The workplace is quickly changing. Employees are growing increasingly varied in terms of who holds different roles as well as their interests, desires, requirements, and motivations.
What drives today’s workforce differs from what drove workers ten or twenty years ago. It is critical for businesses to understand this fact and make changes to their operations in order to encourage workplace diversity and productivity. Here are four options for corporations to achieve this aim.
Utilize technological advances
Giving employees tools that make their job simpler is one of the best ways to boost employee productivity. Fortunately, there are a variety of digital tools that may help you accomplish just that. Time monitoring apps, for example, make clocking in and out of work, as well as tracking time and productivity, easier than before.
There are also basic digital solutions that allow employees and teams to cooperate and communicate from any location. These applications, some of which are free, make communication easier by eliminating the obstacles that come with email and by eliminating the need for workers to disclose personal phone numbers for text messaging.
There are other collaboration tools available that make it simple for users to exchange papers. Team members can use these platforms to access the same document and observe changes as they are made by their colleagues.
Employees must be heard.
The modern worker desires to be engaged and appreciated. Employees are dissatisfied at work, unfortunately. This lack of engagement is an issue since engaged workers labor with zeal and have a strong emotional attachment to their firm. They propel the company ahead by driving innovation.
If employee engagement is linked to employee performance, then increasing employee engagement should be at the top of any company’s priority list. There are several methods for doing so, one of which is to conduct a poll of workers and ask them how they feel about their jobs and what would make them happier. Pay attention to this feedback and establish an environment that promotes input from employees at all levels of the company. This sort of culture will make every employee feel valued, which will motivate them to work more.
Employees should be rewarded if they work hard.
Most companies used to believe that giving employees increases and incentives was the most effective method to motivate them. While money is still important to employees, it isn’t the most important component in their motivation or engagement.
Clearly, there was a huge gap between what businesses believed employees wanted and what they actually wanted in 2012, at the very least. Even in 2019, some of this chasm persists. Offering the following incentives is one of the most effective methods to motivate today’s employees:
- Paid time off has been increased.
- Work schedule flexibility
- Working at a distance is a plus.
- Gym memberships and yoga lessons are two examples of wellness initiatives.
- Employee achievement celebrations.
When companies utilize these incentives instead of simply throwing money to their employees, they feel more appreciated. Finding a good work-life balance is more important than trying to make more money.
Employee Productivity Is Measurable and Shared
Employee productivity may now be measured thanks to digital technologies. According to Task Ant, a number of software packages and applications are available to track anything from hours worked to progress toward goals. These technologies not only assist managers in keeping track of their workers’ activities; they also assist employees in staying on target.
Companies can manage people and processes more efficiently when they assess productivity. Managers may keep track of their workers’ development and provide immediate comments and recommendations. Furthermore, these digital technologies provide managers with real-time data that they can share with their staff.
They don’t have to make subjective decisions about employee productivity anymore since technology has made it more objective.
Employees can appreciate this objectivity. Workers now want to know how they’re performing based on actual facts rather than speculation. When feedback on how to improve is based on solid facts that employee can see rather than stories, employees are more responsive.
These are just a few examples of how businesses may boost productivity. The focus must be on creating an inclusive workplace for today’s diverse workforce, as well as offering employees with the tools, training, benefits, evaluation, and acknowledgment they need and require.