Employee productivity, also referred to as workplace productivity, is determined by the efficiency of employees.
Organizational growth is largely influenced by the quality of manpower it has. Businesses like to see maximum output from their workers. At the same time, they don’t expect the quality to go down.
Not that the employees themselves are responsible alone. There are a number of factors that affect productivity at work. Let’s take a look at some of the common yet influential causes –
- Employer Attitude Towards Employees –
This is the one of the primary reasons for low productivity. Unreasonable and unapproachable employers generally fail to motivate their team.
An ideal employer is the one who can encourage effort, suggest improvements and appreciate good performance.
According to Tower Watson, 57% of employees who experienced stress at work felt less productive and disengaged. While out of lesser stressed lot, only 10% felt the same.
- Happiness & Motivation Levels –
It’s a known fact that employee happiness leads to better productivity. When an employee is happy, he also induces his co-workers to be productive, besides giving more himself.
An employee should enjoy his work and have a positive attitude towards his daily chores. A negative outlook is contagious and can affect other workers as well.
Employee productivity increases by 12% if they are happy with their work, says a latest study by University of Warwick.
- Employee Health & Wellness –
Similarly, the health of an employee has a direct impact on the output generated. A healthy employee will be regular to work and give his 100%.
Not only productivity hits but any chances of better efficiency are ruled out.
Employees would be hesitant to stretch in case of work exigencies. Employers too would have a tough time in asking such employees to stay back. Especially when there is a new release round the corner.
- Outsourcing and Downsizing Impacts
Outsourcing processes and downsizing employees can have a negative impact on the workers psychologically. It often leads them to look for an alternative opportunity.
22% American employees, according to Pew Research Centre, are worried about losing their jobs because they feel their industry is shrinking.
Decisions to outsource and cut-downs should be thought out well. Those who continue to stay on board should be appropriately counseled beforehand. It is important to take them in confidence and make them understand the factors that necessitated the action.
- Technology Matters –
Employers should focus on facilitating employees with latest and updated technological tools and resources.
A research by Staples said, nearly 75% of American workers feel they are not using modern day technology tools that can boost their efficiency.
Outdated softwares and applications can cause frustration, leading to poor performance. Intel IT, in one of its whitepaper on wireless productivity mentioned, wireless notebook users have the capacity to deliver an additional productivity of 100 hours a year.
Employers need to understand that they hold the key to address most of these issues. If they get successful in managing these alone, they would be able to restore efficiency levels to a good extent.
See this beautiful infographic from Limestone. While we all know the significance of technology, they have listed some of the top productivity extensions for Chrome. Take a look and install the ones you like. Not that your productivity would skyrocket overnight but certainly help you towards staying organized.
