Organizations with high levels of productivity are able to work more quickly, efficiently and effectively than organizations with low levels of productivity. Working environments that promote high employee productivity will often lead to less waste by more effectively utilizing time, money and resources. By recognizing the traits and characteristics of workplace productivity, companies can develop and implement strategies to increase productivity gains.

High Employee Morale

Happy, satisfied, and overall positive employees are typically more productive than those who are dissatisfied or have poor attitudes. Part of an employee’s productivity is often directly related to morale, with high morale leading to greater productivity and low morale leading to lower productivity. Employee morale can be tricky to measure and even more challenging to correct once you have determined it to be low. Understanding how employees feel within the organization is the first step to improving morale.

Visible Company Success

In the same way an organization's success demonstrates its value to customers and external stakeholders, visible “wins” for a company will also drive productivity within the workplace. Most employees want to feel that their work is not only earning them a paycheck, but that it is contributing to the success of the organization as a whole. By seeing an increase in customer demand or learning of a customer success story, employees will see more value in their work and will be more productive as a result.

Leadership Accessibility and Transparency

One of the most influential components of productivity within a company is the accessibility and transparency of the leadership team. When there is a barrier between employees and leaders, employees are often less productive, as they are not getting needed guidance or recognition. A lack of transparency and communication from a company’s leaders can also reduce trust and lead to a fear of job insecurity among employees. As a result, many organizations implement open-door policies and internal communication policies to promote accessibility to leaders and reduce the potential for leadership to inhibit employee productivity.

Up-to-Date Technologies and Tools

As technology continues to expand with new capabilities and functionality, its effectiveness in the workplace is having a growing impact on productivity. Outdated systems and inefficient tools will not only cause tasks to take longer, but can also cause employee frustration, further lowering productivity. Highly productive work environments will typically have current technologies and tools, allowing their employees to automate work when possible and focus their attention on their core tasks and strategic work.