The transition to remote and hybrid work created an array of new concerns around employee productivity. Employer responses varied, from installing surveillance software to reimagining incentives, all focused on increasing productivity in the workplace.
How your organization responded says a lot about your company culture and the employee experience you provide. Similarly, the tools you give (or don’t give) employees can make or break that experience and deeply impact productivity.
In this post, I’ve put together a list of 9 tools that will help you provide a better employee experience while increasing productivity in the workplace. It includes both software and hardware, as well as best practices to ensure you can maximize their value.
Some of these tools will be better suited to employees with specific health needs. Most though, can benefit everyone when it comes to increasing productivity in the workplace.
E-Ink tablet
E-Ink tablets are really good for people like me who like to write things such as their to-do list by hand, prefer to draw things, or find they come up with better ideas when they’re writing by hand.
If employees are conscious of wasting paper, or things getting lost, this is the perfect solution.
It can sync with phones or laptops, meaning it’s easy to switch between devices, send files to colleagues, and jot down ideas on the go.
Plus, there are a lot of templates out there for things like to-do lists, general notebooks, budget planners, and more.
Dictation software
RSI is a common injury among those of us who work at a desk all day. Dictation software allows employees to keep working without worrying about doing further damage to their muscles or joints.
Dictation software can be used to write documents, navigate devices, send emails, browse the internet, or complete other tasks they may need to do as part of their role.
Ultimately, it’s great for increasing employee productivity in the workplace at little additional cost. As an added bonus, it also reduces sick days from RSI.
Task and project trackers
Tools like Kanban boards, or other ways of tracking tasks can be incredibly useful both on an individual and a team basis.
If you’re not already using one of these tools, I’d highly recommend them. They allow you to visualize exactly what’s happening and when.
You can also set priorities and everyone on the team can see everything at a glance. This makes it easier for people to keep track of what they have to do and by what date.
You could track progress on a Trello board, TickTick, or even a physical tracker on a flip chart or whiteboard.
Video call software
Whether you’re a Mac or PC user, the right video call software is essential for a remote or hybrid team.
For remote teams, this will be one of the main ways they communicate. Obviously then, you want something that’s easy for people to use and that is compatible with their devices.
Ergonomic mouse and keyboard
In a previous role, I got RSI in my right wrist a lot. When I switched the type of mouse I used, the pain vanished.
It’s all about how your wrist is comfortable sitting and what you’re most comfortable using.
There are lots of different solutions available. For instance, keyboards that are flat to the desk, padded wrist supports, or keyboards split in two to mimic how our hands should naturally sit.
Sit/stand desk
We’ve all heard the stats about how sitting at a desk all day is bad for us. But how many of us do it anyway?
A sit/stand desk gives us the option to adjust how we sit or stand when we’re at work.
Standing when we’re working helps with blood flow around the body. This means we can be more creative, come up with better ideas during meetings, and be more engaged with what we’re doing.
That doesn’t even include the physical benefits of standing for a little while, like improved posture and better cardiovascular health. Of course, better overall health is also great for increasing productivity in the workplace.
Timer
It’s all too easy for meetings to run over, or for us to forget to take breaks because we’re really getting into what we’re doing.
However, ensuring meetings stay on time, and taking breaks regularly, is good for physical and mental health.
Having a timer—whether it’s built into a phone or laptop, or a separate one—ensures everyone stays on track. It may even be a novelty cooking timer if you want to make people smile! It helps prevent meetings from running into things like lunch breaks or the end of the day.
Workrowd
Workrowd helps your team stay on task by organizing your employees’ extracurriculars separate from their work notifications. That way, they can focus on their projects, and engage with all your great employee groups, programs, and events when it makes sense for them.
No one wants to rush to check a chat message from a colleague only to discover it’s a reminder about a free company yoga class. Or sort through a tangle of work emails to see when the next leadership development session is being held.
Instead, they can simply visit their Workrowd dashboard to learn about upcoming events and opportunities. It’s sort of like stepping into a digital break room and checking out the bulletin board.
Plus, they get to meet their colleagues from different departments, learn new skills, and take part in activities that may be unrelated to their day job but that form the basis of a great employee experience.
Connecting with different employee groups can make them feel like they belong in their role. They also may find or learn a new skill or rediscover an old one.
Workrowd is one easy tool that equips you with multiple ways of increasing productivity in the workplace.
Training on how to make the most of things
It’s all very well and good providing these tools, but employees also need to know how to use them and get the most out of them.
Sometimes, if we have to figure things out ourselves, we may only learn the basics. It’s hard to find time to really learn how to do everything.
Investing in an hour’s training that shows users how to get the most out of their new tool can make a huge difference. It can take someone from a basic user who doesn’t really feel like they understand the tool, to a power user who is excited to use it.
When employees feel empowered to make the most of every tool in their toolkit, it can go a long way towards increasing productivity in the workplace.
Conclusion
Simple tools can make a huge difference to employee productivity, wellness, and engagement.
They don’t have to be super expensive. They just have to improve employees’ quality of life at work, allowing them to do things faster and easier in a way that makes sense for them and fits their role.
If you’re interested in exploring more opportunities for increasing productivity in the workplace, give us a visit or send a note to hello@workrowd.com. We’d love to chat about how our customizable tool suite can help with increasing productivity in the workplace without resorting to spyware or surveillance.
