The workplace can often be a challenging and demanding environment, one where constantly staying motivated and productive is quite a difficult goal to achieve. This can be especially taxing after the longer holiday break, when most employees don’t feel quite as enthusiastic about going back to work. But as most business owners know that efficiency is vital to success, you might be wondering how you could motivate your workers to give their all once the new year comes. If that is the case, here are some great productivity-boosting tips that might be of help:
Focus on clean workspaces
Even though maintaining a clean and mess-free work environment that helps to reduce common workplace hazards is likely one of your top priorities, your employees’ workspaces can often be an entirely different story. Office desks are no strangers to clutter, even if it is a creative one, but the truth is that constantly being surrounded by mess can significantly hinder our productivity, leaving us scattered and unable to focus. For that reason, encouraging your employees to keep their workspaces clean and clear every day should also be among your goals. The simplest way to achieve this is by incentivizing or rewarding your team wherever they do a good job at maintenance.
Invest in a second monitor
In the past, work desks with two monitors were strictly reserved for gamers, designers, and other creatives. However, an increasing number of companies are now investing in a second monitor as well, and for a very good reason. It turns out that expanding the view can lead to an increase in productivity of 20-30%, encouraging employees to complete their work more quickly, more efficiently, and more precisely. Although it might seem like a large investment at first, the productivity gained simply by adding a second monitor can lead to noticeable savings in resources, thus making it quite a smart decision overall.
Try stress-relieving tools
Regardless of the nature of their job or the company they work for, stress is a serious concern among many employees, and quite an important factor that can significantly impact their productivity. That is why promoting some stress-relieving tools and tactics might be beneficial.
For instance, you could gift your team with efficient massage devices like eye and gun massagers. Providing an effective massage that easily relieves tension and pain while promoting relaxation, a massage tool can be brilliant for reducing stress levels and leading to happier and healthier employees. While such a device is handy enough to be used in an office environment, it might be especially beneficial for remote workers who might be dealing with additional home-related and personal stressors.
Move operations to the cloud
For the past few years, cloud computing solutions have been a growing trend among businesses across various industries, and it might be time for you to look into these options as well. Cloud services are known for providing higher security and plenty of storage, being quite advantageous for backups of important information, but they could also do wonders for productivity. Cloud solutions can make the transfer and sharing of files a faster and more seamless process, thus automating tedious and time-consuming tasks, improving collaboration among departments, and making vital information more accessible, all of which can significantly improve the overall productivity in your workplace.
Reduce common distractions
From loud noises and disruptive coworkers to constant alerts and notifications on our smart devices, the average work environment can truly be filled with distractions. And while this is quite a normal occurrence, it can easily disrupt your employees, forcing them to lose their focus and preventing them from finishing their work. For that reason, minimizing some of the most common distractions in the workplace should be among your main resolutions going into the new year. Whether that means providing calm and quiet workspaces, asking your employees not to use personal devices in the workplace unless necessary, or even making it the norm to prioritize responsibilities and focus only on one task at a time, reducing distractions is bound to increase efficiency in your company.
Encourage brakes and wellness
Although it might seem like powering through the workday is the key to productivity, the opposite is often the case. Taking short, 10 to 15-minute breaks regularly, approximately after every hour of working, can actually boost mental clarity, focus, and creativity, which is why it might be best to encourage your employees to take regular breaks throughout the workday. Similarly, sitting at a desk for longer periods of time can be quite detrimental to your employees’ physical and mental health. With that in mind, asking your workers to move around during their breaks can be a wonderful solution for improving employee health, satisfaction, and overall productivity.
Boosting productivity in the workplace is never an easy task, especially when we consider the amount of distractions and stressors often found in such environments. However, employee efficiency is necessary for business success, and the helpful tips mentioned above will hopefully allow you to create a more motivated and productive workforce come 2022.