Four different ways to improve the productivity of your workforce

As business owner or manager of your company, your job is to meet the needs of your employees in much the same way you would expect them to meet the customer’s needs, whilst also ensuring they’re being as productive as possible.

Many leaders find it difficult to strike this balance because they don’t want to be a disciplinarian but don’t want to their authority undermined, either. So, what should you be doing about improving the productivity of your workforce?

We think we have the answer to this question. Read on to find out about four different solutions that good business leaders use when managing their employees.

1. Setting expectations

Setting expectations is all about showing your employees what success looks like and making it completely clear what you expect them to achieve each day. This typically involves setting daily and weekly sales targets or assigning each member of the workforce a specific task for the day. If people don’t have anything to aim for, they don’t strive as far as they could. This lowers productivity and overall quality of work. However, the same also goes for setting unrealistic expectations. So, managers should regularly check in on their employees, to clarify they know what they’re doing and help them feel sufficiently supported.

2. Employee benefits

Employee benefits are ideal for boosting the morale of your employees. These usually consist of incentives which come in addition to the staff’s salary such as paid time off work, health insurance or pension schemes. By investing money into your staff’s wellbeing, you’re demonstrating how you value them as individuals. This inspires their loyalty, increases staff retention, and boosts the productivity of your workforce. If you’re looking to integrate an employee benefits scheme into your company, then we recommend the Zest benefits software. Its simple user interface makes it quicker and easier for employees to enrol in the right benefits scheme for them, ensuring they get all the support they need.

3. Well-rounded teams

If you want a productive workforce, it’s important to ensure your team is well-rounded. This goes beyond employing hard workers. It’s about recognising the strengths and weaknesses of the individual, valuing them for these attributes, and assigning work which plays to their strengths. For example, some employees might be better at getting the job done, while others are good at building rapport and maintaining relations with the clientele. Whatever they’re good at, make sure they feel valued for it. You’d be surprised how much this little technique works to boost morale and productivity.

4. Regular feedback

Nobody likes to hear when they’ve done something wrong. Regardless, feedback is paramount for both employees and their employers. This is the time to address consistent issues with a member of staff. After all, if the person doesn’t know they’ve done anything wrong, how can you expect them to change? It’s also when you give positive reinforcement for the behaviours you’d like to continue. As we’ve mentioned several times before, it’s essential to show your staff they are valued and appreciated. Otherwise, they will become demoralised and lose motivation because they feel they can do nothing right in your eyes. This leads us to our next point. As a business leader, you need to solicit feedback about yourself and the company. What common issues are your employees finding with your management style? Do they feel there is any overt or covert discrimination within the workplace? It’s your job to find out.

By implementing these four different solutions, you’re bound to see an improvement in the productivity of your workforce. Happy employees who feel valued, equal, and supported are harder working employees.