Gone are the days where it was enough for an employee to simply turn up to work, do the bare minimum, and leave at the end of the day. Today’s working culture means that high productivity levels are expected, and employee engagement is at the forefront of most employer’s minds.

With the rise of technology and the variety of tools now available across workplaces, it’s easy to understand why more workers than ever before are feeling fed up and disengaged; while these new technologies are undoubtedly useful, the importance of traditional productivity boosts shouldn’t be overlooked.

So, if your staff are flagging and motivation has taken a hit, it might be time to revert back to basics, and improve your employee productivity the traditional way. Not sure where to begin?

Offer feedback

Taking the time to sit down with your employees and offer them feedback on their work is one of the simplest ways to boost morale and engagement. If they’ve done a particularly good job on something, make sure you tell them! Many employers could be missing out on the fact that praise is almost essential for motivation; by highlighting a job well done, you could be giving your staff a much-needed confidence boost.

And even if there are concerns or issues that need to be raised, talking them through with your staff can also be good for productivity; you might be offering up a dose of constructive criticism, but many employees will be grateful for the opportunity to understand what’s gone wrong, and how they can improve.

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Respect your staff

It should go without saying, but staff who feel happy and valued are often the ones who are most productive; if your employees are disengaged from their work and your business, you should ensure that you’re giving off the right impression, and that they feel respected and appreciated.

To get the best out of them, treat them like a team of superheroes

Similarly, the way you treat and manage your employees could be having an effect on how they perform at work; while it’s natural to want to keep a close eye on your business, be careful not to micro-manage. This stifling form of management can leave some employees feeling like they’re not trusted or respected, ultimately resulting in low morale and productivity.

Be a role model

The best way to keep your staff productive and engaged with their work is to create a working environment that encourages this behaviour; leading by example is key. Furthermore, you should ensure that everyone in the company behaves in this way, particularly senior management and staff.

For many employees, having senior management who appear to be favoured or who play by a different set of rules can be hugely demotivating; business owners and senior managers should make sure that they’re setting the best possible example.

If the same ethos applies throughout the whole company, then staff at every level should feel motivated and committed to the business, eliminating any frustrations.

Make employees accountable

By making your employees accountable for the work they do, you should start to notice an increase in productivity.

Staff who work day to day knowing that they don’t actually have any responsibility over the work they’re doing are less likely to care; if no one is held accountable when something goes wrong and it’s easy to shift the blame elsewhere, then this can easily spiral into a much bigger problem.

By making your staff accountable, you’re not only demonstrating that you trust them, but you’re likely to find yourself with hard-working, meticulous employees who are committed to getting the job done to the best of their ability.

Employees want to feel accountable for their actions

Provide development opportunities

Nobody likes feeling like they’re stuck in a rut, so it’s important that you’re offering your staff learning and development opportunities. Today’s workers place more importance on their career development than ever before, so if you’re not providing a clear path for career progression, this is likely to result in an issue.

Encouraging learning and development within your business shows staff that you value their efforts and that you too take their career seriously. If an employee can see a clear route for progression and learning within the company they’re in, they may actually become more loyal to the business; a real win-win situation for everyone involved.

As staff spend more time online and working with technology, it’s easy to become disengaged and to lose focus on the task at hand. There’s a reason that the simplest methods are often the best; so make sure you get some face time in with your employees (no, not the app!) and make sure that they’re happy at your company.

By demonstrating that they’re a valuable asset to your business, and by showing them respect and confidence in their abilities, you’ll likely find motivation levels back on the rise, resulting in a boost in morale and engagement.