5 Employee Productivity Hacks Every Workplace Can Benefit From Right Now

The most important element to improving employee productivity in the workplace revolves around creating an atmosphere where an employee feels most at home. We recently noticed a huge upswing in small business owners embracing the start-up culture aesthetic – by this, we mean wearing flip flops to work, bringing pets along for the ride, and the controversial “work from home” policy. And truth be told, all of these definitely work in giving employee productivity the kick it needs. However, the most important element that business owners often overlook is the importance of ensuring that everyone gets along and here are a few hacks that can help workplaces out right now.

1) Setting The Thermostat At The Right Temperature

Nothing distracts an employee more than when others hover around them trying to fix the thermostat. For some, it may be too cold and for others it may be too hot. How do we set the right temperature? We recommend erring on the side of caution: research shows that when there is a cool atmosphere, employee productivity dramatically improves. Which means a business owner is better off creating a cooler atmosphere over a heated one, and recommending sweaters and blankets for employees who might find it too cold. This also means making sure the business has a working air conditioner and regular maintenance checks.

How does this relate to getting along?  It’s simple – you would be surprised by how many employees develop a negative attitude towards other employees who tend to blast the air too high or against those who complain about how cold it is. The AC unit becomes the community scapegoat for everything, even misgivings that don’t need to be blamed on it! When everyone agrees on the temperature, employees can put their focus on work rather than casting aspersions on fellow employees.

2) Company Happy Hour

When the workday is over, nothing makes for a better way to relax and wind down than company happy hour. No boss wants to be known for being clueless on knowing what location is hot and what’s not so we recommend that every month a new employee is put in charge of organizing a fun happy hour for the staff – all on the company dime, of course! As a business owner, you can help set the budget and even partake in the festivities. By letting employees mingle outside of the workplace, you are letting them shine as individuals and enabling them to get to know more about the rest of the team members they work alongside.

3) Clean Work Spaces

We aren’t going to point fingers on the kinds of food to avoid eating at your desk, but being a little mindful of the people around you can go a long way in how other employees get along with you. As a business owner this means requesting employees to take a lunch hour outside of their desks and perhaps with a few of their fellow employees. You could dedicate a small room as the lunchroom for this purpose or mention a few nearby local eateries as a dining option too.

4) Social Media Privileges

We recently learnt that some companies create individual desktop experiences for each employee so that they can access their office desktop remotely, wherever that may be. What’s cool about this is that these companies insist on employees logging in to their social media pages likes Facebook and Google+. That way, they can always be “online” and don’t have to log in their credentials every time. As distracting as this may appear, employees actually communicate and get along better with fellow employees in the social media sphere as opposed to a private meeting setting. We also recommend having a text message policy that employees are accountable to, so that any possibility of further distraction can be avoided.

5) Identify Team Players

This final tip may prove to be more experimental in nature at first. As an employer, you expect all your employees to be good team members and it was probably the first question you asked a prospective candidate while interviewing him or her. But unfortunately not everyone works well in a team and that’s okay. For those who do, you want to encourage teamwork for certain tasks. It helps improve efficiency, saves time and money, and promotes a sense of camaraderie between fellow employees. Keep in mind, however, the minute you see employees pointing fingers at one another, you may want to reevaluate how well they worked together before you decide to pair them up again. That’s why having period reviews with your employees is crucial. After all, productivity improves when employees get along!

What employee hacks work for your business? Leave a comment to let us know!

Author Bio: Amy Rhodes is a small business owner and writing about small businesses is one of her many entrepreneurial ventures. She currently writes for Andrews Air Conditioner.  She loves picking the human mind and often uses her findings to develop novel business ideas.