When the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly shut down offices across the country, there were concerns as to how productive the rapidly formed remote workforce would be. After all, the vast majority of employees were not used to working from home, away from colleagues and the normal collaboration of office life. Not only that, but work/life balance needed to be redefined as the entire family, children included, were now home all day. Would employees in these unfamiliar situations be able to keep up their productivity?
Executives and business owners had their doubts, but had little choice given the circumstances.
However, experts tracking the ongoing situation have discovered that instead of a decrease in productivity, they have seen a significant uptick. A Deutsche Bank survey reported in the NY Times attested to this fact, although the motivating factor behind this statistic should give us pause.
Fear Driving Motivation
According to the results, fear seems to be the main motivator behind the productivity. Whether fear of the virus itself, or a fear of maintaining their job and economic security, productivity soared under these conditions. However, Natalie Baumgartner, Ph.D. stresses in a recent article that such fear-driven productivity is neither sustainable nor healthy. In fact, employee burnout is more likely, as employees blur the line between work and home life, trying to “do enough” to keep their jobs.
Companies looking to maintain productivity for the long term while protecting the health and morale of their employees need to shift focus from fear to more positive motivators.
Alternative Motivators to Maintaining Productivity
Flexibility: Some organizations who have established 4 day work weeks have seen productivity remain constant or rise. This is likely due to a perceived healthier work/life balance for employees, giving them relief from burnout. New Zealand-based Perpetual Guardian experienced a 20% productivity increase after introducing a four-day work week, along with a 27% decrease in work-related stress and a 45% increase in employee work-life balance. These numbers should open business owner’s eyes to the powerful connection between flexibility and employee morale.
Owners and managers may also wish to allow employees to work non-traditional hours which better fit their home schedule – if their job description allows it, of course. Encouraging employees to use paid time off, and allowing shorter days during off-seasons are both ways to give employees the break they need while not impacting the success of the business.
Recognition
It is a rare employee that is not motivated by recognition, whether in good or bad times. 90% of employees indicate that being recognized for a job well done is a strong motivator to make them even more productive. This has become even more important for employers to understand during these unprecedented months, with people having to shift their personal and work lives suddenly.
Recognition includes face time with managers and higher-ups, as this provides a continuous source of feedback for the employee. Without establishing new communications systems and protocols, the isolation of remote work can leave employees feeling undervalued and unappreciated. As you can imagine, these feelings are directly opposed to productivity and motivation. To combat this, companies should strive to find new ways to communicate approval and encouragement, whether through online communication channels, scheduled chats and ongoing rewards for hard work.
Did You Know? Peer-to-peer recognition can boost productivity by up to 14%. Establishing peer recognition programs is a great way to maintain collaborative environments keep morale high.
Overall, it is important for business executives to realize that their employees are generally motivated to do a great job. Making sure that motivation is positive is key to getting through whatever the next months and years may bring.
For more help with establishing programs and procedures which motivate employees and increase productivity, call the experts at People HR Solutions today. We are here to help.
