The average employee spends more time in the office than they do sleeping or enjoying time with their friends and family. When they spend that much time in the workplace, it is only natural that it is going to impact their mood and willingness to perform efficiently. As a productive worker is the biggest asset you can have as a business owner, finding ways to keep them motivated is a must.

There are plenty of tried and true methods to draw inspiration from, however, these listed below seem to result in the best outcome.

Comfortable Office Setting

The space provided to your employees to work plays a major role in their ability to be productive. If you have an office environment in which everything is outdated, used, or worn down, it can make it difficult for them to do their jobs

Take a look at the layout and condition of your staff’s workstation. Is it time for an upgrade? Investing in sturdy desks, comfortable office chairs, updated computers, and the best software and technology helps them to work efficiently.

Time Off/Flex Time

As stated previously, your workers sacrifice a lot of their personal time to help you run your company. If you want to show them your appreciation, you can offer time off or flexible schedules that allow them to spend more time doing things they enjoy. For example, employees who generate the most sales Monday thru Thursday have the option to take Friday off. Another example would be to allow employees to have more control over their working schedule.

Instead of making it mandatory that they work 9 to 5, you might have flexible hours of 7 to 3, 10 to 6, and so on to give them options.

Holiday Gifts

The holidays are not only some of the most stressful times of the year but some of the most economically challenging for the average worker. If you’d like to give your staff a helping hand around the holidays, handing out gifts is a great way to start. For example, just before Thanksgiving or Christmas, you may opt to hand out ham or turkey gifts in the form of vouchers. They can pick out their own ham or bird which is a huge saving for their holiday dinners.

Wellness Programs

Healthy workers are productive workers. If you want to show your staff that you care while also improving productivity in the workplace, introduce some wellness programs they can take advantage of. Have a representative from a weight loss program come and talk to them about diet and exercise, invite a personal chef to the office to provide tips on healthy meals, or have a health van pull up and give out free screenings and exams. These are all ways to improve the health of your staff and their families which reduces the need for callouts and motivates productivity.

Training and Education Opportunities

Knowledge is power in the workplace. The more informed and educated your team is, the better work they can do for your business. If you want to spark productivity in the office, you should make training and education opportunities available to your staff.

Sending a group of employees for training on the latest software or equipment used in your industry empowers them and allows them to apply what they’ve learned to business practices. Similarly, allowing employees to return to school for degrees and college courses enhances their understanding of the industry which can be used to take your business to new levels of success.

Open Door Policies

Believe it or not, sometimes your staff is unproductive because they don’t feel they can communicate with management. To improve workplace communications between staff and management, you should employ an open-door policy. This essentially means that your door is always open and you will make the time to hear their ideas, listen to their concerns, and develop a resolution going forward.

When employees feel they are being heard, they are inclined to work harder and support the goal of the company.

Takeaway

Your company is only as successful as those you hire. It is, therefore, imperative that you work diligently at showing your team a little appreciation. By letting them know you care and that you’re willing to reward them for their efforts, they will push that much harder to help grow your brand.

As there are a ton of ways to encourage productivity in the workplace, hopefully, this has given you a great place to start.