How to improve employee productivity in the workplace

What can organisations do about improving productivity in the workplace? Do you often struggle with being productive?

Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of a person completing a task. Productivity, however, can also be something we feel. 

Many of us often feel happy and accomplished when we tick things off our to-do list. We also get things done in the workplace quickly or easily when we feel productive. But some employees can struggle with feelings of low productivity at times.

Read on to find out what can affect productivity, and how to get out of your slump.

What affects productivity 

Some factors can affect productivity when you’re in the workplace. You may encounter or have experienced things like:

• Work environment. You’re more likely to feel enthusiastic or motivated to complete your tasks for the day when you’re working in a healthy work culture. This includes things like feeling supported and good communication with your supervisors. But a toxic workplace or drab office space can make you feel disillusioned or bring your mood down.
• Physical or mental well-being. When we’re feeling our best, this means we’re much more likely to get things done quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, issues like work-related stress or the flu can make you feel less productive.
• Organisation. Whether this has to do with how an employee keeps their workspace tidy. Or how they organise their schedule and time management! When we’re organised, this helps streamline productivity. However, a cluttered desk can indicate a cluttered mind – which can hinder productivity.
• Equipment and resources. When we have the tools we need at our disposal, this helps our productivity. But if we have faulty computers or printers where the paper always gets jammed, this can make things more frustrating. And can make us feel less inclined to remain productive.

How to improve productivity

What are some of the things we can do when it comes to productivity improvement? Here are a few helpful suggestions that you might consider incorporating.

• Focus on one task at a time. When we dedicate our brain power to various tasks, this can end up hindering our productivity. Research has found that productivity can decrease as much as 40% by the mental blocks that happen when we multitask. 
• Tackle the hard tasks later. Spend the start of your day rejuvenating or with some mindless tasks! Savour your cup of coffee, or do a bit of light reading. So that when it comes to mentally demanding tasks, you’ll have worked up to peak productivity!
• Prepare a to-do list. Write things down, such as “shower” or “check e-mails”! This gives you a better idea of what you need to get done. Plus it gives you the feeilng of productivity, especially when you cross something off!
• Delegate. You may want to consider asking a colleague whether they can take a few tasks off of your plate. Rather than feeling swamped, this will help you focus better.
• Get enough rest and exercise. Sleep well, and get those endorphins! This will ensure that you have enough energy to stay productive!

Productivity is something that ebbs and flows all the time. However, if your employees have been struggling a while, this can indicate something bigger. Poor mental wellbeing can be a cause and symptom of low productivity. You might find it worth improving productivity through our ESP solution.

SupportRoom

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We also have an Employee Support Platform that provides Employees with on-demand support and detailed analytics to help organisations improve mental health within their workplace, and understand why their employees may suffer from mental health issues.