Employee Productivity. Three Things All Managers Should do Today
A successful thirty-five-year career in the private sector, including real estate investing, Shalom Lamm is also dedicated to his nonprofit organization, Operation Benjamin.
An entrepreneur and philanthropist,Lamm understands the importance of a working environment that benefits employees and pays dividends to the employer.
Private sector profits and responsible nonprofit management maintain staffing employment and salaries, placing a productive work environment at the core of every successful business venture.
Employee Productivity
Productivity in the workplace, also known as employee productivity, measures the output of an individual employee. For example, suppose a company manufactures printing cartridges. In that case, management will want to know the total number of cartridges manufactured during a twenty-four-hour period.
Why Is Productivity Important?
Shalom Lamm believes employee productivity is one of the critical success factors for any profitable company.
Productivity relates to the amount of completed work. At the same time, effectiveness refers to the measure of effort the employee puts into their work.
For example, one person might spend a significant amount of time completing a relatively small amount of work, making this person more effective than productive.
Another employee might complete a high volume of work in a short period. This person is more productive than effective, mainly if their work is not of high quality.
The balance, of course, is for employees to be both productive and effective. High volume, quality work will ensure a business increases profitability, is primed for expansion, can compete in the marketplace, and ultimately meet consumer demand.
All these factors will help maintain a company’s relevance within the marketplace.
Setting Standards
Setting standards is key to measuring employee productivity. However, this can only happen by setting clear expectations for the employees at the start of employment.
A defined orientation or onboarding is an excellent opportunity to establish expectations.
Orientations and onboarding offer great opportunities for employees to ask questions and understand the specific set of expectations laid out before them.
Consistent onboarding should set a standard of equality between all employees. Consequences of falling below a particular level, such as sales numbers, should be explained during onboarding.
Measuring Goals
Specific, measurable goals may change over time. Still, they should begin with particular accomplishments and standards expected at established time points following onboarding.
For example, a nonprofit grant writer should understand the grant reporting system by the end of thirty days. At the end of sixty or ninety days, a completed funding proposal is submitted.
These goals should be specific and measurable. Realistic and achievable goals according to the job description and employee skill level help maintain accountability.
Completed Work
Whether operating a for-profit business, or nonprofit enterprise, the amount of work completed at the end of any given time is critical to the functioning and survival of any company.
In straightforward terms, measuring the work completed is evidence of high productivity.
Completed tasks within the range of an employee’s skills are established by the estimated number of jobs each week that employees must complete. Monthly results can compare with goals set during onboarding, quarterly evaluations, and employee ratings.
For example, suppose an employee must service an estimated 100 calls per month to secure ten high-value sales. In that case, the number of sales against the number of calls is easy to measure.
If an employee achieves this goal or more with fewer calls, the employee may wish to exceed those goals.
Without essential onboarding, goal strategies, and productivity measurement, employees will struggle to understand a company’s expectations.
In today’s business environment, flexible and work-from-home schedules are becoming the norm. Establishing and maintaining accountable expectations will help employees manage their productivity during their working hours.