With productivity levels projected to disappoint in 2023, bucking the trend will require intentional action.
Feeling productive today? If so, you may be part of a minority of workers who are thriving, engaged and connected in their place of employment.
On the other hand, if you’re not feeling particularly productive, you’re far from alone. Productivity, or the rate at which goods or services are produced per unit of labor, has had a tough time both globally and in the U.S. over the past several years. Although it’s projected to grow slightly in 2023, the efficiency with which good and services are being created is not keeping pace with demand. And this is cause for concern.
“Today’s historically tight labor markets preview a future where aging demographics will increasingly constrain the growth of the labor supply,” says Klaas de Vries, Senior Economist at The Conference Board. “Without a sustained rise in labor productivity, economies will face a hard limit to growth that impacts all businesses, even the most productive, in the decade ahead.” So basically, no one is exempt from the effects of a work slump—even if productivity is your organization’s strong suit.
Mike Morini, CEO of WorkForce Software, points to the stressors of the past few years as key ingredients in our current work slump. “We’ve witnessed workplace trends like the Great Resignation and quiet quitting, unprecedented levels of employee burnout driven by stress, and the isolation of working remotely,” he says. “This past year’s inflation and economic uncertainty have taken a toll on people, leaving them feeling stressed, burnt out, and exhausted, which is having a major impact on the country’s overall engagement and productivity levels compared to five years ago.
“For employers, labor shortages are having an impact on morale and job satisfaction for the employees that remain.”
To combat these dynamics, Morini says, employers need to have a better understanding of how all their employees are supported by workplace policies. This was the focus of our recent email exchange, where we discussed three areas to help staff become more successful and engaged in their everyday work—and thus, more productive.
1. Human connection—via technology
I’m a huge proponent of the power of a human connection to engage people in what we’re asking them to do. We see this in education, where the human connection is vital in a student’s journey—but it may be even more crucial in the workplace, where 52% of U.S. workers are not engaged and 17% are actively disengaged.
Morini agrees—and believes one way to connect us more deeply on a human level is to leverage the power of technology. “Modern HR technology that leverages data in real time can maximize engagement, job satisfaction and productivity,” he says. “Ensuring employees have experiences at work that are equivalent to the experiences they have come to expect in their personal lives can have a significant impact on satisfaction and engagement.”
Morini shares these examples of how technology can undergird a positive employee experience:
- Micro-training automatically delivered when a worker is scheduled to perform a task they haven’t done in some time
- Easy access to how-to guides, videos or even peer-to-peer communications for questions and collaboration
- Pattern detection, such as multiple overtime shifts, more frequent tardiness or an increase in sick days, that can trigger personalized manager check-ins to proactively prevent employee churn
- Flexibility by allowing employees to indicate their availability, swap shifts or create specialized schedules
While it may seem counterintuitive to rely on technology to improve human interactions, this is the way of the future—especially for managers with a large number of direct reports and deskless workers. “Advanced analytics can be deployed to flag and automate these human-to-human connections and enable actions by managers to adapt to employee needs,” says Morini. “This strengthens the bond between employees, their managers, and the company.”
2. Managing morale
Morale plays a huge role in the productivity of employees, says Morini, and is often a reflection of how healthy a company culture is. “Creating a practice of appreciation for the value an employee brings to the company or recognition for a job well done are simple steps that can have a significant impact,” he says.
“Not only will this make employees feel valued for their ongoing contributions, but it motivates them to continue putting in the effort to produce good results knowing their company appreciates the work they do and wants to reward them for it.”
As a small business owner, I have the privilege to be as flexible as possible with my team—and I’ve often felt that larger organizations would also benefit from a more laidback approach to scheduling and work styles. Again, Morini agrees, arguing that managers should be empowered to take action on issues that are critical to their team members.
“For example, for an employee with personal or family commitments that requires them to leave at a specific time but is constantly asked to stay late or presented with overtime, may ultimately choose to leave an employer,” he says. “Oftentimes, managers report they would have taken action to retain that employee but because there is no mechanism for the employee to have a say in their schedule, employers find out only after the employee has decided to make a change.”
Finally, morale is generally higher when there is trust between an employee and manager—in fact, I’ve gone so far as to say it’s the secret sauce to making remote work actually work. “Enabling employees to have a say in their schedule, work with less frustrations and barriers to good performance, and the ability to provide feedback on better ways to perform in their work can go a long way in creating positive morale and a sense of loyalty and mutual trust between both parties,” says Morini.
3. Productivity with a purpose
In my work with younger-gen students and workers, I have found a common denominator in whether or not they put forth their best effort—and it’s purpose. This is true not just of younger workers, but for all of us. Everyone tends to be more motivated when we are pursuing a goal that matters to us.
This makes purpose very personal—which can be a challenge to employers, especially large ones. “Employers won’t know what motivates any of their workers unless they create a mechanism to capture feedback and act upon it—not once or twice a year, but in the moments that matter in the lives of the employees,” says Morini.
In the end, productivity is not a matter of numbers but of people—and people need connection, morale and purpose to deliver their fullest contribution. If employees feel a human connection at work, if morale is prioritized and if there is meaningful purpose to the work they do, you probably won’t have to worry about work slumps. All these things add up to a positive employee experience—where productivity will take care of itself.
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