The 4 Best Ways to Optimize the Workplace for Efficiency
September 09, 2020
The aim of optimizing your workplace for efficiency is to create an environment in which employees can work as productively as possible. Establishing an environment that is conducive to high productivity levels is one of the best ways to utilize the business’ resources while also boosting employee morale. The list outlines some of the best ways to optimize your workplace; some ideas can be easily implemented today; others can create a transformed office space.
Offer Employees Incentives
One of the best ways to improve workforce efficiency is to show employees you appreciate their efforts and offer them rewards to encourage hard work. The most effective form of incentivization is to consider what each employee would value most; for example, while some people appreciate public recognition, others might prefer a handwritten note. Other ideas for employee incentivization include:
- Offer paid off time in addition to the standard paid sick leave and holiday time
- Ask them what they would prefer
- Give them more break time
Create a Digital Workplace
It is easy to misunderstand the term digital workplace; since it is unlikely you will walk into an office and find it without technological devices such as a computer or a phone, one might assume most offices are already digitized. However, the term digital workplace refers to digital technologies that act in supplementation of the physical office. These technologies facilitate collaboration, engagement, management and other business processes. The digital workplace allows multiple departments to access any information they might need wherever they are via a digital portal. There has never been a more idyllic time to invest in a digital workplace; not only are more people working from home, but studies have found that working away from the office increases employee efficiency by an average of 13%.
Assign Tasks Based on Personal Interests and Abilities
A study conducted by Michelle McQuaid for the Via Institute on Character found employees are more productive and engaged when they can work on or are assigned work, that allows them to build on their strengths, rather than their weaknesses. Communicating with employees, paying attention to the work they do well, and the interests they have is the easiest way to make sure that you are assigning appropriate tasks to the right employees.
Provide Training
One of the more challenging parts of starting a new job is reported to be a lack of adequate knowledge. Not only does failing to properly train new employees to decrease productivity, in both the short and long term, but it damages employee morale too. Research from Deloitte University Press found that 85% of those surveyed reported that learning is ‘important’ or ‘very important’. Despite the demand for training and learning opportunities, few companies provide regular training schemes.
Optimizing the workplace for efficiency can involve larger-scale changes, such as implementing a digital workplace. Still, it can also involve much simpler methods, such as assigning tasks based on employee skills and interests. Technology has enabled employees and managers to create a more versatile working environment in which every individual employee can work in a manner most suited to their needs since the key to workplace efficiency is employee morale there has never been a better time to optimize the workplace.
