How to Guide on Employee Efficiency and Productivity

Professional team celebration in office

Because of the ever-changing world, many employees are working remotely. Therefore, it is important for companies to know that employees are working efficiently and productively. So how can you improve your employees’ work productivity and efficiency? 

Managers are always searching for ways to make their teams more productive. No manager wants their team to fall behind on tasks. 

This guide will help you learn about new ways to make your employees be more productive and work more efficiently. Keep reading to learn how you can increase employees’ efficiency and productivity. 

female employee working with sticky notes to keep on task

What is employee productivity?

Productivity is mainly measured by the amount of finished work rather than its quality. There are some factors that impact your employees’ productivity. For example, breaks, the amount of stress, strategies, and technology. 

Taking breaks

Employees that overwork themselves and do not take breaks get less work done. In contrast, employees that take breaks during their working hours tend to be more focused and motivated to work, which makes them more productive. 

Amount of stress

Stress can really affect how productive an employee is. As it makes it harder for them to concentrate on their work. Also, a big workload adds stress to your employees, making them unproductive. According to stress.org, 65% of employees said that workplace stress had caused difficulties in their personal life and more than 10 percent described these as having major effects.

Ensuring your employees have a stable work-life balance is vital to the success of your organization. Without balance, your employees will burn out and get less done.

Strategies 

Without any strategic involvement, employees are less likely to understand the vision of your company or be excited about your plans. Having a good and clear strategy gives your employees motivation and pushes them to succeed. Aligning the company’s goals and the individual’s expectations, will boost your employee’s productivity. 

Technology

Technology can often disrupt employee performance, especially through the use of social media or websites like YouTube. However, many technology softwares have increased employee performance and decreased costs. 

Providing workplace technologies, like automation tools, can create a more productive environment. Using these tools efficiently can save your employees’ time and let them finish more tasks.  

Professional team coming together to solve puzzle

What is employee efficiency? 

Efficiency is measured the opposite way of productivity. As it focuses on the quality of the work. It mainly concentrates on the amount of productivity that makes a profit. Efficiency is believing that to produce high-quality work, it takes time, but can cost you less long term. There are some factors that impact your employee’s efficiency like distractions and work hours. 

Distractions 

It takes about 23 minutes and 15 seconds for someone to regain their concentration on a task after they get distracted. This will result in a lot of time wasted, which will affect the quantity and quality of work. Preventing unnecessary meetings can help your employees maintain their focus. 

Work hours

According to Tork (2018), “Skipping breaks can lead to faster burnout and higher stress levels. Employees stepping away from work for a few minutes increases their productivity, job satisfaction, mental health and well-being, and are overall more engaged in their work”. 

Working a full day without taking enough breaks can really tire your employees, making them less efficient. Companies should push their employees to take more breaks, so they don’t burnout. 

Female manager keeping employees on task with project management

Best ways to improve employee productivity

We all get distracted, either working from home or from the office. That also leads to a lot of time being wasted. Here are some ways to help your employees boost their productivity and stop wasting time.  

Improve the workplace environment 

If you want your employees to be productive, you need to provide them with an environment that is comfortable for them to work and free of any interruptions. 

For example, organizing the office to have multiple areas where your employees can work and concentrate can be very beneficial. Also, you can create a quiet place where no one is allowed to talk, which gives your employees an easier time to focus. 

Reduce distractions

Distractions like social media and socializing can really affect your employees’ productivity and efficiency. Because it’s hard to remove all distractions around your employees, you can let them use apps that will help them improve productivity. 

Utilizing notes, to-do lists, or a communication system like Slack will enable employees to prioritize tasks or mute any incoming interruptions. 

Time management

There are many time management techniques that can help your employees stay focused on their work. Always consider the time needed to complete each task. 

Once you’re able to implore some time management techniques, you can also schedule your day. This will help you prioritize, focus on the task at hand, and be more productive over the course of a day.  

Team coming together and celebrating in office

Best ways to improve employee efficiency 

All companies want to make their employees work more efficiently. So how can you improve your employees’ work efficiency? Here are some of the best ways to boost your employees’ efficiency. 

Choose the perfect task for each employee  

To maximize your employees’ efficiency, you need to know each one’s skills. It can be that they’re creative, good problem solvers, excellent communicators, and more. You should give each of your employees a task or a project that they can be efficient with. Because not all your employees have the same skills. 

Communicate well 

Nowadays, technology has helped us communicate with each other more efficiently. Being able to communicate with your team quickly and easily is crucial to improve employee efficiency. 

Have clear goals 

You need to provide each of your employees with a set clear goals they can work towards. Make their assignments clear and fully explained. Tell them exactly what is expected of them. You should make your goals “SMART”; specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. 

Give feedback 

Performance review is very critical to measure your employees’ efficiency. You need to give your employees feedback on their work, so they know what they’re excelling in and where they need to improve. Always ask your employees what you can do or provide to help them be more efficient. After giving them your feedback, you can also ask them to give you feedback. 

How can CRM help boost your employees’ efficiency and productivity? 

Every company is constantly considering and looking for ways to improve employee efficiency and productivity. One of the most important parts in a company is the customer’s efficiency in facing the staff. Through the CRM technology you can increase your staff’s productivity. As CRM can save your employees’ time, eliminate extra time, and deliver customer data to your employees. Here are some functionalities that will help your employees boost their work efficiency and productivity. 

Phone and Email integration tool 

Having the CRM phone and email integration system will help your employees always get quick access to your customers’ data. Offering your employees this tool will greatly help them save and concentrate on taking care of the customers rather than waste their efforts on entering customer data. 

Mass Communication tool 

Communication is very important in the workplace, either between teams, or between an employee and a customer. The mass communication tool in the CRM software will make your employees’ communication much more efficient. This tool will give your employees the ability to stay in ongoing communication with your customers without wasting their time or effort. 

Task management tool

CRM platforms will let you assign tasks and projects, organize them depending on their priority, share important documents, as well as review and discuss the projects’ progress. This is specifically important for businesses that have remote working employees, or employees that travel a lot. As the task management system will allow your employees to work efficiently. 

Reminders 

The CRM technology helps you remember your appointment or deadlines, so your employees never miss an importing date. Having reminders will make your employees more productive, knowing that they don’t have to worry about remembering something. 

Calendars 

CRM technology helps you keep track of your appointments, meetings, or events, and allows your employees to use it and rely on it for their day-to-day organization. 

Conclusion 

Now that you know all about employee efficiency and productivity, how to improve it, and how you can use CRM to boost your employees’ efficiency. You should immediately start thinking of ways to implement those tips to your team. 

You can also try things outside the workplace such as Tai Chi or some other activities to boost morale!

Want something specific to be covered about ways to improve your business? Reach out to us at marketing@dyl.com

By Alex Vetter

Alex Vetter is the product marketing manager at DYL. With a Masters from College de Paris, he runs the marketing department and helps with product management at DYL.