There’s a lot of research on the subject of worker productivity. You
could spend a great deal of time sifting through lots of websites, research
papers and whitepapers to learn the best techniques. The reality is that you
most likely don’t have the free time to do that so we’ve condensed one proven
method for improving productivity into a short five-minute article.
This technique has been responsible for a 19% increase in mobile worker
productivity*, so it’s no wonder fleet owners are taking an interest in seeing
how it can help them manage remote staff more effectively.
*Source: “Service Workforce and Fleet Management,” Aberdeen Group, 2009
Productivity gains need to be sustainable
One key thing to keep in mind when it comes to worker productivity is
that it is not simply about squeezing as much as you can from your staff, and
finding ways to make them work harder. For this technique to be successful it
needs to be done in a way that achieves two important outcomes:
1.
Improving worker productivity and output – good for the business
2.
Helping staff to feel productive and intrinsic to the success of the
business – good for staff morale
By achieving both of these when improving staff productivity you’ll make
sure the gains are long term and sustainable. Sure, management could use this
technique to ‘crack the whip’ and punish workers who fail to meet the imposed
standards, but while there may be short-term gains, overall it would be
detrimental to the health of the business as morale dives and staff retention
deteriorates.