or how to increase efficiency isn’t a reliable process.
Often, employee performance can also include harder-to-measure aspects such as communication, collaboration, and willingness to help others. But while these factors may be harder to quantify, they are just as crucial if you want to consistently improve employees’ performance.
Why is Your Workplace Efficiency Low?
It’s easy to blame employees for lack of productivity and poor performance metrics. But usually, the real reason why performance might be low is that there are underlying issues on the company level which prevent workers from succeeding.
Let’s look at a few common reasons why that might be the case.
Ineffective Management
Employees can only be as productive as their management permits. The leaders in any company must serve as an example for everyone else and motivate, provide clear instructions, and avoid micromanaging projects.
Therefore, when figuring out how to improve efficiency at work, you first need to look at how management leads your employees and whether they are creating the right environment to succeed.
Lack of Appreciation
Another common reason companies fail to improve employees’ productivity is not showing enough appreciation for their work. If employees feel like their work is not being recognized, it’s very hard to stay motivated and continue to perform at your best.
To combat this, companies should encourage managers to regularly check in with employees, acknowledging their progress and even setting up rewards for excellent performance.
Lack of Training
Finally, employee performance might be lacking because they aren’t provided with enough opportunities to grow.
If you want to figure out how to increase work efficiency, you need to make sure that your employees have the tools and the knowledge to get the job done. And relevant training is a crucial part of making that happen.
Strategies for Improving Employee Performance
Even though there isn’t a single formula for improving employee performance, by implementing multiple steps at once, you can achieve a compounding effect that provides a significant boost.
Here are a few of the top employee performance improvement suggestions to consider.
Offer Excellent Benefits
Benefits are one of the biggest motivators that impact employee productivity. To function at their best, they need to be satisfied with the type of work perks they are offered, especially related to health.
By offering comprehensive health coverage, you can ensure that your employees feel secure and confident about their health, get the proper mental health assistance, and feel safe even in stressful environments that COVID-19 creates.
You should also consider starting a wellness program because keeping your employees healthy and energized will usually help you improve employees’ performance over the long term.
Provide Autonomy
In order for employees to excel in the workplace, they need to only be given as much work as they can handle. But at the same time, you want to create a stimulating and engaging environment where employees can thrive and improve.
That’s why providing autonomy is one of the fastest ways to improve staff performance.
Even though leaders might be tempted to micromanage projects to ensure the necessary results, they will make employees dependent on their supervisors and unable to perform tasks independently.
But by providing autonomy, you can nurture independence and provide your team with the sense of satisfaction that comes with handling the project on their own, with only limited guidance from managers.
Reward Excellence
Finally, if you want your employees to know they are valued and feel good about what they do, you should develop a process for recognizing excellent performance and giving praise as well as rewards.
Even though the research on incentivized work has produced mixed outcomes, providing a reward after something is done well has been shown to increase job satisfaction and motivate people to work harder.
But even more importantly, knowing that the managers appreciated the hard work could be a motivating factor because employees need to know that their work is seen and that the company values their presence.
Bottom Line
Figuring out how to increase employee productivity isn’t easy. And an integral part of efficiency in the workplace is providing employees with the right motivation through security and benefits. At Eden Health, we help employers create employee health benefits that workers will actually use and appreciate. If you want to learn more about our services, contact our team today and see how our services can help your company.
This blog is intended to be informational in nature. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.
If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your Care Team or other healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog or in any linked materials.
