Worried about your employees’ performance? Here’s what you should do

Ever heard anyone boasting of that they love to work in a boring environment? No, none. We all love our workplaces to be comfortable, fun and recreational, not dull, serious and monotonous. Yet many of us land ourselves in one such workplace out of compulsion and without choice.
Fun work places look attractive, get more attention and have happy employees, but at the end you are running a business which needs great productivity. And great productivity is only possible when its employees put in hard work, dedication and time into the work they do. But some companies or employers take this way too seriously and they believe that putting in long strenuous working hours ensures great outputs and that fun factor should be discouraged from the work culture and tight and strict rules should be enforced to keep employees under their nose.
Wrong. This is a myth. It is not the best way to get the desired productivity. Rather there are a few strategies which can help in keeping the productivity high yet simultaneously incorporating an atmosphere of fun and excitement.
Putting up challenges:
Friendly competition in work is always good. Professionally the marketing force can be split into two teams and the two have to compete to see who can generate the most number of leads in a given period. But this can be done in an alternative manner as well; May be through a game, like organizing any tournament for the workers and see the teams engulfed with challenge to do better than the other. This will inspire them to work ever harder and also will act as a mood changer.
Encourage breaks:
The thought process that goes around is that if employees work for 12 hrs at a stretch rather than 7-8 hours with breaks in between, then it will lead to higher productivity. But in reality, breaks help people relax and decompress themselves. Short gaps in between work should definitely be encouraged. And if possible a separate room for recreation and relaxation may be put up so that workers can take their minds off from work for some time and get refreshed. Complimentary coffee, snacks, and a few games will be just perfect.
Socialize outside office:
Co-workers who socialize better as friends tend to be more successful than their counterparts who don’t. It not only facilitates team building but also helps in bettering relationships. If as an employer you can treat your employees occasionally to some offsite lunch, or an informal gathering or a tea party just to eat and hangout, it will yield positive results. Workers will interact with each other and get to know one another better.
Celebrate success and achievements:
Achievements are appreciated in the form of bonus, incentives, raises or promotion. Think out of the box and try celebrating these achievements. Host a small party or event as it helps workers reap the rewards of their hard work and makes them feel good about themselves.
Focus should be on productivity rather than on schedules:
Instead of setting hard and fast rules, schedules and timetables, let the employees be flexible in doing their work. Of course the work needs to be done at any cost. Allowing work-from-home days, flexible time, long breaks and strange working environment requests can help workers to function better even if they’re working fewer regular hours.

Implementing all these methods will yield assured results whether you are a startup or a business giant. You employees will feel appreciated and at ease and will be happy with what they are doing.