How to Make Your Employees More Productive

employee happyness

We’ve all heard it a million times before, but it couldn’t be truer: happy employees are productive employees. With the millennial workforce fully integrated into the professional sector, transforming your work place into a productive machine requires different tactics than those used for generations before. There are multiple ways you can increase employee productivity and loyalty to your company including your managing style, incentives, and encouragement techniques that will see your workforce performing better than ever before.

Don’t Micromanage

Don’t put your employees under a microscope, and give them space to do the job you hired them to do. Micromanaging stifles productivity and can result in resentment in the office. Employees should be instilled with a sense of control, and have the feeling of autonomy in their respective position. The opportunity for ingenuity inspires people to work harder, and as long as you provide direct, succinct goals along with the parameters you want your employees to work under, you’d be surprised at the spike in productivity your office will experience.  

Share Your Information

Don’t have secrets in the office, at least those that pertain to the business. Keeping employees in the dark on company happenings will disempower them, and may contribute to a diminishing of loyalty to you and the business. These happenings might include changes in competition, the introduction of new products, or revenue goals. The more they know, the more invested they will be in making these goals happen. Making sure your employees are updated on everything also promotes team understanding and a more comprehensive goal to work towards. Don’t hold onto information; share it as you receive it for a business that is running on all cylinders at any given time.

Encourage Self-Improvement

People who find themselves in stagnant jobs won’t excel—they don’t have any room to. Employees won’t be invested in their position and overall productivity if they don’t feel essential to the process, or are made to feel like cogs in a machine. Give your employees the opportunity to improve themselves and their positions. This may be done through educational experiences like seminars or online courses that they have expressed an interest in. Or, it could simply be handing over the reins on day-to-day processes that previously required your approval. Whichever of these options works in your business, implement it immediately. Give employees a part of the business to own, something they can claim responsibility for, and you’re again appealing to that autonomous incentive.

Lower Their Stress Levels

If you’re a small business owner, you probably have to do more work on limited resources, and this pressure also falls on the shoulders of your employees. While deadlines and heavy workloads can serve as catalysts for hard work, they can also lead to excess stress. When stress builds, productivity can decrease and mental and physical illness become more prevalent. This isn’t a singular problem; each year stress-related health care and work absences cost employers a sum of $300 billion. Do all that you can to reduce employee stress levels for a happier workplace that runs smoothly and efficiently. Have an open door policy in which they can come to you with problems, allow more flexibility in work hours (this will help them balance their personal lives while still completing all of their tasks), and instigate regular breaks in the office where they can reenergize and head back to their work spaces with a clear head.

Show Your Appreciation

Want a foolproof way to increase productivity? Offer incentives. Perhaps it’s a promotion, or even a friendly office competition with a restaurant gift card serving as the inexpensive prize (which you can get in bulk at Giftcards.com). If you appreciate the work your employees put in, you need to show it. Some employees may respond well to public acknowledgement, while others may prefer a private meeting to go over how grateful you are for their dedication. You can also provide tokens of your appreciation that don’t break the bank but get the message across. Whether it’s professional looking cases for the iPhone 6 for employees with company phones, weekly flower deliveries that brighten up the office, or a wine subscription from a company like ClubW.com to help them relax after a long day, small efforts like these don’t go unnoticed and will serve as perks for your employees to continue serving the company well.

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