A successful business is a productive business. These tips will help you to get the most out of your employees by keeping them happy and productive.
1. Nap Time!
Yes I know it sounds incredibly counter-productive to let your employees take a nap, but a study done by NASA showed that a nap of just 26 minutes can boost performance by as much as 34 percent. In fact, studies show that tired workers cost business about $150 billion a year in lost productivity.
2. Set Clear, Defined Goals
Employees are most productive when they have clearly defined goals to work towards. Let your employees have input in what goals their department should be trying to meet. They can offer great insight into problems their departments are facing and the best ways to overcome these problems.
3. Offer Praise and Rewards
You may be surprised how far a simple “pat on the back” will go with your employees. Employees who are told they are doing a good job have a greater incentive to replicate those results.
Establishing some type of reward program can also have a positive influence on productivity. The rewards don’t even have to be large; they can be as simple as a gift certificate to a restaurant, employee of the month award or even an extra day off. All of these rewards can really boost your employee’s incentive to work harder.
4. Let Them Stay Home-
Although this may seem counter-productive as well, employees who stay home actually tend to put in longer hours then employees that are on the clock at the workplace.
A 2008 study done by the Computing Technology Industry Association found that companies who offer their employees the option to telecommute saw increased productivity, lower costs, improved employee health and improved employee retention.
• 67 % of the companies polled said employees were more productive, largely because they spent less time getting to and from work.
• 59% reported seeing cost savings from reduced use of office-related materials and resources.
• 39 % said they have access to a more qualified staff, expanding their options to people who are located in - and not willing to relocate from - other regions.
• 37 % said telecommuting improved employee retention.
• 25% said employee health was improved, largely by reducing stress levels associated with the commute.
5. Give Employees Freedom Over Their Work
Many managers subscribe to the theory that micro-management is an effective and productive way to oversee their employees. The truth is studies suggest that micromanaging actually has a negative impact on employee productivity.
Micromanaging often makes employees feel like their boss does not trust them or their work. This will lead to a disengagement on the employees behalf and he will no longer offer suggestions and will likely harbor resentment towards his manager. At that point it is only a matter of time before he moves on to a different company.
If you delegate a project to an employee that needs to be finished by lets say, Friday, try saying “Here is the project please complete it by Friday and please check in with me if you have any questions or updates.”
Let the employee work out the details of how he wants to accomplish the task and he will be happier and more productive.
6. Enhance Your Office Space
A 1999 study done by the American Society of Interior Designers entitled “Recruiting and Retaining Qualified Employees By Design” found some very interesting facts.
-Employees who were pleased with their physical workplaces were 31% more likely to say they were satisfied with their jobs.
-The physical workplace would impact 41% of employees and job seekers to accept a position.
-The quality of their physical workplace would influence 51% to leave a company.
-Employees ranked aesthetic appearance of their workplace second in importance behind only monetary compensation and in a virtual second place tie with company benefits package.
73% of employees are not satisfied with their current offices’ appearance.
Imagine how much more appealing your office would be if instead of staring up at a blank wall your employees could look at a picturesque scene.
Wall murals are a relatively cheap and effective way to liven up your office space and can have a tremendous positive impact on your employee’s mood and productivity.
Wall murals have additional benefits because they also make your office more appealing to potential employees, clients and visitors which can result in a boost to your profit margin. You should make your office space as inviting as possible, I’ve never heard a client say, “Wow their office is so plain and boring we should definitely do business with them.”
Humans are visual creatures what they see in an environment can have a direct impact on decisions they make in that environment. Remember your office space plays a huge role in the image your company is projecting. Take a look around at your office…is it sending the right message to your employees and clients? If not find ways to improve it and it will improve your profits and productivity.
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