5 especially valuable ‘weapons’ for your business productivity ‘arsenal’

Business productivity can be measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input, i.e. the amount of work an employee can produce during their shift. Therefore, the more productive your employees are, the more output there is and the more successful your business will be.

Every business works differently and so it is important to find the tools that suit your style and individual employees. Here are 5 suggestions of things to include in your business productivity ‘arsenal’:

The right tools and technology

Making sure your employees have the right equipment to complete the task in hand is important if you want work completed efficiently and on time. Nothing kills productivity more than waiting around for papers to print on an old printer, or documents to load because the computer’s software isn’t up to date.

It can be quite frustrating for your employees, leaving them disengaged and producing less work per day. Technology is constantly updating and so to keep your business productivity to a maximum, make sure you’re updating with it.
Suitable working conditions

Every business has a different style and attitude towards working to achieve the best outcome, and it is important that the conditions of your workplace aid in boosting productivity.

From the aesthetics of your office to its temperature, you need to make sure your employees are comfortable with minimal distractions around. You could even try the modern workspace system of hot-desking on an ad hoc basis, allowing employees to work at different desks at different times, increasing their innovation and productivity.

Communication and collaboration

Create an environment in which your employees feel comfortable communicating and voicing concerns openly – even just a 10-minute meeting in the morning to discuss what they’re working on and what they feel needs improving could actually be beneficial for your business in the long run.

In fact, many companies today are starting to introduce the agile methodology, a collaborative effort of self-organising and cross-functional teams that can work together to achieve a common goal.

Know when to stop

Whilst part of business productivity is getting as much work produced as quickly and efficiently as possible, it’s also important to know when to draw the line. Employees need to be given tasks that are in-keeping with their skillset and can be completed within a working day. It’s true that your business productivity will worsen if employees are working overtime on projects they aren’t qualified for.

Offer support

Whether inside or outside the office, numerous issues can affect an employee’s ability to work efficiently. The employee assistance programme from LifeWorks provides 24/7, proactive support for the well-being of your entire workforce.

With access to counselling in areas from health and safety to finances and personal family matters, your employees will feel constantly supported. It’s a great way to make sure your employees are happy and healthy and, in return, their feelings of engagement will help to boost your business productivity.