What Does Productivity In The Workplace Look Like?
Outside of hitting targets and taking these into consideration on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, how exactly can productivity be measured in the workplace? And is it even necessary? On average, we spend 40 hours a week at work. That’s a lot of time. Knowing exactly how much of this time is spent putting out work is a difficult concept since our workdays are often broken down into a series of smaller tasks. There’s also the nature of our jobs to take into consideration. Take a creative field versus a manual labour or non-creative field; productivity can’t be measured in the same ways for each. Here are 5 ways that you can measure productivity in the workplace effectively and in a human manner.
1. Set clear goals and targets
By setting clear goals, you are communicating to your team what you expect of them. This may include a target such as serving a certain number of customers within a timeframe or setting a figure for how many invoices are completed. Consider measuring productivity by group output if needed; this can help to align your team and keep targets clearly understood at the same time.
2. Place value on quality rather than quantity
No employee ever wants to feel like a cog in the works. Make sure that you are measuring your employees’ productivity based on quality rather than quantity. Encourage your team by setting up a rewards structure. Lots of employers choose to reward team members when they reach targets and this is a great way of implementing the measurement of productivity. For the amount of time that office employees spend at their desk, think of rewarding them with new accessories or a team outing.
3. Use a project management tool
There are lots of free project management tools out there that allow you to add team members, assign tasks and check their status. By utilising such technology where possible, you can effectively set deadlines as well as expectations all while keeping on top of how long a task is taking to complete.
4. Consider using the feedback strategy
Suitable for smaller teams, this method of feeding back information regarding productivity can be extremely helpful. By encouraging colleagues to open up and speak about how they’ve observed each other’s productivity, you can encourage a more positive and effective work output.
5. Online time tracking
Like that of the project management tools, online time tracking can help to improve productivity all-round. While this method is not suited for every type of job, it works particularly well for those that work remotely. Keeping a tab on how time is spent in the workplace is always wise and, thanks to time tracking tools, it’s never been easier to do so! To encourage productivity also consider the type of office furniture and atmosphere your office has. Make sure that employees are comfortable and have the appropriate setup to help them work.
