With much of the UK’s workforce working from home over the past 18 months, it has been absolutely key for businesses make sure that productivity isn’t impacted.  

Modern workplaces demand high levels of efficiency from their staff, and due to our current on-demand culture, expectations are high. Employee engagement is therefore vital for all businesses, with many positive outcomes to be achieved from engaged teams such as increased performance, better collaboration, stronger working relationships, improved health and wellbeing, lower employee turnover and higher quality customer service. Employees are a company’s most valuable asset, and if they are overloaded and unengaged, they may struggle to perform all of their responsibilities.

Here we consider some approaches that will assist your staff in managing their work and wellbeing:

Your employees should avoid multitasking:

Multitasking means constantly switching between tasks, and sometimes that can destroy your productivity. Studies have shown that multitasking's impact on the brain and productivity is negative.

Employers should therefore encourage staff to avoid multitasking unless they are exceptionally organised, but for most, multitasking can actually be counterproductive.

Trying to do various jobs at the same time can cause less quality work to be produced, along with mistakes, and ultimately cost a business in the long run. Focusing on one project at a time should be encouraged.

Making a to-do list:

Encourage your team members to sit down at the start of each workday and assess their responsibilities, commitments and workloads. There will always be things that must be done first thing in the morning, but there will also be things that can wait until later in the day.

Prioritising tasks will provide employees with a roadmap to follow, allowing them to work more efficiently.

Adapting the workplace:

Since the start of Covid-19, a changing workplace culture has emerged. Now more than ever, workplaces have adapted to offer more flexibility to employees. Many companies are offering employees the opportunity to work from home and/or offering flexible hours and job sharing.

Helping employees in this way can prove to be beneficial with research showing home or hybrid working is hugely productive, as well as aiding employee satisfaction and engagement.  An effective manager’s capacity to actively listen to the staff around them is one of their most valuable qualities. Working collaboratively with your employees and following their lead on the processes that work well, as well as working with them to improve the ones that aren’t, is a good move.

Get your HR right:

Utilising the right resources and technology to achieve an effective HR function is really important for employees, as well as a business’s internal processes.  Many managers or HR departments may find navigating their way through the endless admin often associated with HR can be challenging. This is where considering using a Human Resources system may be advantageous.  Onboarding processes such a right to work checks and contract generation, shift patterns and rotas, annual leave requests, absence and contingency planning, appraisals and company communications are some of the functions that can be handled by an HR support service. Helping ensure that all employee management is carried out in an efficient, proactive, and compliant way.

identecoHR is a comprehensive online toolkit that provides HR support to business owners, office managers and HR professionals. Our innovative software, featuring all of the above functions and more, allows businesses to enjoy a smooth HR function, keeping communication with employees transparent and professional. 

Keep communication clear:

One of the things you must always keep in mind is how you communicate with your employees. Always keep in mind that not all communication is effective communication.

A happy and productive workplace is built on open and honest communication. Employees should understand a company’s vision, goals, and strategies for accomplishing them. In light of the unsettling times over the pandemic and moving forward, extra attention should be made to achieving good communication. Sharing company-wide printed or electronic information such as a newsletter is also a good way to engaging with employees and keep them informed of company news, business performance and employee success stories.  

Keep the doors open:

You should develop a working relationship with your staff that allows them to feel at ease approaching you to discuss the projects they’re working on. Your staff will not be nearly as productive as you’d like if they perceive they are overworked, overburdened, and unapproachable. Create and maintain an open-door policy for your employees.

To hear how identecoHR can add value to your operations with our innovative human resources support services, call us or drop us an email to arrange a no-obligation demo.