How to Improve Workforce Efficiency

In looking through my Facebook feed, it’s always interesting to see what people will post. Some are just sharing the latest happenings in their lives, while others are sharing something interesting they found online. A post that meets the latter caught my attention yesterday as a friend shared an article featuring 50 pictures from a time gone by. One picture featured a helmet employees could wear at work to ensure they only look at what is on their desk for optimal efficiency.

While I couldn’t tell for sure whether the helmet was ever put to actual use, even the suggestion brings up an interesting point: employers have spent years trying to determine the best way to ensure efficiency among staff members. It’s unlikely there is a working environment today where the helmet would be embraced, yet there are ways employers can turn the working environment into one where it’s fun to be efficient.

A recent blog post by business VoIP provider Nextiva highlights five ways you can infuse efficiency into your workforce. The first – reduce the number of times you check for quality to improve accuracy. Believe it or not, getting too close to the process too often can make it difficult to spot the errors. Establish a couple of touch points where errors are more likely to occur and focus quality checks to improve accuracy overall.

It’s also important to identify and get rid of any bottlenecks that are slowing things down. This doesn’t mean you simply speed up the process. Instead, find out why someone is sitting idle and fix the issue. Work distribution may not be the viable solution, so study what’s happening to get a better understanding of the true issue before you make adjustments.

Have you considered applying incentives for those who increase productivity? Keep in mind that it’s important to communicate what you’re trying to accomplish. You don’t want them to simply work faster – you want better outcomes. Consider launching contests, offering privileges and sharing rewards for meeting goals. The important point is to hold on to high standards of quality while you pick up the pace.

Consider hiring a professional if productivity is low. You may not be able to identify all of the problems or effectively pinpoint solutions. Someone who is experienced in this field knows exactly what to look for and how best to drive the needed outcomes.

Finally – get rid of the status quo. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it’s the right way, especially if you’re having productivity and efficiency issues. Ban the concept and focus on improvements.

If you’re ready to embrace these ideas in your environment, consider adding business VoIP to the mix. Streamlining communications is just another smart way to ensure the right level of productivity. If you haven’t already implemented this step, now is a great time to start the investigation.