Is your company struggling to meet its monthly goals? Do your employees seem demotivated and sluggish? Instead of putting harsher measures in place to keep them at work, consider another approach. Many productivity issues in the workplace have more to do with management style than employee efficiency. And, companies are more to blame than workers for low employee morale too.
Do you offer fair wages, good benefits, and a safe space for your employees to air grievances? An organization that provides health insurance is terrific, but it’s not enough to keep employees working at optimum capacity. Read on to see what else you can add to your playbook to improve productivity in your company.
- Offer to pay for their schooling.
Are your employees well-trained? A great way to ensure they are productive is to encourage education. Start by helping them get the certificates that they need to be proficient in their field. Instead of focusing on hiring those who already have these certificates, offer to help them out. It will encourage efficiency, you will see less turnover, and your company will be more productive. Helping them to prep for standard examinations is a good incentive, especially for first-time test takers.
The best way to put this in motion is to hire a company that offers exam prep services. Consider a common, internationally recognized exam like the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam. A tutoring company can office seminars and training, practice tests, study material, and an online course to help your employees succeed. Offer to pay for your employees to train for the certification exam. Hire a company for PMP exam prep online so you can get a professional for any practice exams, practice questions, and a PMP exam simulator.
- Offer a wellness program.
Healthy employees are happy employees, so take good care of yours. A great way to do this is to set up an employee wellness program. You should ensure that your employees meet their health goals and get enough rest. Also, offer benefits for both physical and mental wellness. You should set up regular blood pressure checks and a seasonal flu shot. Ensure that they have adequate health insurance—whether it’s Medicare or otherwise—and get workplace health benefits.
Remember, a wellness program is not limited to health insurance and affordable insurance premiums. Try a fitness challenge on a company picnic to boost their physical activity or ask a yoga teacher or trainer to conduct weekly classes at the office. Several companies can help set up a wellness program that includes everything from social and occupational to financial and environmental wellness.
- Encourage a work-life balance.
Employees are productive if they’re not stressed and demotivated from long hours on the job. A good option is to encourage a steady work-life balance. Instead of keeping your employees for long hours at the office, encourage them to work more efficiently. Reduce contact hours for customer service and consider giving employees paid leave benefits.
Contrary to popular opinion, shorter hours encourage better work than longer ones. Also, don’t contact employees or expect them to work outside of business hours. While this will depend on particular projects and differ in different fields, not disturbing your workers during their time off is an excellent rule.
- Let employees evaluate managers.
A one-sided approach to employee evaluations can stir up dissent in the workplace. So, efficiency improves if you treat project managers and employees equally. Employee morale also improves if you give them the chance to evaluate their superiors. Ask for feedback, provide feedback, and remember that there’s no correct answer when it comes to evaluations. An open, encouraging atmosphere will help your entire team to function more efficiently.
- Offer incentives and rewards.
If your workers do a good job, let them know it. Professionals in any field and of any age could always do with a little encouragement. Offer incentives for goals met and rewards for any exceptional performance. From outstanding customer support to early project completion, rewards can increase productivity in any field. Also, remember to offer bonuses, paid sick leave, and other benefits to improve employee morale and boost productivity.