How To Increase Employee Productivity In The New Year

Is employee productivity on the rise or declining in U.S. workforces as we enter 2023?

The news that worker productivity is generally flat or declining, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as we head into 2023, may not surprise you.

But what are the reasons for the decline in worker productivity? Quiet quitting is the term that’s often used to describe employees who are willfully choosing to do the bare minimum, or less, in the workplace.

This post will discuss quiet quitting in context and share four simple tips to combat it and ensure your people and teams are motivated and productive. 

At Patel Consultants, we combat quiet quitting by helping our clients find the right candidate for the job opportunity at hand—from direct-hire to contract staff, to temp-to-hire, and everything in between. Call us today at 908-964-7575.  

In a recent article, the experts at NPR shared some thoughts and facts on the emerging problem posed by quiet quitting.

All of the quiet quitting rolling through the country is starting to make some real economic noise.

Data now shows that the U.S. workforce [in 2022] is not as productive as just a year ago — it seems people are not producing as much in the hours between clocking in and clocking out each day. In the end, this could have a profound effect on the country’s well-being, according to economists.

This new term describes a phenomenon that’s as old work for hire itself, i.e., doing the bare minimum that your job requires or less.

So how can employers combat this workplace trend and improve productivity?

Let’s get started with the basics.

Offering flexible work options for professional employees and staff is an absolute must in 2023.

Flex and hybrid work options are an absolute must-have in 2023. Options should include a minimum of remote and virtual work alternatives and flexible work schedules.

Virtual work options are also getting simpler to implement and more secure, even in regulated work environments. These workforce-friendly options are an easy way for human resource teams to make their workplace culture more attractive to job seekers and increase satisfaction and productivity with existing employees.  

Let’s look at three more recruiter-tested tips.

Make work fun again with gamification.

Gamification is more than points, badges, leaderboards, and rewards—although these aspects are all part of the strategy. It’s really about showing everyone at every level in the organization some collective appreciation for a job well done. 

To use a sports analogy, without the offensive linemen, the quarterback will never have a chance to throw a touchdown pass.

Gamification gives your entire team a chance to have fun, compete, win cool prizes, and gain some much-deserved recognition for what they do. There are numerous gamification apps you can use to make your team more productive in 2023.

Cross-pollinate your teams. 

Knowledge workers are always looking for ways to grow their skill sets. It’s always a good idea to offer opportunities for your workforce to learn new skills on the job. HR teams can also offer to pay for online certifications and provide lateral mobility and internal exposure to work opportunities in different groups and departments.

Your team will become more versatile, and their engagement, motivation, and productivity levels will increase significantly.

Make the workplace fun and social whenever possible.

Look for opportunities to encourage camaraderie and esprit de corps with work-social events. For example, consider monthly awards for your gamification platform at a company-sponsored lunch or happy hour. 

These easy-to-implement tips will help keep your employees and teams motivated, satisfied, and engaged. And that’s always good for productivity!

At Patel Consultants, we strongly believe in the value of human intelligence and in-depth experiential knowledge of our client’s hiring needs. We leverage an innovative blend of software, tools, talent, experience, and processes in the context of our client’s unique requirements. 

A laser-focused recruiting firm can streamline the hiring process by helping you find that critical group of candidates to interview from a diverse hiring pool.  

The recruitment team at Patel is highly tenured, trained, and experienced in competitive sourcing (passive candidates), reference recruiting, and networking. 

We meticulously place the right candidate whenever we engage with a client to fill a direct-hire, temporary, temp-to-hire, or contract position. 

Are you a hiring manager or human resources professional with a job search or searches underway? Are you looking for workforce management solutions?

Maybe you have questions about how we can help you with your staffing needs.

Call us today at 908-964-7575, or get in touch online. Our expert recruiters are waiting for your call.