Annual work hours for U.S. employees have increased by about 163 hours since the 1990s, but more hours at the office don't always add up to increased productivity, according to Entrepreneur website. Increasing your employees' productivity means better results for your customers and your bottom line, but making the most of work time instead of making more work time is the most effective way to achieve the results you want.
Show Employees Respect
Micromanaging your employees is a sure way to ensure that they don't do their best work, according to Entrepreneur. Employees are most productive when they have the power to make some decisions on their own. If you aren't confident in your employees' abilities to make decisions themselves, you may need to rethink your hiring practices, says Entrepreneur. Make your employees feel like they're part of the team rather than people who can't be trusted to perform simple tasks without supervision, and you'll likely see improvements in productivity.
Offer Incentives
Employees will be more productive if you give them a reason to be, so allow plenty of opportunities to reward companies for their hard work. Though financial incentives are always welcome, rewards don't have to involve cash to be appreciated. Consider giving Friday afternoon off to an employee of the week, letting your sales team compete for an extra set of vacation time or even just allowing the top-performing employees to telecommute.
Make Room to Grow
Most employees are ambitious--they'd like to increase their income and their job title. Use your performance reviews to help employees chart a course for growth at your company, and make strategic plans to develop your employees' careers. Let your employees know that you're always available to talk about career advancement, and make it clear that you are willing to give raises, promotions and increased responsibilities to employees who prove themselves capable. Your employees will be inspired to work harder for you because doing so will help them achieve their own career goals.
Provide Training
The more skills you help your employees build, the more productive they can be, notes CRM.com. Investing in your employees' education also shows employees that you're investing in them, which can inspire them to work harder. Look for seminars, e-learning programs and even in-house tutorials led by experienced co-workers to improve employees' knowledge and productivity.
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