Countries and companies have been experimenting with the idea of shortening their workweeks recently. They want to improve the quality of life for workers, as well as to improve the quality of their work.
One study mentioned by the Washington Post evaluated nurses who switched from an 8-hour workday to a 6-hour workday and found they had more energy, less stress, better health and higher satisfaction levels.
AVOID PROBLEMS THESE PROBLEMS TO MAXIMIZE EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY
No matter how many hours an employee is on the clock, employers are interested in how to maximize the hours they do work. How can you profitably shorten a workweek? In essence, how can you support a more productive workplace?
Choosing Technology for a More Productive Workplace
There’s much more to employee productivity than simply working harder and faster. All kinds of factors—from room temperature to state of mind—may affect productivity.
One of the easiest factors for employers to control is the technology they provide to workers. But what tools significantly boost productivity? Here are a few of the solutions making a difference in the modern workplace:
- Touchscreens -- Touchscreens are intuitive and responsive and bypass a level of interaction. You don’t have to learn how to use touchscreens, as even babies and toddlers take to them readily. Any such technology that allows employees to begin working without clicking or fidgeting with controls will save time and improve efficiency so they can work on their most important tasks.
- Automated Scheduling -- Automated schedulers can help determine when all meeting participants are available, eliminating time-consuming, back-and-forth messages. HubSpot has identified several such tools, but solutions are always evolving and being added to the market.
- Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning -- Intelligent software and applications are designed to identify patterns and learn from data to improve their own programs. These kinds of systems will become essential to the workplace because they are poised to teach us about how we work and how to optimize our efforts. At a basic level though, improvements often result in time saved to do other work. Gartner recently named artificial intelligence a top trend, so expect to see more options in the workplace.
- Video Conferencing -- Video conferencing can give a big boost to your office productivity. It saves on time traveling to meetings, time setting up meeting rooms, and more. It allows companies to hire the best talent, no matter where they are. Though it’s been around a while and executives recognize its value, it is still often overlooked as a productivity booster.
Supporting the Culture of a More Productive Workplace
There are many more technologies that improve workplace productivity, but choosing the right ones depends on the kind of work employees do, worker preferences, work styles and other factors.
Also, in addition to simply purchasing technology that supports a more productive workplace, it’s important to encourage a healthy sense of productivity. A positive atmosphere where employees feel valued and supported goes a long way in how much effort they want to devote to work. It can also affect how willing they are to embrace solutions that improve their productivity.
Supporting a mobile workforce takes some investment, but the ability to work from anywhere at any time provides value to both employers and employees. Read this white paper to learn other ways to maximize employee productivity.
