Use these five management practices to improve employee productivity.
All companies want to improve and increase their employee’s productivity. However, do they examine and analyse their own management practices as a factor of reaching that goal? We should find ways, as a company, to make our employees actually want to be more productive. One of the hottest questions most companies ask is, “How do we increase employee productivity?” Here then are five management practices that are guaranteed to help you.
#1 Team engagement is key
A recent finding by Gallup shows that employee engagement is made up of concrete behaviour – not abstract emotions. Doing surveys and offering perks are two good ways to engage with your employees, but they just do not work that much anymore. Organisations that make employee engagement a top priority are succeeding more than those that don’t. Providing your employees with the tools and support is one of the best practices you can implement to ensure that your employees can do their best work. From Gallup’s study, teams that scored in the top 20% in engagement had a 41% decrease of absenteeism and 59% less turnover. When you engage with your employees1 you give them more reason to show up refreshed, with passion, and more drive.
#2 Manage your time well and you get to manage your people better
In a busy workday, time could either fly by too fast or move too slowly. A lot can happen in a work day — ideas flying and business operations going. This is why it is hard for the management team and non-management team to keep track of their time and their tasks. If no one keeps track of the time and the tasks done, you will end up with unfinished tasks and missed deadlines. In short, you’ll end up with a string of disasters. This is why companies need to make use of free time tracking software2 to ensure better management and more efficiency in their employees.
#3 Give incentives for everyone
Most companies concentrate on senior-level employees when it comes to economic incentives. While this is not a bad thing, let us not forget the incentives for lower-level employees. If you want your employees to be driven to make your organisation a success, make sure you give them enough motivation. One of the best ways to implement this is to give your low-level employees performance-based incentives. This way they are motivated to actually go the extra mile and improve your company’s productivity3.
#4 Give constructive feedback from time to time
Giving out well-constructed feedback is an essential management skill. These feedbacks have the ability to help and encourage your employees4. When one gives out feedback, keep in mind that your goal is to encourage and not discourage your employees. It is a given that not all feedbacks are good ones, but every feedback should be done with thoughtfulness and with the goal to help your employee be better — not bring them down. Whether you are commending them for a job well done or correcting them, be mindful of how your message is delivered.
#5 Treat them well
This one is a no-brainer, right? Employees who are well taken care of are more likely to work harder and be more efficient than those who are not. A company that respects, listens to and values their employees has a higher percentage of succeeding than those who do not. Respect, a simple and basic human right, can go a very, very long way. When you interact with your employees, always put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you were treated badly? How would you react to workplace violence5? Would you want to keep working for yourself? Would you still want to keep giving your all for a company that does not really value you? The obvious answer would be no, right? So treat your employees well. Manage them with utmost professionalism and kindness.
References
1 https://www.nutcache.com/blog/how-to-engage-employees/
2 https://freetimetracking.amgtime.com/
3 https://freetimetracking.amgtime.com/blog/how-to-increase-employees-productivity/
4 https://smallbusiness.chron.com/encourage-motivate-employees-25676.html
5 https://freebackgroundchecks.com/learn/workplace-violence-us/
Margarita Nelson is a Communications Manager at Free Time Tracking (AMGTime) in Los Angeles, California. The company’s products make time and attendance management more efficient on the part of the employers and employees.
