HR MANAGEMENT - How Do Organizations Maximize Employee Productivity Without Raising Stress Levels?

How Do Organizations Maximize Employee Productivity Without Raising Stress Levels?

by Sujata Srinivasan, Demand Media

Create an environment where people like to work.

Stress-induced productivity is a sure path to burning out. Developing and implementing a positive work environment can help offset an increase in stress levels associated with an increase in performance. According to the World Health Organization, work-related stress could occur when employees are unable to cope with increased job pressures, are expected to perform with minimal support from colleagues and supervisors and are a part of a work culture that misconstrues higher stress levels with taking on challenges Identifying and fixing productivity factors that trigger stress is key to maintaining low burnout and low employee attrition rates.

Organizational Culture

Employees perform at their best in an environment that is respectful of individual work styles and diversity. Organizational support is vital. If you want your sales team to increase the revenue by 20 percent by the end of the year, provide them with adequate resources to get the job done. Give them access to relevant market research data, conduct periodic sales workshops and motivational seminars, reward performance, coach and mentor those who under-perform, and encourage teamwork. A flatter organizational structure allows people at all levels to communicate and collaborate productively. When people enjoy what they do and are happy to come to work every morning, a highly demanding workplace need not be a stressful one.

Flexible Work Options

People are different and therefore have different work styles. Understand what motivates your employees to perform at their optimum. Working from home once a week could help boost productivity by allowing individuals to have some freedom in their work schedules. For some employees, taking a half-hour walk after lunch could help ward off drowsiness and increase the metabolic rate, all good stuff for your firm's bottom line. Employees are not schoolchildren. By allowing them to take tea/coffee breaks, walking breaks (create an inviting Zen garden), short breaks for meditation, yoga or even reading, you are helping them to recharge, energize, focus and perform at their very best.

Being Valued

When employees are valued, they don't always mind the extra work associated with higher productivity targets. For example, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health points out that a participatory management style can help reduce workplace stress. If you expect more from employees, value their input toward developing your overall growth strategy. When people help develop organizational goals, they are more enthusiastic about achieving it. Acknowledge individual initiative and performance with a handwritten note and/or a quick email to your team.

Little Things Matter

It's the little things that count. For example, provide free doughnuts to drive away those Monday morning blues, offer complimentary coffee/tea each morning or afternoon for a caffeine rush, place a plant or two in each cubicle to create an inviting workspace, order ergonomically designed chairs to minimize backache and install adequate soft lighting.

Big Things Matter Too!

When her husband, the founder and CEO of Boston-based ElectroChem, Inc., died of a heart attack brought on by overwork and workplace stress, his wife Radha Jalan, who succeeded him as CEO, made a conscious effort to minimize stress while maximizing productivity. She enabled work-life balance by encouraging employees to go on vacations, take time off during the day to attend their kid's school play or music recital, or leave work early to pick up a child from school. Today, ElectroChem's list of clients includes the likes of NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Invest in resources that enable employees to stay longer at work when required. An in-house childcare facility would offer Mom or Dad much peace of mind; perks include stopping by once or twice a day to play with their kids for a few minutes. Building employee loyalty takes time and money. But in the long run, it's worth it. Happy and loyal employees make productive workers.