Factors Affecting Productivity at Work in 2022

Defining productivity in terms of the rate of output per unit of input fit well when applied to assembly lines, but for today’s knowledge-based economy, being productive means achieving the same result more efficiently. 

For leaders, productivity indicates a healthy company, it lowers operational costs, and it leads to more profits. For employees, being productive means having more time away from work, improved morale, and increased engagement at work. Obviously, productivity is important to achieve and maintain for any organization. 

Here are 11 Factors that Challenge Productivity at Work in 2022

• Psychological safety – A big factor in productivity, it refers to having the freedom at work to express ideas. It means feeling valued and supported, rather than having a toxic work environment. It would include a focus on cooperation, recognition, gratitude, and engagement at work.
• Training – Insufficient onboarding/training can drain productivity in multiple ways, because now not only is the job not being done properly, but others will have to step away from their work to correct the mistake and teach it the right way. Leaders should provide continuous guidance with real-time feedback and be available to answer questions as workers advance through self-guided learning modules. 
• Career development opportunities – If workers feel like their employer is invested in their career development and encourages their growth, this builds high levels of enthusiasm at work. It highly motivates workers to produce their best work when they feel it will take them somewhere better. 
• Process efficiency – There are many recurring tasks and projects in an organization, and it improves both organization and efficiency if good processes are in place for such tasks. For example, recruiting, onboarding, training, compensation, performance evaluation and assessment, project assignment – all of these could follow well-defined, non-redundant processes. It is worth investing extra time to set these up properly at the outset because it will quickly save time.
• Employee wellness – Productivity is directly impacted by the physical and mental health of workers, and leaders can help here in many ways. They can provide resources for those suffering, they can invest in preventing problems from developing by providing wellness programs, and they can make efforts to be tuned in to how workers are doing daily. 
• Diversity – Company culture and productivity improves when workers who have distinct individual qualities are recruited – qualities such as religion, cultural customs, race, age, and so on. In this way, the company is more likely stocked with people of different talents and abilities, and this helps production. 
• Tools & technology – Having outdated tools or technology can harm productivity. Modern tech tends to improve efficiency and can be applied to many business tasks. 
• Physical workspace – Literally, the work environment can have a big effect on productivity. Factors such as bad lighting, too hot or too cold, drafty, bad air quality, a squeaky chair, poorly designed office space or overall office layout (for instance, if your desk was located right beside the elevator or washroom). 
• Leadership – Capable leaders help workers produce more efficiently and effectively. They know when to back off and trust that the work will be completed rather than micromanaging. They also check in regularly and offer coaching when needed, being clear about goals. 
•  Overcommunication – This is when too much of the dedicated work time is spent in meetings or doing email. Meetings should have specific agenda and only occur if all relevant parties are in attendance. They should begin with a scheduled 2-min small talk at the beginning and consider having one day/week meeting-free. Dedicate a portion of the workday to email rather than checking it throughout the day. 
•  Workload – Productivity decreases when workers feel tired and overworked, and especially if they are experiencing burnout. If this is the case, leaders should provide resources, offer time off, and/or assess responsibilities to see if any can be reassigned, postponed, or eliminated completely. 

We’re Here to Help

Whatever productivity challenges you may be facing, we’re here to help leaders ensure that their workers can do their best. Please contact us at info@primebenefitsgroup.com so we can work together and create solutions that work best for you and your organization.

Suggested Readings

• https://weekplan.net/factors-that-can-affect-productivity
• https://www.qualee.com/blog/6-factors-affecting-workplace-productivity-engagement

Additional Resources

• https://www.ted.com/talks/savannah_stucky_productivity_how_not_to_burn_out