employee productivity - Blogs - DPG Community2024-03-28T13:50:30Zhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/feed/tag/employee+productivityEmployee Productivity: How Job Aids Can Boost Workflowhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/employee-productivity-how-job-aids-can-boost-workflow2021-01-26T21:45:23.000Z2021-01-26T21:45:23.000ZRonita Mohanhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/RonitaMohan<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8481444657?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Employee productivity has become a hot topic since the pandemic changed the way we work and live. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">There’s been plenty of discussion about whether or not employees work better from home, as opposed to when they’re surrounded by colleagues and managers.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">This has become paramount due to the rise in remote work—a trend that’s set to continue. Statistics also show that </span><a href="https://biz30.timedoctor.com/remote-work-statistics/"><span style="font-weight:400;">remote workers are more productive and have better job satisfaction</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">But how are remote employees being more productive? What tools do they have access to that make workflow smoother and more efficient?</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">One of the most obvious benefits of remote work is that there are fewer distractions—no colleagues to stop by your desk for a quick chat, for instance.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">There is another reason why remote workers are more productive—they are given </span><a href="https://venngage.com/blog/job-aid/"><span style="font-weight:400;">job aids</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;"> that they can refer to as they don’t have ready access to colleagues to answer questions.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">These visual references are valuable tools for boosting productivity for remote workers and in-house staff.</span></p><h1><span style="font-weight:400;">How are job aids connected to employee productivity?</span></h1><p><span style="font-weight:400;">It’s surprising how underused visual work aids are, considering their positive ability to impact workflow. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Instead of employees feeling lost or having to check in with their managers about next steps, they can simply refer to a visual note for answers.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">It’s important to remember that a visual aid isn’t an instruction manual—it’s a short, one-page document that outlines any of the following:</span></p><ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Steps to complete a task in a particular order</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">What not to do in any given situation</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">How to complete conditional tasks</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">When to escalate decisions according to circumstances</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">How to keep track of completed tasks</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-weight:400;">You can see how being able to get this crucial information at a single glance can make staff more productive.</span></p><h1><span style="font-weight:400;">How can workplaces design visual aids that will improve employee efficiency?</span></h1><p><span style="font-weight:400;">This is the tricky part—design isn’t everyone’s strong suit and not all companies have the resources to hire designers.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">On the other hand, visuals are excellent learning tools—they stimulate better learning and retention, according to the </span><a href="http://visualteachingalliance.com/"><span style="font-weight:400;">Virtual Teaching Alliance</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">And this extends beyond the classroom to workplace training and the visual aids that companies create to boost staff productivity.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">What kind of visuals can be included in these one-page documents?</span></p><ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://venngage.com/blog/flow-chart-template/"><span style="font-weight:400;">Flow charts</span></a></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Graphs</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Icons</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Illustrations</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Photographs</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Screenshots</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Typography</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Videos</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-weight:400;">That’s a lot of visuals but you don’t need to use them all!</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Here are the best ways to design a visual job aid that employees can understand at a glance:</span></p><ul><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Determine who the aids are for. Survey your team to find out when and why they need visual tools to refer to so you can design accordingly.</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Keep the goal of the job aid in mind when designing it. Any visual tool that you create should have one primary purpose so it doesn’t confuse employees.</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Keep your sentences short and use action verbs like ‘click on’, ‘press’, or ‘enter’. These words are clear and precise.</span></li><li style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-weight:400;">Test your job tools! Does the one-pager need more clarification? Is it too dense? Is there a step missing? Is the format correct? Ask the employees who are using it for their feedback.</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-weight:400;">For example, let’s look at this job aid for employees working the register at a retail store.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8481444477,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8481444477,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8481444477?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Source: Venngage</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">The graphic indicates steps for using the clocking in and clock out process, alongside a simple visual.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Using icons and numbers, the graphic explains the first tasks of the day and how to do them. Note how key phrases are highlighted in bold for easy recall.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">This is a great example of how a visual tool makes it easier for staff to get through their work efficiently and quickly.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">For a new employee or one who isn’t familiar with processing refunds, they have an easy visual reference to turn to. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">They don’t need to stop work and call for assistance or get flustered about the next step because an annoyed customer is waiting.</span></p><h1><span style="font-weight:400;">Visuals and Employee Productivity Go Hand-in-Hand</span></h1><p><span style="font-weight:400;">We are going to see more companies designing aids that improve employee happiness and productivity. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">These visual guides make for excellent tools that employees can print out and pin on a wall, or keep a soft copy on their systems for future reference.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">We’re seeing a lot of interest in our job aid templates but I’d like to know whether your companies are using job aids. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Do you feel like you or your colleagues would benefit from them? What kind of visual aids would work best for your team? Do leave your comments below.</span></p></div>2019 must be the year you focus on productivityhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/2019-must-be-the-year-you-focus-on-productivity2018-11-26T15:02:58.000Z2018-11-26T15:02:58.000ZMichael Millwardhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/MichaelMillward<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/137397339?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>If the UK is to be a free trading global nation, we need to address the productivity challenge.</p><p>Regardless of which side of the Brexit debate you stood at the time of the 2016 referendum the United Kingdom will leave the European Union in March 2019. The focus must now be on preparing our organisations and employees to take advantage of the opportunities that this momentous move may create.</p><p>For human resource professionals the initial focus of concern was what elements of employment legislation could be attributed to the European Union and might as a result be removed or changed.</p><p>For me it was one of my fellow CIPD branch chairs who put these fears into perspective when they spoke at an event for CIPD branch chairs ahead of the referendum, and asked: Regardless of the source of the legislation what element of our current employment laws do not support the type of society that we want to live in?</p><p>Which I suspect means we will not see much change in employment law as a direct result of Brexit.</p><p>The bigger issue for HR professionals is more likely to be improving individual employee and organisational productivity.</p><p>Although the United Kingdom is one of the biggest seven global economies (G7), we are not one of the most productive.</p><p>Just before the 2016 referendum output per hour worked in the UK was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/18/uk-productivity-gap-widens-to-worst-level-since-records-began" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18 points below the average</a> of the other nations in the G7 and the trend since the start of the analysis shows a widening gap.</p><p>Despite advances in technology British workers are getting less productive than their international counterparts.</p><p>When in 2017 <a href="https://www.expertmarket.co.uk/focus/worlds-most-productive-countries-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Expert Market</a> compared the annual Gross National Product of British workers to workers from a wider group of countries the UK was ranked in 17th place, one place down from the 2016 ranking.</p><p>A EuroStat analysis from 2013 shows the United Kingdom in 13th place.</p><p>Whilst the UK is getting less productive in comparison to other countries there is some evidence from <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/productivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trading Economics</a> that British workers are improving their productivity, just not as rapidly as workers in other countries.</p><p>It isn’t the big industrial power houses that beat the UK in the productivity tables, smaller economies, like Ireland, Luxembourg and Denmark are regularly placed higher, and other small but rapidly developing countries like Iceland and New Zealand are snapping at the heels of British workers.</p><p>Since the free movement of people was introduced within the European Union the UK economy has benefitted from an influx of migrant EU workers who have been recognised for their higher work ethic than native British workers.</p><p>Such has been the impact of these workers that their return to their home countries many of which have fast growing economies will have an impact across all UK industries and leave companies with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/25/brexit-eu-nationals-exodus-jobs-recruitment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unfilled vacancies</a>.</p><p>Back in 2012 former Tory Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab contributed along with fellow Members of Parliament, Elizabeth Truss, Priti Patel, Chris Skidmore and Kwasi Kwarteng to a book, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19300051" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Britannia Unchained</a>, which highlighted what they described as the laziness of British workers in comparison to migrant workers and workers in Asia.</p><p>So, the HR profession faces a challenge; how are we going to contribute to the development of a more productive workforce?</p><p>Some might say that the problem kicks in long before people enter the workforce during the time people spend in an education system that focuses on qualifications that prepare people for the next stage of education instead of a life of work.</p><p>Others may say that the challenge is more cultural, and that we must make the best of it and hope that artificial intelligence arrives in time to save us!</p><p>Whimsical comments perhaps, but there is some truth behind them as well.</p><p>On the other hand, the problem could be that the HR profession including those with organisation development in their job titles simply has not focused on productivity.</p><p>It does seem that much of the work being done by HR professionals nowadays is either related to employment law, with disciplinaries and grievances or on employee well-being programmes to try and create engaged employees.</p><p>In my ideal HR world if we improved the relationships that employers have with employees there would be no need for disciplinaries or grievances, but that is a story for another day.</p><p>I am a big fan of employee well-being programmes and employee engagement, but as we struggle to secure the budgets for these initiatives it is worth remembering that those HR professionals who first focused on improving productivity have much easier access to the finances that they need.</p><p>At the start of my HR career the work of what was then called a Personnel department was much more focus on manpower planning and organisational work and methods assessments, but these functions have slipped from favour and the complex skills they required may have been lost.</p><p>Fortunately, there are <a href="http://productivitysummiteu.com?afid=2323&cpid=7524&utm_source=Workplace+Learning+Centre&utm_medium=Content%3A+Article#agenda%20Register:%20http://productivitysummiteu.com?afid=2323&cpid=7524&utm_source=Workplace+Learning+Centre&utm_medium=Content%3A+Article#register" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some companies,</a> from across a wide range of industries, that have maintained an interest in employee productivity. It is the professionals from these companies that will be presenting their experiences at the HR Productivity Summit in London on 31st January 2019.</p><p>You can see the agenda for the event at this <a href="http://productivitysummiteu.com?afid=2323&cpid=7524&utm_source=Workplace+Learning+Centre&utm_medium=Content%3A+Article#agenda%20Register:%20http://productivitysummiteu.com?afid=2323&cpid=7524&utm_source=Workplace+Learning+Centre&utm_medium=Content%3A+Article#register" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link</a>. If you wish to attend use the booking code WPLC10 to receive a 10% discount.</p><p> </p></div>