What Are Common Challenges of Increasing Workforce Output by 2x?

Chekhub’s operations management software platform adds visibility, precision, and efficiency to your organization to optimize your workflow performance. Find out more on our website or by emailing us at contact@chekhub.com.

One of the primary objectives of every company is to increase the productivity and efficiency of its workforce. The more productive your workforce is, the higher your profits the better your business does. However, there is such a thing as pushing your employees too far.

Productivity in the workplace is not just a matter of input of time and money vs. output of work. Focusing entirely on the time it takes for your team to complete a volume of work ignores crucial factors such as the quality of the work and the work environment. Still, each employee must spend their time wisely and efficiently in the workplace in order for the company to stay ahead of the competition.

Successful businesses increase productivity and avoid employee burnout by accurately diagnosing and treating any issues they face in the workplace. Here are a few common challenges businesses face while trying to increase workforce output.

Lack of Direction

According to a 2016 Gallup study, nearly half of all employees don’t know their expectations in the workplace. This knowledge gap is a huge issue that can lead to confusion, inefficiency, and an overall lack of productivity. A supervisor’s job is to manage and guide staff members to prioritize appropriate tasks.

As a manager, you need to clearly and regularly articulate your expectations to your employees and schedule recurring meetings to discuss specific company goals and strategies to meet them. 

A lack of direction can also stem from unrealistic expectations. Employees rarely speak up when they feel overwhelmed with work out of fear of appearing unproductive or inefficient. Supervisors should ensure manageable workloads and speak with each team member about their individual level of comfort with their work assignment.

Employee Engagement

If your employees do not feel connected with the company or its culture, they are likely to become apathetic and unproductive. To overcome this obstacle, company leaders must communicate the values and goals of the company to give their team a greater sense of purpose. A clear outline of the company’s principles creates a sense of belonging among staff members, increasing employee engagement.

A supervisor must also engage their employees directly through acknowledgment and meaningful recognition of their achievements. Showing your employees how their work directly impacts the business makes them feel like they are a part of something larger than themselves. This appreciation drives engagement within the company, boosting productivity and workflow efficiency.

Constructive Feedback

Part of a supervisor’s role is to find opportunities through which your staff can improve their performance. While it is essential to recognize areas where employees excel, they will assume that their performance is acceptable unless you specify otherwise. In other words, don’t wait for the performance review to bring up suggestions that could improve their productivity.

Delivering and receiving constructive feedback is imperative to a company’s progress and is a crucial management skill. A supervisor should praise high-quality work and address issues they find as they arise. Just as your employees must take responsibility for their actions, a manager must acknowledge their responsibility for creating a supportive, encouraging work environment.

Company Culture and the Work Environment

As previously mentioned, company culture plays a pivotal role in workforce output. A strong company culture trickles down through every aspect of the business, including how you conduct meetings. Too many scheduled meetings can result in short periods where there’s not quite enough time to work, and long meetings can sap the energy of your employees.

Maintaining a fun and dynamic company culture and work environment leaves opportunities for creative solutions that increase productivity and employee satisfaction. However, an enjoyable work environment does not mean allowing for distractions and interruptions. Too much commotion hinders everyone’s productivity.

Managers should designate time and space for employees to have calm, quiet working hours. A quiet room away from the rest of the office ensures that employees have a distraction-free environment to focus on their work.

Finding a Healthy Work-Life Balance

As a company leader, you need to remember that employees spend most of their lives outside of business hours. Occasionally, it may be necessary for employees to work outside of regular business hours. In these cases, be sure to recognize that they are sacrificing personal time for the company’s sake. Taking employees’ time for granted is an easy way to develop a toxic work environment that drives workers away.

Sometimes, personal issues can get in the way of productivity. It is vital that you make your employees feel supported during these times rather than adding to their stress. One way to create a healthy work-life balance is to streamline communication and menial work through automated solutions.

Communication Tools

Even when you set clear expectations and create a work environment where constructive criticism drives progress and innovation, a supervisor still needs to lead their team through continuous communication. That doesn’t mean calling or texting your employees through their personal phones, but rather streamlining your company’s communication system. 

To boost your company’s productivity and ensure that everyone is on the same page, your business needs an organizational platform that provides real-time workflow visibility and communication. An operational management system will give you the tools to monitor work progress, issues, and schedules with comprehensive checklists to optimize workflow and manage communication with customers and across internal teams.

Optimize Your Business Workflow With Chekhub

The days of complicated spreadsheets, mounds of paper, chaotic schedules, and cluttered agendas are over. Your company deserves an operations management system that offers clarity, precision, and efficiency in all aspects of the business. 

Chekhub provides organizations with the ultimate operational management platform to empower their teams and increase workflow output. Our powerful, easy-to-use digital interface provides you with access to an array of tools that will help maximize your operations while minimizing errors. Manage your business operations anywhere, any time, with a single application.

Visit our website or email us at contact@chekhub.com for more information or to schedule a product demo for your company.