Have you ever felt like you didn’t have enough work hours in the day to get everything accomplished?

You’ve probably seen it in your teams, a rush around deadline day where everyone cranks their dials up to 11 and pushes to get work finalized.

You want nothing more than to show them how to work smarter, not harder, as you know that pushing yourself too far can lead to burnout and fatigue.

That’s why it’s so important to have your workplace efficiency levels high, where tasks are completed to a high standard day-in, day-out.

This blog brings you 14 actionable steps to elevate efficiency in your workplace! 

What does “workplace efficiency” mean for your business?

An efficient workplace is one where everyone completes their tasks correctly, without overspending time or effort. High levels of team productivity are achieved with minimal waste and optimized resources.

Everyone’s work engine is set to 10 and each task is done perfectly, in the quickest time possible. Sounds fantastic on paper, doesn’t it? 

The reality is that real workplace efficiency depends on many factors like organizational culture, time management, resource optimization, and incentives. It’s a complicated cocktail, and getting it right is not easily or quickly achieved.

Workplace efficiency aims at making tasks easier while still maintaining consistency, not making tasks take longer. It’s not possible to force staff into high efficiency, and top managers understand this. A keen manager makes sure every part of the workplace engine is well-oiled and maintained, and then the machine works efficiently.

So now we understand workplace efficiency better, let’s lay out activities and principles to get your teams fired up!

14 ways to improve efficiency at work

Here we’ve listed 14 actions to get your teams boosted to new levels of efficiency:

1. Invest deep in training and onboarding

Kickstarting our list is the first and foremost procedure for new hires entering the workforce. Training and developing new hires through onboarding actually minimizes everyone’s time. As a manager, providing effective training early gets your new hire up to speed, so they won’t feel lost and need help months into the job. The new hire is absorbed into their new team like an office veteran (for the most part). 

Having an onboarding buddy speeds up and solidifies the process even more, so consider setting one up for a new hire. It’s not a newbie’s fault if they enter the workforce and harm workplace efficiency. It proves their need for an onboarding program that covers all the basics, and helps them integrate properly into their team.

So don’t leave new hires in the dark, get them up to speed quickly to make sure your workplace efficiency stays solid as a rock!

2. Make sure employees and resources are matched

For our next action, you’ve got to make sure you know all of your resources inside out. Understanding your team and each member’s skills is essential to maximizing workplace efficiency. Of course, you’ve already screened them and checked their work history while you hired them. But when was the last time you delved a little deeper and considered unique aspects of their work style? For instance, analysis of personality types might show a team leader actually performs better in a more introverted role. Understanding each member on a deeper level helps them align with the team’s characteristics.

Onward from this, how about your resource allocation among your teams? You can’t expect to reach the heights of workplace efficiency if your resources aren’t spread out properly. Analyze utilization metrics to see how your digital resources are being used. Office space, personal equipment, and software are just a few common resources that can be streamlined and used to improve efficiency.

So carry out a thorough inspection of all of the resources you have. You never know if they’re properly matched unless you properly inspect.

3. Make the most of remote and hybrid work

So once you’ve spent time making sure your workers and resources are matched, it might be time to take the plunge and consider the possibilities of remote and hybrid work. Stats from 2023 showed that already, 13% of full-time employees already work from home, with 28% working hybrid. Future predictions for remote work show a massive increase in the next 5 years, as more companies than ever are recognizing how remote and hybrid work improve efficiency in the company.

Just because your workers are scattered around the globe doesn’t mean they become weaker as a team. Get them all up-to-date with the latest tools for seamless remote collaboration. Keep your check-ins regular with them to make sure they’re adjusting well in a remote role, and watch as they become more productive than ever. 

Remote and hybrid work is helping workers become more engaged than ever, with a healthier work-life balance and more time to focus on their goals, inside and out of work. Tap into this power to carry their newfound efficiency into your workplace.

4. Incentivize high performance

Incentivizing your teams with considerate and exciting rewards for performing well is certainly a crucial step in improving workplace efficiency. Humans are not machines, they will not give their best performance without some form of motivation. Each person might have different factors that motivate and drive them onward, but setting up attractive incentives gives them something else to aim for at the finish line.

Think about sports stars and Olympic athletes. Without that drive to win a championship or to get themselves onto a medal pedestal, would they have the same level of ambition? Of course not. They give it their all, day in and day out to reach a reward. Incentives don’t need to be financial either. Non-monetary incentives like development programs and certifications provide an intrinsic reward while promoting continuous learning within the company. Win-win!

Incentivize high performers with rewards that stand out and proudly state your desire to see them grow. Then sit back and watch your workplace efficiency soar.

5. Get into your workplace data!

As you set your sights on the intricate details of mastering workplace efficiency, harness workplace data and analytics to tap into the numbers. Data analytics provide valuable insights into the business that the naked eye might struggle to spot. You can oversee how resources are allocated to each operation, zoom in on any bottlenecks, and streamline processes to keep things running as smoothly as silk.

Data analytics tools might help you see where you’ve got too many machines for each person, or find opportunities to automate repetitive tasks. This would massively cut down on manual work and improve efficiency in the office. These tools give great insights into employee performance, like calculating productivity ratios (output/input = productivity).

So in addition to the other actions in our list, tap into the power of data analytics tools to add fuel to the workplace engine and get teams running like lightning-fast machines (just be careful to get out of the way when they reach full speed!).

6. Master personal time management

One of the biggest cornerstones of measuring workplace efficiency is the amount of time it takes to perform each task. In this age of being distracted while online, are you making sure these distractions are kept to a minimum? One study found that after a single distraction, it can take up to 20 minutes to get back on track with your work. It's often not the employee's fault, as they're targeted by ads and clickbait while working online. Many people appreciate a little pressure to stay off social media, as they know it can consume almost all of their free time!

On top of cutting distractions, it’s also important to remember productivity is not based solely on the amount of time working by the clock. It’s just as important to focus on the outcomes and results. If team A completes a task in 1 hour and team B takes 10 hours for the same task, wouldn't you prefer it if team B became more like team A? For their sake, help them focus on working more efficiently, not just for a longer time.

So help your teams embrace fewer distractions and a higher state of focus for their tasks. Minimize the time and effort needed to get the job done, and you’re on your way to satisfied and efficient work teams!

7. Optimize your communication channels

Make the most of your communication channels at work to streamline the workflow and get workplace efficiency pumping. Clear and effective communication is crucial for all successful businesses (or any relationship, for that matter). Business leaders estimate that poor communication at work wastes the equivalent of almost an entire workday (7.74 hours) every week.

Start off with an inspection of all your current communication channels; emails, group chat apps, and meeting channels. Is there any room for improvement or streamlining? Do you see any bottlenecks, where not enough voices are being heard, or can any tasks be automated? Try adopting a unified communication platform that integrates all work communication channels in one place. Regularly review and refine your channels to keep workflow pumping.

Review and master your communication channels and you’ll be reducing confusion from repeated messages and speeding up decision-making. Get everyone on the same page and enhance your workplace productivity.

8. Focus on collaboration

If you truly want your teams to reach the upper levels of workplace efficiency, spend time focusing on the ways they collaborate, both in everyday tasks and in the wider workplace culture. When team members work together effectively, a harmonious atmosphere is created in the office which helps improve team cohesion. A culture of teamwork and support is a healthy breeding ground for boosting efficiency in everything they do.

So have you analyzed all of your current collaboration tools? Is each piece of software suited for each team? For example, Miro is a virtual whiteboard accessible to anyone with an internet connection so remote workers can brainstorm with your on-site staff. The key is to suit your collaboration tools to the tasks at hand. 

You’ve got to go the extra mile while focusing on efficient ways to help teams collaborate. Invest a little time now in improving the ways they work together, and your workplace efficiency is set to strengthen over time.

9. Keep goals realistic

As you’ve been reading every action on our list so far, you’ve probably recognized how much attention is given to pushing your teams harder and harder to reach ultra-efficiency. In reality, sometimes pushing too hard can damage the way they work. Think about it; when a person sets their standards so high that the odds are stacked against them, they shouldn’t beat themselves up so much for missing the target. The same principles apply as you manage your teams.

Focus on setting clear, attainable goals that are small to begin with (it’s easier to hit a target when it’s not moving!). As your teams hit their first goals, celebrate with them in a way that reinforces positivity. Challenge them but don’t overwhelm them, and don’t be afraid to ask each member for feedback on each goal. You might find that this generates a sense of positivity as they vocalize their accomplishments.

Keep expectations realistic and increase the pressure over time to keep your teams motivated and productive. Let their celebrations be the fuel for continuous growth and ensure increased efficiency.

10. Encourage healthy routines

As you and your teams focus on improving workplace efficiency, set aside time for establishing healthy routines to keep them engaged and well-rested. It’s easy to get sucked into the whirlwind of productivity and eventually lead to burnout if you don’t recognize when it’s time to stop and recharge. Check in on them, and be open to discussion on their work-life balance. You could even consider setting up workplace exercise and mental health clubs to show that you’re dedicated to their well-being.

When employees feel that their well-being is valued, they’re much more likely to feel engaged and perform at their best. You’re not only improving your workplace productivity, you’re also showing them how healthy routines can benefit their personal lives too. Get some well-being routines set up, and you’re on your way to a healthier, more efficient workplace.

11. Revamp any outdated office systems

Often when aiming for maximum workplace efficiency, too much emphasis is placed on staff, and not enough on the company systems. When was the last time you analyzed your current setups and compared them with industry leaders? 

You would assume that almost every globally competitive company already understands the power of modernizing their work systems. However, research in the UK this year showed that nearly half of employees think their employer lags behind when it comes to having the latest technology.

Modernizing your office tools reduces downtime, improves workflow, and keeps teams working at their best. Revamping and introducing new tech and systems to your teams will require training and time to adjust, but in the long run, it’s totally worth it. 

12. Set up continuous learning and feedback systems

Embracing an organizational culture of continuous learning and using genuine feedback systems massively improves workplace efficiency. When employees feel like they’re in a zone that wants them to continue growing, they feel more invested in helping the company achieve its goals. 

It’s like a positive feedback cycle; you show them how much you care, and then they feel grateful and more connected to the organization. Each step of the way try your best to get feedback from them on what does and doesn’t excite them.

Align your continuous learning systems with professional development, and you’ve got a killer combo ready to boost your teams. Employees gain a better understanding of their role, provide insight into the things that work well for them, and ultimately grow more efficient in their jobs. That’s a positive cycle if ever we have seen one! 

13. Automate wherever possible

So by now you’ve evaluated your staff and how they match their roles, and you’ve streamlined your allocated resources to minimize waste. Take these actions one step further by delving into the exciting world of workflow automation.

Serious global titans like McKinsey and Company estimate (pg. 4) that automation is set to increase global productivity growth by 1.4% annually. Data entry, report generation, and even taking meeting minutes can be automated now. You’ve got to think of the future and get ahead of the curve to maximize the efficiency of your teams. As roles free up with automation, train staff to deal with the changes and prepare them for new tasks they could be working on.

The ultimate goal of automation is to speed up workflow while still keeping the output of your operations consistent. By doing this you’re also reducing the risk of burnout and getting your teams into high-value activities. So, automate as much as you can to get the workplace engine revving!

14. Harness the power of team retreats!

Our final action for improving workplace efficiency is an activity near and dear to our hearts. Here at Surf Office, we have years of experience organizing work retreats that bring teams together and elevate them to new heights. They return to work freshly energized and ready to reach their full potential.

We’ve recently had the pleasure of organizing retreats for:

• Alephium, a blockchain company who had an epic retreat to Athens Riviera.
• Mynd, an American rising star in the tech industry who ideated new products in Barcelona.
• Amun, a cryptocurrency powerhouse who solidified company culture in Mallorca.

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These companies combined focus with recreation across 3 days, and the results were incredible. They collaborated with weekend hackathons that were like collaboration on steroids. Seriously, the results have to be seen to be believed.

Companies striving for optimal workplace efficiency know the power of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. Take a trip out of the office and let us organize a work retreat that lasts in the minds of your employees forever. Spaces are limited, so contact us now!

FAQ:

What are the leading contributors to workplace efficiency?

Onboarding and training: Supplying the right kind of onboarding program and training for new hires is crucial. An employee’s first few weeks and months need proper support through onboarding to get them up-to-speed with the rest of their team.

Leadership style: Optimized workplace efficiency requires leading by example. Think about your sports team. You’ve seen them through their ups and downs, but when they were at their peak, they had their best coach, right? You’ve got to inspire teams to be efficient.

Work environment: Even if staff are onboarded carefully and are led by the perfect manager, you can’t be there for them every minute of every work day. That’s why a positive work environment is so important. Make sure the office is buzzing, even when you’re not there!

Time management and healthy work-life balance: So even if you’ve ticked the other 3 boxes, making sure your teams are engaged, well-rested, and not stressed is critical for getting workplace efficiency right. Maintain a healthy work-life balance and optimize rest periods. Asking staff to be efficient for extended periods is like asking a sprinter to keep running and win a marathon. It’s just not possible, so don’t force it.

How do companies measure workplace efficiency?

Most companies use a general productivity ratio and efficiency score.

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Productivity ratio: Inputs (like employee hours or training time) are divided by the outputs (like units produced, revenue or new clients). After dividing, a company calls this its productivity ratio.

Output / Input = Productivity ratio

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Efficiency Score: The amount of time on-the-clock being unproductive is subtracted from their total worktime. 

Scheduled shift – non-productive hours = efficiency