4 Ways to Increase Productivity in the Workplace

As any successful business owner will tell you, a happy workforce is your most valuable asset. Happy, motivated employees will be more productive and ultimately make your business more successful. Bored, miserable staff will not help you in the long run. Keeping employees happy while still working at the best of their abilities is a tricky tightrope to balance, but as long as you provide them with the right tools and environment, you can keep your business running at the top of its game.

Here are four easy ways to increase productivity within your business.

Be more efficient

Take a thorough look at how your business is currently operating and see if there is room for improvement. Look for areas in which time and money are not used to the best effect. Talk to your staff and see if there is a more efficient way they could structure their days or prioritize their tasks. Be open to changing the way you work.

Have the right technology

Technology can be your best friend or your worst enemy, depending on how it is used. It can be a blessing or a distraction. Personal phones are an excellent case in point. They’re essential for making business calls and responding to emails on the go, but how often do they distract us from more important work?

Whatever industry you are in, there will always be new technology and software popping up that makes things quicker and more efficient. Office-based companies may find time management software makes their staff more efficient, but could, on the other hand, find that the resources spent on implementation and staff training are not worth the while. Manufacturing firms and other companies dealing with small parts could use a digital parts counting scale to save time spent on counting thousands of objects by hand. However, there is a risk of user error if the staff isn’t given adequate training in how to use new technology. Before deciding on whether or not to adopt a new system, weigh up the pros and cons.

Reduce distractions

A workplace full of distractions is not a suitable environment in which to stay productive. Chatty colleagues and visitors coming in and out can make it hard to concentrate on work. Consider whether you could have a room or area of your office devoted to quiet work for employees who need a bit of time to focus. Phones, mainly social media, are one of the biggest distractions. While it won’t be practical, or welcome, to enforce a no phones policy, encouraging them to switch off will help them stay productive. Lead by example, and do the same.

Make sure everyone is happy

A happy employee is a productive employee. If the staff is working in a positive environment that makes them happy, they will want to work hard. If they are miserable at work, they will check-in and out each day without any care for what they are doing. Show how much you appreciate them and reward them for every job well done.

Keep your staff motivated and working to the best of their ability by following these tips.

How Employees Can Work from Home Efficiently

By: Rada Abdo

The distractions at home can prove to make productivity more of a challenge. Here are some tips on ways to work from home to make the process easier: 

Create a working space

At Venngage, we started the work from the home week by sharing pictures of our home office setups. Creating a workspace for yourself will prevent you from staying in bed all day. 

Set specific working hours 

It’s easy to be distracted by the TV or your roommates while at home. You don’t want these distractions to have you work sporadically throughout the day, it will break the work-life balance you need to have. Having a rigid work schedule will help your focus. 

Have the right tools 

Make sure you have all the right equipment to help your efficiency at work. Important equipment for working from home include strong internet and a laptop. 

Construct a rigid structure 

Structure will create balance and effectiveness. Before you start your day, have a list of important tasks you will prioritize. This will prevent you from being easily distracted by other things. 

Communicate all the time

Constant communication with your team is important. An issue is that it will never replace face-to-face communication and things may be lost in translation. This is where video conferencing comes in handy. At Venngage, we are constantly communicating via Slack. 

Be wise about your flexibility

You are your own judge. Knowing which hours you are most productive in is important. You may have an appointment or certain household tasks that require your attention in the middle of the day. Knowing how to take advantage of the flexibility is up to your discretion. 

Track your progress

Creating specific tasks that are scheduled on your Calendar with time blocks, help you track your progress. Creating checklists help as well. You can use Apps like RescueTime to help track your productivity. 

Take breaks 

The Pomodoro Method helps you be more strategic about how you work. It advises a 45-minute work interval, followed by a 15 break. Having breaks eases your mind and relieves you of stress and pressure.