Every entrepreneur wants their business to run as smoothly as possible, so here’s how to give you the best chance at maximum productivity
As an employer, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is boosting the productivity of your team. There is a fine line to walk between encouraging employees to work effectively and demanding too much of them. This requires a deep understanding on how your team operates and what you can do to help them achieve the very best for your business.
It isn’t a case of piling on tasks or forcing longer hours. In fact, most recent research shows that employees who worked a shorter week (32 hours compared to 40) actually worked harder and produced better results. So what does it take?
That’s the question that the expert team at Syntax IT Support London are here to answer. Here are their top tips for making sure your employees are managing their time smartly and working effectively.
Reward great performances
Incentives are a big part of boosting productivity. Remember, your team is unlikely to be quite as invested in the success of your business as you are, so don’t assume they will happily take on extra work simply to boost the profile of your company. If you feel that members of your team are going above and beyond in their efforts, be sure to reward them. This could be a bonus, a gift, treating them to lunch or giving them an extra day or two’s holiday to recover.
Trust your team
Micromanagement is morale’s worst enemy. It’s natural to want to make sure that your employees are working hard, but sticking too close to them while they try to work can lead to feelings of disempowerment, as well as creating a vicious cycle of dependency.
Trusting your employees is key to helping them work effectively. Of course, you need to let them know that they can always check things with you if they aren’t sure, but it’s important to give them a sense of ownership over the work they’ve been assigned. This will give them increased incentive to make sure that work is completed to a high standard.
Ensure you provide the right tools for the job
You might have the most efficient employees in the world, but if your workplace devices aren’t equally efficient then the work simply won’t get done. Make sure your networks and connections are all speedy and secure, taking the time to train your employees in cyber security and putting measures in place to avoid a data disaster. Simple factors like password protection and encrypted files can make all the difference here, but if you aren’t sure you should seek out the help of an IT support team.
The right tools can also refer to the working day itself. Flexibility is key to keeping employees motivated and onside, as is the chance to build skills. Keep an eye out for relevant workshops and seminars for your team to attend, or show them the ropes yourself to boost their skillsets.
Keep things fresh
Repetitive work can quickly become boring, so be sure to consider what other areas your employees could explore, especially if you’re a small business without designated teams of staff. If their main task is to write reports, consider getting them to put together some visual pieces instead; if they usually deal with customer service, give them the chance to branch out into more behind the scenes tasks from time to time. Consider whether you could give the team a task that they are not used to that will challenge them, if you’re worried that content creation won’t be kept up with during this time, try using an outsourced service like while you test out your team’s ability to deal with fresh tasks. A fresh kind of task brings with it renewed motivation.
