7 Ways of Increasing Workplace Productivity

Keeping employees motivated and productive is one of the biggest challenges that employers face in the modern workplace. The ever-increasing normalcy of digital distractions hasn’t done much to help; workers often have a myriad of potential disruptions available in the same space where they may be performing many of their duties. Striking a balance between providing staff with sufficient autonomy and ensuring that they’re staying on task can be a delicate dance for those in leadership positions.

Efforts to facilitate workplace productivity often begin with the interview process – employers should verify that prospective hires offer the focus and motivation to carry out potential responsibilities. Much of the onus will continue to fall on employers after onboarding as well; providing sufficient resources, promoting a conducive environment, and offering sufficient break time can all contribute toward maximizing staff productivity.

Today, we’ll dive into some of the most common challenges that companies experience in maintaining workplace efficiency and examine what they can do to help overcome these obstacles.

Why do people struggle with productivity at work?

Potential difficulties in workplace productivity can range from internal and external distractions to responsibility overload.

External disruptions may include noisy coworkers, non-work-related conversations, or social media use. These disturbances can interrupt concentration, making it difficult for employees to stay on track with their tasks. Internal distractions can result from an employee’s inability to compartmentalize, allowing out-of-work issues to affect their on-the-job performance.

Ineffective time management can also contribute to efficiency issues. Without clear goals or a structured approach to managing responsibilities, staff may feel overwhelmed by the volume of work, resulting in decreased productivity and increased stress.

Poor work-life balance can interfere with productivity as well. Employees who feel overworked due to long hours or unrealistic expectations may struggle to maintain focus. An inadequate number of breaks can also negatively affect mental health, further diminishing efficiency levels. 

Finally, owners should strive to ensure that employees feel they’re a part of the company's community and that their work is important. A lack of autonomy and meaningful engagement can lead to reduced motivation to perform. When employees don't feel valued, they may become less committed to their work, impacting their effectiveness in the long run.

7 tips for for boosting productivity at work

Here are some of our favorite productivity tips:

1. Focus on one task at a time

Emphasizing one task at a time, also known as single-tasking, can increase productivity by allowing individuals to devote their full attention to the responsibility at hand. Switching between multiple duties rapidly can often lead to reduced efficiency as attention becomes divided and concentration is disrupted. Conversely, when employees focus on a singular objective without distraction, they can become fully immersed in their work to perform at their highest level.

Single-tasking also promotes better time management while reducing the likelihood of errors. By dedicating focused blocks of time to each responsibility, workers can better estimate how long each duty will take and allocate their time accordingly. This can prevent tasks from dragging on indefinitely or being rushed due to time constraints. Additionally, focusing on one objective at a time can reduce stress by providing a sense of accomplishment, rather than feeling overwhelmed by a never-ending to-do list.

Single-tasking can benefit businesses and employees alike, by diminishing stress and improving the quality of work on individual projects.

2. Utilize to-do lists

By compiling all pending assignments into a single list, workers can gain a comprehensive overview of their workload and devise a course of action. Breaking down larger undertakings into smaller, more manageable tasks and assigning deadlines to each item helps ensure steady progress toward goals. Crossing items off the to-do list as they are completed can also provide a sense of accomplishment, helping to reinforce positive work habits and boost productivity.

Moreover, a task list serves as an external memory aid, helping individuals remember important duties without needing to rely solely on memory. This reduces the potential to overlook critical assignments, minimizing the risk of errors and missed deadlines. Additionally, by regularly updating the list, employees can adapt to changing priorities and stay focused on their most important responsibilities.

Particularly for staff managing heavier workloads, to-do lists can assist in providing a visual breakdown of tasks while enhancing time management by directing focus to projects with the highest degree of urgency.

3. manage your energy and schedule breaks

It’s important to remember that your real-world employees are humans, not machines – they can only handle so many duties at any given time. Overloading them with tasks without sufficient recharging time serves neither workers nor your business. In fact, productivity reduction due to fatigue costs businesses an average of $1,967 per employee each year. Try managing your energy and time by:

• Aligning responsibilities with peak energy levels can help optimize effectiveness during work hours. Allocating demanding tasks to these times ensures that employees can tackle critical responsibilities when they’re best equipped to handle them. 

• Additionally, scheduling regular breaks throughout the day allows for necessary rejuvenation, mitigating the risk of burnout. Breaks may also provide opportunities for spontaneous creativity, as many of the best ideas arrive to workers naturally when they’re not being forced. 

Not only is adequate rest time often mandated by law, but it also ultimately benefits your organization while reducing the possibility of overwhelming employees.

4. Minimize distractions

While the digital landscape has presented new, wide-ranging opportunities for improved customer outreach, it can also present challenges in maintaining focus among your workers, as they quite literally possess an entire world’s worth of possibilities at their fingertips. It’s now estimated that internet usage in the workplace accounts for a 40% drop in productivity. Try the following methods of minimizing distractions:

• Encourage your staff to limit personal device usage during designated work hours and provide dedicated spaces for taking breaks to draw an unambiguous line between work and social activities. 

• Also consider implementing software that blocks access to non-work-related websites during specific periods, allowing employees to maintain concentration without the temptation of distractions. 

• Additionally, it’s important to strike a balance between open communication and designated focus periods for your team. Implementing a ‘do not disturb’ policy for specific hours and establishing designated times for collaboration can help create a conducive environment for focused work. 

Lower- and mid-level employees often look to the top for examples of workplace conduct, so your supervisors and managers must follow these protocols to a tee. 

5. Refine your workspace

John Wooden once said, “Little things make big things happen.” Sometimes, it can be easy to underestimate the effect that a well-lit, decluttered workspace can have on employees, but we assure you that it can play a major role in productivity.

It’s paramount to actively consider ergonomics to ensure that your environment is conducive to long periods of effectiveness. We suggest investing in user-friendly furniture such as adjustable chairs and desks to reduce physical discomfort. Adequate lighting is also essential; natural light can boost mood and alertness, while adjustable artificial lighting allows staff to tailor the brightness to their preferences. Additionally, effectively organizing your workspace can improve mental clarity, enabling employees to further optimize their workflow.

Personalizing workspaces with pleasing aesthetics, such as plants or artwork, can further enhance employee morale. A comfortable break area in which employees can sufficiently recharge also wouldn’t hurt, as it can promote a balance between focused work and relaxation. Furthermore, ensure that staff are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to properly carry out their duties – this can make them feel more supported while enabling them to complete tasks to the best of their ability. 

6. Make the most out of your assets to increase efficiency

To maximize the benefits of your business assets, start by conducting a thorough inventory to identify underutilized resources. This may include physical assets such as equipment and technology or intangible attributes like intellectual property and employee expertise. Once you’ve gathered a clear overview of your resources, prioritize the initiatives that will yield the greatest productivity gains. This might involve upgrading outdated technology, optimizing workflows, or providing training opportunities to enhance the skills of your staff.

Additionally, consider implementing strategies to optimize these assets and minimize downtime. This could involve implementing asset tracking systems to monitor performance, scheduling regular maintenance to prolong asset lifespan, or exploring opportunities for resource sharing to maximize utilization.

It ultimately boils down to making the best of the tools that you have at your disposal – maximizing the potential of current assets can improve performance while reducing expenses on potentially unnecessary overhead.

7. Collaborate with your team

One of the most important resources for your workers will often be their colleagues. Collective expertise can contribute to a more satisfactory team performance while providing a crutch for individual employees to lean on if they’re experiencing block or burnout.

Open collaboration leverages each team member's strengths to aid in solving complex problems and generating innovative ideas. Pooling knowledge almost always exceeds what any individual could achieve alone. For instance, in a sales environment, an employee may be struggling with a lead in the agricultural sector. A coworker who has more experience with this industry could provide guidance on how to personalize communication and relate your organization’s unique value proposition (UVP) to increase the likelihood of conversion.

Moreover, teamwork provides ample learning opportunities, enabling staff to expand their skills through exposure to diverse viewpoints. It promotes continuous feedback, allowing teams to refine their approaches based on collective insights. When employees are constantly absorbing new skills from coworkers, it enables them to more effectively perform tasks by themselves in the future.

Improved collaboration can positively impact your company, clients, and employees by boosting efficiency, facilitating more satisfactory results, and strengthening the skillsets of individual team members.

Being productive in a remote work environment

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, remote work has become increasingly commonplace among white-collar professions. When utilized properly, teleworking can increase staff productivity by up to 77%. The successful implementation of a remote work environment involves a mutual understanding between employers and employees in regard to goals, expectations, and accountability.

Managers should outline tasks clearly, set deadlines, and communicate their availability for inquiries. Routine check-ins through messaging platforms can also help maintain connection and provide opportunities for feedback. Leaders will want to encourage autonomy while still ensuring support; remote workers thrive when they possess the freedom to manage their schedules, but know they can rely on guidance when needed.

Providing access to useful resources can enhance productivity as well. This may include project management software, collaboration tools, or cybersecurity measures. Organizations can also offer training sessions on time management and best practices to help staff maximize their efficiency in the virtual workplace.

When owners carefully select their team, some of these measures may become less vital; satisfied employees often strive to reward their employers with on-time and high-quality work to recognize their confidence in allowing them to operate remotely. 

How using the proper IT assets can boost your productivity

Promoting access to reliable technology ensures that workers can perform their duties without encountering technical obstacles. This includes up-to-date computers and software applications tailored to the specific needs of their roles. Additionally, IT solutions like cloud-based storage enable unobstructed access to data from anywhere, reducing delays in waiting to access pertinent information.

Robust IT resources can also facilitate effective communication among team members, regardless of their physical locations. Video conferencing tools, instant messaging platforms, and project management software can enable real-time interaction to promote teamwork and transparency. Even more, automation features can assist in reducing manual effort associated with repetitive tasks, preserving energy for real-world employees to handle more nuanced responsibilities.

In addition, the right software tools can help increase productivity by:

1. Make multitasking easier: The reality is that multitasking is always going to happen. Important tasks need to get to the top of the to-do list. And less-important tasks need to be kept on the prioritization list but not forgotten about to ensure overall productivity.

2. Take minute breaks: Sometimes a simple minute break (short breaks) can be given to make life a little easier and promote overall well-being. Especially in stressful work situations.

3. Track your amount of time per task: Sometimes, less time on a task should be given and more time on another task should be given. Tracking time per task allows managers to set boundaries on a specific task and ensure that there isn’t too much time going into a type of task that doesn’t need it.

4. End-of-the-day report: Sometimes, generating a report end of the day or the next day can be a good way to keep productivity levels monitored. How much got accomplished? What needs to get done? And more.

Streamline your ITSM with Freshservice

Freshworks’ Freshservice serves as one of the premier solutions for IT service management (ITSM) in today’s market. Freshservice provides a plethora of tools designed to enhance productivity and collaboration such as workspaces, workflow automation, project management, asset normalization, and many more. Our workload management feature offers a comprehensive overview of all tasks assigned to team members, allowing employers to optimize assignments, and ensure that deadlines are met and overload is avoided.

We’re confident that once you experience the Freshservice advantage, you won’t want to use anything else – sign up for a free trial or request a demo today!