Making Improvements to Employee Efficiency

The Best Ways to Improve Employee Efficiency

Business goals are oftentimes concerned with the way employees work and how to increase productive work accomplished. There are certain different terms that business owners and employees need to know for workplace conversations regarding business goals and operations. For example, terms like employee effectiveness and employee efficiency are sometimes used interchangeably. Both efficient and effective employees make sure working hours are time spent well. However, there are significant differences all business owners and employees need to know between employee efficiency and effectiveness.


Effectiveness is regularly used to measure employee performance and business goals accomplished. Effective employees make sure productive work is prioritized and time spent on the clock reflects that. These employees get fulfillment from accomplishing long term business goals and are often prepared to work hard to do so. There is a distinct contrast between how ineffective and effective employees work that directly impacts the work environment more broadly.

Employee efficiency is regularly used to measure employee productivity and resource utilization. An efficient employee does not waste time and will make sure productive work is prioritized. Additionally, efficient employees possess higher employee engagement levels than inefficient employees. While many business owners want to improve employee efficiency levels, they may be unsure how to actually do so. Best practice techniques to improve employee efficiency include-

Remote Work Opportunities

Work environment and company culture are often top considerations when business owners want to improve employee efficiency. Studies consistently demonstrate that employees work most efficiently remotely as opposed to team members that work in the office. In fact, when employees work remotely they are on average 13% more productive. Some researchers attribute this employee productivity boost to the extensive amount of time spent on commuting. Adding time employees need to get ready and other factors, it is not that shocking that remote work increases productivity. When employees do not spend as much time on getting to the office, they can use time more productively.

Both large and small business owners are also realizing that remote work situations benefit them directly. Business owners can save a lot of money on office real estate, utilities, and other expenses. Instead, remote employees work from their own homes or wherever they feel most productive. Team members work efficiently towards business goals in a work environment that is comfortable.

Business owners that allow team members to work remotely get work done more frequently than business owners that do not. All too often, time spent by business owners in attempts to improve employee productivity or employee efficiency backfire. For example, business owners may micromanage employee performance through excessive time tracking or time management initiatives. When employees feel that their business owners do not trust them there are major short term and long term consequences. Everything from employee engagement to customer service can quickly feel the impact of distrustful company culture and work environment.

Alternatively, smart business owners encourage employees to get their work done and use time efficiently. Business owners must make sure employees are supplied with the appropriate training tools needed for a work home office. Tools employees need may range from time management software to additional customer service training supplied.

Fast Fact-: Remote work boosts company culture and supplies better work life balance for team members while saving business owners money. Ultimately, remote work helps business owners improve employee efficiency and productivity levels of team members both long term and easily.

Workplace Communication

Employees work best when their work environment and company culture values clear and direct communication. Unfortunately, many companies waste time and do not work efficiently even when they make attempts to improve employee communication. As such, conversations regarding which platforms, techniques, and ways to improve employee communication best are a hot topic.

Both large and small businesses often establish email correspondences as their main communication channels. However, emails can quickly become a time management and employee productivity disaster. In fact, research estimates team members use up to 28% of total time spent at work on emails alone.

It is becoming more and more apparent that employees need better communication platforms. Management software platforms that offer social media like chat functions are a popular choice many employees feel comfortable utilizing. There are various social media reminiscent management software platforms available already that a small business can try free with trials.

Especially with the influx of remote work the pandemic introduced, many team members are realizing the importance of in person communication. Scientific explanations of this phenomenon highlight nonverbal versus verbal communication. In fact, studies suggest that 93% of communication is nonverbal in nature!

In person communication may be more accessible in small business office settings where employees work closely together. Business owners of large corporations or small businesses with a significant remote work presence may struggle with in person communication opportunities. Business owners and team members must make sure to spend time to improve employee productivity and efficiency regarding workplace communications.

Fast Fact-: Debates regarding which software, procedures, and ways to improve employee communication reliably are a hot topic.

Key Takeaways for Employee Efficiency

• Business owners and team members must understand the difference between efficiency and effectiveness.
• Tips to improve employee efficiency levels include remote work and improved communication.