Wednesday 26 October 2011

How to Build a Productive Workplace

It’s an old cliché: happy workers are busy workers – but it’s true, as most company managers will attest. To ensure your employees are working to their full potential you have to listen to their needs and provide a positive working environment. If you neglect this responsibility, the result will be de-motivated, resentful employees who will be looking to take their talents elsewhere at the first available opportunity.

However, there are many fairly simple measures you can take to avoid this – and here are just a few of them:

Offer training and support: Most employees who are worth their pay go into a job with the hope of improving their skills and knowledge in order to progress in their chosen career. If they are not given new challenges and opportunities they can become disillusioned and stop caring about their job performance. Variety is the key to maintaining a stimulating work life, so make sure you invest in training schemes or even sponsor your employees in further education such as Masters degrees if this is something that will contribute positively to their job performance.



Create a great work space: It’s very well known that the environment in which you work can have a significant impact on the way you carry out your job. Give careful thought to the spaces in which your employees work in terms of office design, for example. Do they have enough natural light to boost mood? If not, consider installing some rooflights which are an easy an efficient way to distribute natural light evenly over a large space. If many of your employees work at computers, then the use of rooflights to bring in natural light can also help cut down the number of headaches or eye-strain problems they experience.

Allow time for breaks: In addition to providing the best possible space for your employees to work in, many companies recognise the benefits of providing a rest area for workers to go during breaks. It’s important for employees to take some time away from their work stations during the day so they can come back refreshed and ready to begin again. With the best will in the world, concentration levels will start to drop if we don’t give ourselves adequate rest periods.

Positive leadership: If your managers don’t work to promote a cheerful and productive atmosphere then there is no reason to assume your employees will be productive. Most people respond well to positive leadership, so ensure the people you hire to run certain departments have a proven track record for getting the best out of their team.

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