When business is booming and your company is taking on more work, one way to ensure you have the capacity for it is to recruit. Before you do that, though, it's worth considering whether your existing team is operating as productively as it might be.
Not only are more productive workforces more cost effective for employers, they can also eliminate the need for recruiting additional staff in some cases, or at least delay the need to do so. There are a number of things you can do to improve employee productivity.
Training
It should go without saying that how well trained employees are affects how productive they are. For starters, the better equipped an individual is to carry out a role, the better job they will make of it. By gradually broadening the areas in which an employee is trained too, employers can make sure that there is adequate cover for certain tasks when other employees are off ill or on holiday. In addition, showing that you are willing to invest in employees' professional development improves workforce morale and engagement, thereby boosting productivity as well.
Tools
Not only do employees need the right knowledge to carry out a role, they need the right equipment too. Kit that is old or ill-suited to carrying out a task will only slow things down. While it may be tempting to wait an extra year or two before upgrading equipment or to buy cheaper, lower quality equipment, these can be false economies, with time lost as a result of employees having to use substandard kit.
Wellbeing
The healthier and happier a workforce is, the more productive it is. Not only is this because an individual's performance improves when they are in a better physical condition and mental state, but the recognition that an employer cares about their wellbeing will make an employee more invested in their job. There are lots of simple things you can do to improve workforce wellbeing, such as giving staff free fruit, being flexible with working hours and locations, having plants and greenery in the workplace and, of course, introducing a cycle to work scheme!