Boosting Employee Productivity in 2022 Through a Positive Work Culture

As the world continues to adjust to the new realities following the Covid-19 global pandemic, the work environment is adjusting as well through changing work modes: onsite, off-site, and blended work schedules, personalization of needs of employees, social adaptation, trust, and distrust among issues. Amidst all these, in 2022 organisations need to enhance employee productivity through the workplace culture. In a report published by SHRM in 2021 on culture effect in the workplace, 94% of people managers agreed that a positive workplace culture builds resilience in team members thereby boosting productivity. The same report cites that 62% of HR professionals agree that it has been difficult to
maintain workplace culture since the pandemic era. This common trend is seen in the maintenance of productivity levels where a temporary decline has been noted in employees who returned to working from the office. Additionally, some aspects of this decline can be attributed to the commuting time of employees as well as the psychological adjustments to the office environment. Therefore, in this article, we will be exploring simple but effective ways to boost employee productivity in 2022.

To move forward in this article, it will be necessary to bring context to this conversation by first, understanding the question, “What is workplace culture?”. Workplace culture can be defined as the values, beliefs, and attitudes that inform the behaviour of people in an organization. It does not only focus on the written values and beliefs of the organization, but also on how employees and external stakeholders feel about how they are treated – these are the elements that determine whether a workplace culture is positive or negative. Engaged employees, low turnover, and increased productivity are some of the outcomes of positive work culture. In relation to attracting or retaining talents, a workplace culture is that which would make a talent that fits, want to work, and remain with an organisation. Considering the increasing VUCA business environment, the management of organizations have the responsibility to protect the workplace and keep employees engaged in order to drive productivity.

Some Best Practices for Building a Positive Work Culture

• Create a Collaborative Environment: a workplace environment that places a high focus on individual performance is not healthy, because it causes employees to compete among themselves rather than collaborate, which leads to employee burnout and negativity at work. Setting a collaborative tone among team members early in the year will ensure this practice will continue throughout the year. A Mckinsey study (The Social Economy, 2012) shows that collaboration among team members can boost productivity by 25–35%. In the light of the growing number of Generation Zs with dynamic personalities within the workplace and the distance which remote working brings, it is increasingly important to deploy tools that facilitate team interaction from remote locations to foster collaboration between teams.
• Bring Changes to your Workspaces: the advent of the hybrid work modes in the corporate world does not cancel out the importance of having a good work environment for staff to inspire better productivity. It has been found that the ambience at work profoundly affects the level of productivity of employees, either promoting it or reducing it depending on how employees perceive their environment. Workplace factors, such as temperature and layout, can significantly impact productivity. According to a CareerBuilder study conducted in 2015, 53% of respondents said they were less productive when their workplaces were too cold, while 71% said they were less productive when the workplace was too warm. Another study from the University of Exeter in the UK in 2010 shows that open office layouts decrease productivity by 15% and total health by 32%. These statistics suggest that can evaluate how their current working environments affect their employees and find ways to improve them, especially with the impact that personal choices brought to re orientating style of work during the lockdown.
• Promote Workforce Overall Wellbeing: To improve productivity, organizations need to devote more resources to their employees’ health and well-being. As the saying goes, “only a healthy body can fight”, similarly only a healthy organization can maintain optimal productivity. The objective of this is to advance the responsibility of care and advocate for better personal choices. As early steps, organisations can embark on the following to promote employee wellbeing:

1. Encourage staff to take breaks (especially while working from home): Both sides of a hybrid
   work mode should be encouraged to take breaks. Some studies indicate employees often take their lunch breaks at their desks while working at home, which is completely unhealthy.
2. Incentivise organisation-wide wellbeing programmes: Organisations can deploy fitness challenges with a reward for those who meet the set target. The aim of this is to encourage a stronger and healthier workforce and it should be fun for employees at the same time.
3. Organise employee social activities: Fun activities outside the office with other team members can serve as a means for unwinding which reduces stress levels. It also serves for team bonding which will foster better work relationships and drive productivity when they are back to the office.
4. Employee Assistance Programmes: Due to the increase of mental health issues post covid, it has become necessary that organisations provide employee assistance programmes to help their employees get through personal challenges which may possibly be detrimental to their mental health and work performance.

• Operating Flexible Work Schedules: Organisations can adopt flexible work schedules which will employees to choose a particular resumption and closing time. The organisation can provide two or three work time options for employees to choose from thereby leaving room for some flexibility on the employees’ part. Another tactic is for organisations to have an early closing time for employees on one day of the week, which for most organisations would be on a Friday. This closing time could be 30 minutes to 1 hour earlier than the usual closing time.
• Encourage Social Connections: Employees who work full-time, spend most of their time at work. Therefore, working relationships are crucial to their well-being which translates to their productivity. According to a Forbes publication in 2018, having strong social connections can make people happier and healthier, which can lead to improved performance at work. Employers who foster social connections in the workplace and help employees develop strong relationships, strengthen their teams. To drive productivity this year, employers should encourage employees to foster social connections in the workplace.

In conclusion, the nature of any workplace culture impacts on sustained engagement of employees, and by extension the customers. Given this, employees must have the right environment to thrive, as this in turn can positively impact the organization, making it easier for them to achieve their set goals and
objectives.

REFERENCES

1. 2021 Workplace Culture Report, by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
2. The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technologies, by Mckinsey
   Global Institute.
3. Designing your own workspace improves health, happiness and productivity, by the University of
   Exeter.
4. How much does temperature affect your productivity? By CareerBuilder.
5. 5 Reasons Social Connections Can Enhance Your Employee Wellness Program. Forbes Publication.