Negosentro.com | 7 Simple Ways To Keep Employees on Task | Studies have shown that as much as 40% of a typical worker’s day is spent not working. Finding ways to reduce distractions in the workplace can significantly boost productivity. These are seven simple ways you can keep your employees on task.
1. Maintain a Culture of Accountability
The more your employees get in the habit of engaging in non-productive habits, the more likely other employees are to also engage in those activities. To avoid a workplace culture where unproductive time use becomes the norm, you need to keep employees accountable for how they are spending their time at work. You can also use internal communication tool for better communication between employees.
You should begin by setting expectations when you hire new employees. Encourage employees to hold each other accountable throughout the training process and then into production. You can also increase your ability to monitor workplace activity by utilizing a time clock app with GPS. These apps not only make it easier to keep track of which tasks your employees are spending time on but also to physically locate them during the workday.
2. Reduce Sound Pollution
Overly noisy work environments can be very distracting for many employees. The worst offenders in many office environments are loud talkers and ringing phones. Other noise-making distractions include HVAC systems, copy machines and loud music.
Not only is a loud office environment distracting, but it can also harm your employee’s health, making them more likely to suffer from serious medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. You can reduce the noise level in your office by asking employees to use headphones when listening to music and avoid speaking loudly, keeping your office equipment in good condition, turning down the ringers on phones and utilizing an office layout that employs sound barriers and provides employees with some space.
3. Streamline Your Workflow
Daily chores, such as email and following up on phone messages from the day before can use up as much as an hour of your employee’s workday. Project management tools can help you automate some of these tasks and reduce the amount of time your employees are spending on them.
4. Solicit Feedback
Your employees are much more likely to be compliant with the changes you make if you ask them for their feedback before, during and after the process. Some changes may look good on paper, but not produce the results you expected in practice. Present your employees with solid data that back up your reasons for making changes and explain to them why changes are being made, rather than just giving orders. Make adjustments based on the feedback you receive. Encourage employees who are resistant to changes to give them a try and then come to you with data that supports their continued resistance if they still think the change isn’t working.
5. Make Sure Your Employees Take Breaks
It may seem counterintuitive to increase productivity by encouraging your employees to spend less time working, but employees who attempt to work for too long without taking a break tend to slow down, lose focus and make more mistakes. Encourage your employees to schedule regular breaks to get up and stretch, get a drink, use the restroom or simply relax for a few minutes.
6. Recognize Good Work
Employees who feel like their contributions are not recognized tend to become less productive. Instituting a recognition program can boost morale and motivation, which can lead to increased production.
7. Set Goals
Many employees find it easier to focus on a task when they have a goal to work towards. Set a goal that is achievable, but not so easy that it is not very motivating to try to accomplish it. You do not want to frustrate employees by setting unreachable goals, but you do want them to feel like they have accomplished something meaningful.
Unproductive workers can be a major drain on the success of your company. These seven ways to keep your employees on task can help you boost productivity.
