Productivity concerns affect the entire organization. If the employer needs more productivity, either the existing employees must make that happen through productivity gains, or more employees must be hired. Either way, Human Resources (HR) is involved, directly or indirectly, through communications, training, hiring, or implementing new programs.
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What are some of the ways that an employer can work to boost productivity? Some of the usual ideas that come to mind are things like incentive programs and bonus schemes that are tied to output. But what if you’re looking for other options?
Here are a few more creative options that may have a bigger impact that you would expect:
- Pay attention to the working environment. For example:
- Does the work space have natural lighting? Sunlight can have a strong positive effect on well-being and can affect employee mood and, thus, productivity. If there’s not a good way to let the sunlight in, consider letting employees go outside frequently during the work day.
- Temperature can also play a big role in how employees feel and how productive they’re able to be. A work space that is too hot can increase stress and the possibility of heat-related illness, and employees may become fatigued quickly. Temps that are too cold make it difficult to concentrate and be productive. If the work space temperature cannot be controlled in a way that is comfortable for everyone, consider allowing individual employees to use space heaters or fans as needed to make their environment more comfortable.
- Music can be beneficial for some work environments. Playing music has been shown to improve mood and can keep the workplace upbeat. Consider allowing employees to listen to their own music if it’s appropriate and safe for your workplace—with headphones (if safe to do so) if it will be distracting to others. (Of course, music can be a distraction for some jobs, but for many, it can be quite beneficial.)
- Allow flexibility in work hours and/or location. Allowing employees some leeway in their schedule can improve productivity in several ways. For example, it can mean employees can work around outside obligations and still complete work tasks they may not have been able to do without such flexibility. Flexible scheduling can also mean shorter commute times (such as when someone works from home or works nonstandard hours), which can mean there are more hours in the day to devote to work tasks, or the employee is less stressed due to the easier (or nonexistent) commute.
- Encourage frequent breaks from work. Taking a break can actually help employees to remain mentally fresh and on-task, which can increase overall productivity for the day, even if it means a small bit of time away from the work space. Taking a break can mean frequent short breaks throughout the work day, or it can mean breaks away from work altogether, i.e., vacation time. Encourage employees to take breaks as often as is practical so they can reset and avoid burnout.
- Offer wellness programs for employees. An employee wellness program can have multiple benefits. It might encourage employees to be more proactive in their health care, which can lead to illnesses and injuries being treated sooner (thus reducing related absences). It can also foster an environment where employees feel cared about and more engaged—which can increase productivity on its own.
These are just a few examples. The HR team can work with the rest of the organization to give input on how productivity can be increased when hiring more workers is off the table. HR is also directly involved in the implementation of several of these ideas.