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Diversity and Inclusion – Return on Investment, part 3: Employee Productivity Enhancement

Unseen millions are lost by companies every year; the result of employees withholding the full commitment of their physical, intellectual, and emotional contributions. Surveys conducted by the Gallup Organization identified an 18 percent difference in productivity between the best and worst performing companies.1 Yet, as we shall explain, even the best performing companies have room for improvement.


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Things EVERY Employee Should Learn from You

StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article | Productivity | Things EVERY Employee Should Learn from YouIf you want to be an effective business owner and manager, then you really do need to take your employees under your wing. There are numerous things that your staff need to know above and beyond their job role and any associated skills they need to do that job well.

If you want to get the most out of your employees, which will boost your business to untold levels, here are some things every employee should learn from you as soon as possible after they are hired:

Exactly Why They Were Hired

Okay, so your average employee is going to have a rough idea of why they were hired; usually it’s because they meet the criteria and have the skills that you need for the role, but is that the only reason you hired them? Chances are you chose your employee very carefully and not just because they have experience in email marketing or customer service.

If you also hired your employee because they were extremely confident, you found their academic background to be very impressive or you were blown away by the creativity they showed in their application, tell them! Why? Quite simply because it will do wonders for their self-esteem and show them that you truly value them.

When employees feel that they are appreciated, they tend to be more loyal to the company, happier in their work, and best of all for you, more productive too. You don’t have to go all out to flatter them, but if they impressed you in some way, do let them know!

StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article | Productivity | Things EVERY Employee Should Learn from YouHow to Be Safe in the Workplace

In this day and age, you simply cannot hire someone new without teaching them how to be safe working in your business. Of course, although you should give them the basics, it may be a tad unrealistic for you to train them in all of the ways of health and safety. So, it makes sense for you to get an expert in to teach behavior-based safety, one to show how to use equipment safely and maybe even an occupational therapist to teach the health side of things, but YOU need to ensure that all of this information is in place to be learned as soon as possible. Fail to do this and you could have a serious problem on your hands.

How Clients Should be Treated

You wouldn’t have a business without your customers and clients who pay good money for the products/services you provide, so it really cannot be overstated just how important it is for you to teach your employees exactly how you expect them to treat your clients. You really need to lay out how they should be spoken to, looked after and related to if you want your business to succeed. If you can model the behavior you want to see when dealing with clients and employees, it is more likely to stick, so be a good boss, rather than one who is to be feared.

Teach them well and they will do amazing things for you!

Business Politics Impacts – Cost of Employee Productivity Loss

StrategyDriven Business Politics Impacts Article | Business Politics Impacts – Cost of Employee Productivity LossUnseen millions are lost by companies every year; the result of employees withholding the full commitment of their physical, intellectual, and emotional contributions. Surveys conducted by the Gallup Organization identified an 18 percent difference in productivity between the best and worst performing companies.1 Yet, as we shall explain, even the best performing companies have room for improvement.


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8 ways to increase employee productivity

Are you the proud owner of a successful business? Are you determined to run a profitable company, whilst providing a wonderful work environment for your employees? Do you struggle to strike the right balance between appreciating your workers and pushing them to do more? If your answer to these questions is yes, you will need to pay close attention to the following eight suggestions. They will help you to increase employee productivity at your company, without pushing your team members over the edge. It is possible to enjoy the best of both worlds, so what are you waiting for?

Improve your communication strategy

First and foremost, you will need to improve your communication strategy. It will be impossible for your employees to reach their maximum levels of productivity if they are struggling to connect. Your workers should find it incredibly easy to reach out to one another. They should also have no trouble getting in touch with potential or existing clients. If you are worried that this is not yet the case, you should learn more about Gamma Telecom. They will help you to take control of your company communications, so that all of your staff are left satisfied.

Update your company technology

The next suggestion is to update your company technology. Instead of forcing your workers to make do with outdated bits of kit, you should give them a helping hand. By investing in your technology, you will be saving your workers a lot of stress. You will also be taking away their excuse for lack of results. If your employees can blame poor results on a terrible internet connection or a faulty system, you will find it hard to hold them account. However, if your employees are working with the best technology money can buy, you will be able to identify any slackers.

Overhaul your office space

If you are left with more money to spare, you should consider overhauling your office space. This is a brilliant way for you to motivate, reward, and inspire your team. However, you should only make changes to your design scheme if you have total confidence in your choices. On the other hand, if you are unsure about what changes to make, you should call in an interior designer. A trained professional will help you to optimize even the smallest of spaces. They will also be able to direct you towards colors, shapes, and textures that are perfect for promoting productivity.

Give your employees regular breaks

Although it may seem counterproductive, giving your employees regular breaks is a great way to promote productivity. As a manager, you need to make sure that your workers aren’t running themselves into the ground. It is important that they have plenty of energy and enthusiasm to inject into their work. It is also important that they view you as a reasonable boss, as opposed to a hard taskmaster. Why not sit down with your workers to discuss their options? Perhaps they will prefer to take short breaks on a regular basis. Or, maybe they would rather take one long break over lunch. It might be that they would like to step outside your office space. Or, it could be that they want a social area to escape to. Involving your employees in the decision-making process will help you to settle on an outcome that works for everyone involved.

Adopt an open-door policy

You can also encourage positive suggestions from your employees by adopting an open-door policy. This is a great way for you to position yourself as a more approachable employer. It is also a fantastic opportunity for you to learn more about the productivity of your workers. If you are currently failing to meet your targets, you should ask your employees to come to you with suggestions. You should also ask them to look out for any potential problems that could be holding your office back.

Introduce a competitive element to your workspace

Once you have gained a deeper understanding of the way in which your company operates, you should think about introducing a competitive element to your workspace. This won’t work for all organizations, as some employees will resent the additional pressure. However, in other workspaces, a competitive element is the secret to success. Why not opt for a trial run? You could temporarily introduce an employee of the month program. This will look great on your worker’s resumes and could be taken into consideration if they apply for a promotion. Alternatively, you could experiment with giving your employees access to commission. Depending on the results, you will know whether or not to make this change a permanent one.

Introduce an exciting reward system

If you decide against introducing a competitive element to your workspace, you could always introduce a company-wide reward system. This will operate on the understanding that if one element of your business succeeds; everyone is rewarded. For instance, if you manage to hook a high-profile client, you could treat your workers to a meal out. Or, if you save money on one of your suppliers, you could give everyone in your office the afternoon off. These rewards will be at your discretion, so it is vital that you weigh up the pros and cons each time. Yes, you want to please your employees, but you don’t want this to be at the expense of your levels of productivity or your financial security.

Ask for feedback

Even after you have implemented all of these positive changes, it is still possible that your workers will be looking for more. The only way that you will find this out is if you ask for regular feedback. When you are working so hard to do the right thing, it can be tough to take constructive criticism. However, in the long-run, it is the best chance you have of maintaining a great relationship with your employees. You can’t put a price on productivity, so it is essential that you get the answers you need.

What to Look for in a Coworking Space

Coworking spaces are becoming much more popular. There’s at least one coworking office in most large towns and cities, and some companies offer their members the use of their offices all over the world. There are fantastic. They give homeworkers a chance to work in a positive and energetic environment that’s full of creative spark. They are a great way to make connections that could be useful to your business, friends that can help you combat the loneliness of working from home and experts that can help you with areas of your business that you might not be as confident with. Research shows that people generally get more done in a coworking space than they would at home or in an office alone, and many people find that these kinds of shared working environments bring out the best in them, make them happier, more creative and more productive. If you find the right space, it’s certainly worth the membership fee. Here’s a look at what you need to look for when seeking out a coworking space that’s right for you.

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Access

Think about when you like to work. We don’t all enjoy 9-5 hours, some of us work best early in the morning whereas others like to burn the candle late into the night. Working at home means that you can do this. So, this is an essential consideration of your coworking space. Will you be able to use it when you are at your most productive?

Location

The location of your space is one of the most important considerations. Some memberships, like Level Office Coworking Space, allow you to use any of their sites all over the country. You can often even access a coworking space while you are traveling, even if you leave the country. This is fantastic. It means that freelancers are able to work wherever they are and work to pay for their travels as they go.

But, it’s fair to say that the majority of us spend most our time at home. One of the key benefits of working from home is not having the stress or cost of a commute, so you certainly don’t want to add one to your life. If the coworking space that you are looking at is too far away from home, you won’t use it. Look for somewhere that you can get to easily and you are much more likely to spend time there.

Facilities

A vital draw of a coworking space is the community it offers you. An area with excellent facilities often creates a more passionate and engaged community. If there are just a few desks and a printer, people will just work. They won’t chat, they won’t make connections, and they won’t feel creative. Look for somewhere that offers more. Ideally, it should provide things like a coffee machine and a relaxation space which encourage users to connect with each other and relax. Plenty of color on the walls and a chilled out atmosphere is also a must if you want a work area that inspires your creativity.