Productivity
Certain conditions enhance productivity, and all of these conditions must be met if workers are to achieve optimal performance. This article aims to explain these concepts based on a framework that acknowledges earlier discussion of productivity issues. It also patches together some of the intricate and varied approaches to measuring productivity at the organizational level.
Enhanced productivity is feasible only if the work environment is conducive, working conditions are humane, and the policies of management positively motivate employees. The HR professional is a single cog whose actions' ramifications are felt only when the wheel of the workplace spins.
Workplace Alliances
The HR professional should forge employee-employer and employee-employee alliances and maintain them. These alliances are bonds through which information, as well as workplace grievances and needs, percolate to those who need to know what's going on. Maintaining alliances differs from participating in the office grapevine, whose job is to spread rumors rather than constructive criticism.
Recognizing the importance of the human element in the workplace is half the job. Ask yourself what makes you tick as an HR professional. Is it your salary, your fringe benefits, or the kind words and appreciation that come your way when you tackle a tough job and deliver results? Perhaps all three of these factors motivate you to get up and come to work each day. Remember, salary, benefits, and recognition are equally important.
Good interpersonal relationships between managers and employees yield high returns. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that salary factors, although integral, have limited influence on individual motivation compared with other important aspects of employment. A desirable employer also offers a respectable brand image and a pleasant and professional work environment.
A Job Well Done
Stimulating loyalty is a key element of motivating workers. For optimal utilization of human resources, managers should ensure that all the employees on a team are praised equally for their good work. This instills a sense of belonging that can help each worker integrate seamlessly into the project. The most essential factor that manipulates the human psyche is the need to feel important. No matter how much he or she contributes, each employee should be made to feel like a dynamic and integral part of something much larger.
Rewarding Efficiency
Apart from praise, realistic goal setting also ensures timeliness and quality. Employees should not be made to feel fettered, but they should feel a sense of urgency regarding the work at hand. Timely or early completion of work should be praised. This will motivate other employees to beat the clock, and the company will consequently profit from enhanced motivation.
Instilling disciplinary guidelines in the workplace also helps. Just as good work should be rewarded, bad work should be discussed. If bad work is not addressed in time, it can discourage the entire team. As a result, productivity will crash. A discussion about poor performance may yield very fruitful results, allowing the company to retain the employee and developing a bond that brings out the best in the person.
The human resource professional's job is to make sure things get done. Many establishments have HR divisions that provide expert knowledge and strategies to help them enhance productivity and increase retention in today's rapidly evolving work environment. HR personnel should devise strategies to foster results-focused workplaces that create "win-win" situations for employers and employees.
