Every good business leader knows the success of their company depends on productivity. Employees who put forth extra effort make a big difference in safety, quality and profitability. And it’s up to you to motivate each one of them to achieve their full potential.
Engage Your Workforce
Just as your business success begins with productivity, productivity begins with employee engagement. Disengaged employees quickly drag a company down, while engaged workers show up more often, stay longer, and are more productive overall.
- In the U.S. today, only 33 percent of employees feel truly engaged in the work, as noted by a recent Gallup survey. Actively disengaged workers cost businesses between $483 billion and $605 billion a year in lost productivity.
- The biggest challenges to employees reaching their peak productivity include establishing a production-focused mindset, keeping people focused, team communications and work/life balance.
Hire for Cultural Fit
A strong focus on cultural fit is critical – even before employees log their first hours on the job.
- Your culture is the beliefs, ideologies, principles and values shared by all members of your organization. And cultural fit starts with hiring the right people. It has a domino effect: Hiring an employee who fits your culture energizes others, resulting in motivation that’s contagious.
- In many cases, cultural fit is more important than skills. While the right job skills are preferred, they can also be taught. But it’s difficult if not impossible to “teach” your company culture.
Train Effectively
Numerous studies show that taking the time to properly train employees is well worth it in terms of your ROI when it comes to productivity.
- A recent report in the International Journal of Science & Research verifies that taking the time to properly train employees pays off both in the short and long term. Tips include creating detailed training manuals to support classroom and on-the-job work and using project management tools for training-related communication.
There’s No Room for Micromanagement
As noted by productivity expert Robby Slaughter, it’s essential for managers to “back off” and in doing so “encourage individuals to take ownership over how they manage their own time and resources.”
- Manage less – and get better results. In Slaughter’s words, you “want people who are self-starters and are able to operate independently. Granting workers freedom over when, how and where they work creates proof of their work ethic in a way that trying to control them cannot.”
For more tips on optimizing productivity, contact the workforce development experts at PrideStaff Modesto. We can help you source, hire, train and retain the team you need to keep productivity at an all-time high for your business.
