Ten Easy Ways to Increase Workplace Productivity
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Ten Easy Ways to Increase Workplace Productivity
It comes as no surprise to learn that a happier workforce is also a more productive one. If you’re looking for ways to boost your company output, you could therefore benefit from our top ten tips on how to boost productivity in the workplace, shared below.
1. Snack machines
In our experience, snack machines are one of the best ways to increase workplace productivity. But don’t just take our word for it. According to a study on the impact of office snacks, having access to a bite to eat whilst at work not only boosts productivity but also improves job satisfaction. This is generally because when people are well fed, they are better able to concentrate on the task at hand.
When snacks are provided free of charge, there’s even more of an incentive to do things well. Nevertheless, the decision of whether to charge for confectionery is entirely up to you. In either case, chilled snack vending machines are a great way of keeping sufficient stock and ensuring it stays fresh. What’s more, if you make sure snacks are readily available at your office or warehouse, people won’t be leaving the premises to purchase food elsewhere – a win-win if you’re looking to improve business productivity.
2. Improved time management
Many companies have taken to using apps like Slack, Monday and Asana to realistically assess the time it takes for employees to complete specific tasks. This allows you to set achievable daily, weekly and monthly targets, also highlighting any gaps in production where your processes might be improved.
Of course, you can always monitor the time it takes for jobs to get done manually, without the use of an app – but having access to regular reminders and reliable technology makes it more likely that people will remember to update the records. Contrary to how it may seem, this is not a way of keeping an overly keen eye on your staff. In fact, your workforce will also benefit from the more streamlined processes you come up with as a result, thriving in a lower-stress environment.
3. Regular breaks
We’ve all been there. Attempting to push through a tired mind or a tired body is simply exhausting – and quite frankly, unsustainable. If you want to increase employee productivity and keep your staff feeling their best, it’s important to offer regular breaks. Whether scheduled or available to take as and when required, it’s essential that your employees don’t feel fatigued. In fact, not only does this boost workplace health and safety – with less time spent staring at a screen or operating heavy machinery – but it also ensures your workers have the energy and motivation to do a better job whilst they’re working.
Providing something fun to do, like a pool table or table tennis, is also a great option if you want to take workplace productivity to the next level. Workplace snack machines are also a great plan, as we discussed above.
4. A positive atmosphere
Decorating your offices with plants and colourful, positive images – or choosing a peaceful and calming colour scheme – can have a huge effect when it comes to boosting morale. More than just an aesthetic choice, it can inspire creativity and collaboration, whilst keeping stress-driven cortisol levels low. A little goes a long way when it comes to decorating for workplace productivity.
5. Valuable training
A happy workforce is a productive workforce and one of the best ways to keep staff happy is to provide valuable, relevant training. This will ensure they feel they have opportunities to learn and progress, giving them larger goals to work towards rather than completing the same tasks, day in, day out, with no real destination to strive for.
6. Employee reward schemes
Employee reward schemes are a key current trend for boosting productivity in the workplace. Nowadays, people want to feel valued and appreciated at work and employees are beginning to search for job opportunities that offer non-financial rewards like health insurance, gym memberships and on-site food options. Once again, food vending machines go a long way in boosting morale. Whatever rewards you choose, make sure they are relevant to your workforce in terms of interest and demographics and consider offering additional incentives for each year of service provided.
7. Flexibility
People are now seeking hybrid or work-from-home roles that allow them to benefit from greater flexibility. If this is something you are able to offer, it’s well worth considering. If, however, you would prefer your team to work in house, you could always introduce flexible working hours, instead. Whether you want to go all-out and trial a four-day working week (something that is incredibly popular right now) or simply allow employees to work 8 – 4 or 10 – 6 in place of the regular 9 – 5, the more flexible you will be, the more you will increase employee productivity. Staff will feel you are considering their needs and, in return, will be more willing to do better work. Want to find out more? This large-scale study showed that it improved production and lowered sick days amongst the companies that took place in a four-day week trial.
8. Effective communication
Increasing workplace productivity is not all about offering additional incentives, products and rewards. You’ll also want to consider your internal practices. One of the major frustrations in any workplace is effective communication, particularly between teams and different levels of management. If you are able to successfully overcome these hurdles, you’ll have a much happier and more dynamic workforce, willing to work together for maximum results. Always make sure that key information is being communicated clearly so that people know what they need to be doing and when.
9. Team-building days
Building upon the point above, team-building days are an excellent way of bringing employees together and encouraging them to work together. Encourage more effective communication by choosing problem-solving activities like escape rooms or go for something a bit more fun like a day out at the theme park – purely as a positive incentive and to show appreciation for your staff.
10. Show your appreciation
As always, the little things are the things that matter most. If your team has done something particularly well, let them know! A small “thank you” goes a long way, as does a LinkedIn post celebrating the great work that your employees have done.
Ready to improve employee productivity?
As you can see, some of the best ways to increase workplace productivity – beyond streamlining your communication and processes – include incentives and rewards. Work towards the wellbeing of your staff, both mental and physical, and you’re on to a winning strategy.
Snack machines and food vending machines are a great place to start, as they’re a relatively affordable way to show appreciation for your team. You could then look at introducing flexible hours or smaller rewards schemes, working up to larger rewards as your productivity and success continue to grow as a result.
At Best Vending, we supply, install and maintain a range of top-quality vending machines of all sizes, suitable for all kinds of workforce. Whether you run an office or a factory, we’ll come out to you to repair and refill your food vending machines on a regular basis as part of our fully managed service, thus enabling you to focus on what really matters – the work at hand. Don’t want to purchase a machine? Don’t worry! We also offer long-term leases and short-term rentals. Contact us for a free consultation or quote.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of food vending machines beyond boosting workplace productivity, read our blog on the seven benefits of using snack machines in the workplace.