Articles

8 Reasons Why Employees Lack Efficiency (and Ways to Boost It)

By eLearning Inside
January 31, 2020

Employees are the most important asset of any organization. In spite of having the world-class infrastructure and state-of-art technology, a business will spiral in a downward trajectory without an efficient workforce. 

It’s crucial to invest resources in an efficient workforce in order to lower costs, ensure accuracy, and achieve higher returns.

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Have you observed your employees underperforming? Employee inefficiency can be credited to a number of reasons. Let’s take a look. 

Mismatched skillset and job profile

Did you hire a finance major to join the marketing team? While this employee might have a knack for it, not having the right skills for the job will result in inefficiencies. 

It’s imperative to hire employees who are competent enough to complete the job assigned to them effectively. As a manager, you need to recognize your employees’ strengths and weaknesses and accordingly give them tasks.

Unclear performance standards and goals

If employees don’t know what’s expected out of them, how will they give it their best? Managers should make sure that performance standards and goals are defined and clearly communicated.

Everyone should know which tasks they are responsible for. Being informed about their goals will motivate employees to perform according to set standards and take initiatives to achieve them. 

But it doesn’t end here. Managers need to follow up regularly and ensure that these goals are met.

Underappreciated employee efforts

When employees aren’t recognized and appreciated for their achievements, their motivation dwindles. Managers need to understand that just remuneration isn’t enough to motivate employees. They have to create a motivating workplace. 

The best way to do this is by putting a rewards system to acknowledge employee efforts properly. Such a system should include monetary and non-monetary incentives.

Lack of adequate training

Just like equipment and software are constantly updated, employees need to be trained to brush up their skills and enhance their capabilities. Well-trained employees gain improved productivity and don’t need to be micromanaged. It also lowers the error rate.

Every organization must put an employee training program in place. Adopting a Learning Management System for employee training is a smart move. It makes the training process easy to conduct, manage, and evaluate. It’s a low investment with a high ROI. Compare Free LMS Providers to find the best option.

No sense of belongingness

The goals of employees should align with the overall goals of the organization. They should be able to see that their work is actually making a difference. Managers should encourage employees to freely share their input and give credit where credit is due. It’s important to develop a work culture in which employees feel comfortable and welcomed. 

Absence of camaraderie among team members

If there is hostility among employees, it will impact the overall productivity of the team. Employees should have mutual respect for each other to work well as a team. Team building activities are an excellent solution to help employees bond and trust other team members.

Poor communication

Effective communication is essential to make sure that tasks are completed accurately and on time. Moreover, employees shouldn’t hesitate to talk to their supervisors if they’re facing any problems. Open communication in the workplace establishes transparency and elevates productivity.

Projects aren’t challenging enough

Employees can’t feel motivated to work if the project itself is uninspiring. It’s necessary to offer employees tasks that challenge them. This could mean delegating additional responsibilities or assigning advanced projects.

The Bottom Line

To optimize productivity, employees must understand the bigger picture and identify their part in achieving overall organizational goals. Implementing ways to create a productive work environment will help employees feel fulfilled, and organizations utilize their full potential.

This post has been brought to you by eLearning Industry.

Featured Image: Dylan Gillis, Unsplash.