The secret to the #productivity puzzle? Work less hours!
According to the Office for National Statistics, British productivity has improved by just 0.5 per cent per year since 2008, and lags 15 per cent behind other G7 countries.
Research has shown that, with reduced hours, workers adjust to make better use of available time.
They decline marginal meetings. They focus better for short periods if sleeping properly within a shorter week.
However many have found through research that a four-day week causes workers to squeeze more hours than usual into a day.
For workers who are already prone to overwork, the additional burden of compressing five days into four could literally break the camel’s – or worker’s – back.
Additionally, employers and workers need to consider the effect that compressing hours into a four-day period impacts workers’ mental health, stress levels and fatigue.
With the Summer holidays fast approaching it pays to find a healthy way of working which ensures that you can still get the same amount of work done, even when you take time off.
What is productivity and how can it be measured?
Productivity is a frequently used term in business, but what does it actually mean?
The Collins dictionary defines it by stating that ‘someone or something that is productive produces or does a lot for the amount of resources used’.
Employee productivity is particularly important in small businesses, where resources are more limited than they would be in a large company.
According to a study by Opus Energy, 86% of UK SME’s claim that productivity is an issue.
Before implementing strategies to improve workplace productivity, small business owners may wish to measure how their team are currently working in order to identify sticking points.
Measuring workplace productivity
In a workplace context, productivity could be defined as the amount of work (or output) that an employee produces during their shift (their input).
So put simply, the productivity of a baker could be measured by how many items they bake during their shift.
There is a simple formula that is often used in businesses:
Productivity = output ÷ input
However, it isn’t always as simple to measure it in such a tangible way. The way in which you measure it within your business can depend on the industry that you operate in.
Each industry and each job role within that industry would need a different method in order to measure how productively people are working.
How can a firm of accountants, for example, measure it when they aren’t necessarily producing a physical product?
Save for setting your team a task and timing how long they take to complete it, is there a way to measure productivity in these non-tangible industries?
Benefits of measuring productivity
Measuring and monitoring productivity levels can have a number of benefits for small businesses.
Alongside giving you the opportunity to see output levels within your business, it also allows you to keep track of the service levels that your team is providing your customers.
This can help you to maintain a consistent level of customer service across your business.
Productivity measurement can also help you to identify particular areas or processes within your business that might be causing unnecessary delays to your team’s workflows.
This can help you to streamline the processes within your business to ensure that your team is able to get the most out of their working days.
Measuring workplace efficiency may also have benefits for the employee as well as the business.
The use of productivity measurement tools may highlight particular times of the day when people are the most focused. Someone might be able to concentrate better in the mornings, for example, than they are past 3pm.
This could mean that this particular person might favour a more flexible work schedule that allows them to start work earlier in the morning and leave earlier.
This could benefit both the employee, as they are able to have a more flexible working structure, and the business, as they would be in the office during the time when they are the most productive.
7 steps to improve productivity
If there’s a need to improve productivity within your business, there are a number of measures that you can take:
- Limit meetings. Meetings can be a big cause of lost productivity at work. Try to limit the number of meetings that you and your team are having where possible. When you do have meetings, set a time limit for the length of the meeting and stick to it.
- Prepare a to-do list first thing. One way to ensure that you and your team get the day off to a positive start is to write out a to-do list and tackle your least favourite tasks first.
- Support your team. When we have things going on in our personal lives, it can be difficult to concentrate at work. Offering an Employee Assistance Programme to your team can provide them with the opportunity to speak to a trained professional about anything that might be bothering them, at a time that suits them.
- Feedback. Ensure that you are giving your team regular constructive feedback on the work that they are carrying out, and encourage peer to peer feedback too.
- Tools and systems. Invest in the relevant tools and systems for your business that could help cut out certain admin tasks for your team, freeing them up for the work that is more likely to benefit your business in the long run. TechRadar has compiled this list of top productivity apps.
- Benefits. It might come as little surprise that employees’ happiness affects their productivity. According to a study by Warwick University, happiness made people 12% more productive3. You could look for smaller, quick wins to boost morale such as providing a free breakfast for your team one morning or organising a team outing. Alternatively, you could look to implement a more comprehensive employee benefits package including perks such as private medical insurance and childcare vouchers.
- Flexible working. Workplaces can be distracting, particularly when someone has a big project that they need to concentrate on. Some people may find that they are able to work more productively at home, where they have less chance of getting distracted.
There isn’t a one size fits all approach when it comes to measuring how productively your team is working. It requires a much more tailored and personalised method in order to be the best fit for your business and industry.
While it comes with its own set of challenges, there are also a lot of benefits associated with measuring the productivity and efficiency of your team for both the business and your people.
Responses