How would you like to lower operational costs, boost productivity and improve employee engagement — all at the same time? With effective workplace management strategies, you can.
Proper workplace management allows you to foster employee growth in ways that benefit your bottom line. And in this article, we'll show you how to do it right. Let’s look at several proven, easy-to-implement techniques to empower your employees and set the stage for long-term growth.
What is workplace management?
Workplace management is a strategy organizations use to guide daily operations in ways that improve productivity and lower costs. It goes hand-in-hand with workforce management to help teams work as efficiently as possible.
The most effective workplace management strategies go beyond physical facility management to help employees minimize distractions, eliminate unnecessary meetings and make the most of their time at work.
The importance of effective workplace management
The benefits of workplace management are immense. When done correctly, it covers a range of activities to improve operations, foster collaboration and ensure employee well-being. Research has consistently shown how organizations with strong workplace management experience higher levels of employee engagement, job satisfaction and performance. Some of the most common advantages include:
- A more productive work environment: A well-managed workplace ensures employees have the physical workspaces, tools and support they need to be as productive as possible. It helps people overcome common workplace disruptions, get enough focus time and set up efficient remote work environments.
- Better use of physical office space: As remote and hybrid work evolve, some companies waste millions on unused office space. An effective workplace management system reduces your risk of overspending. When you calculate office space utilization as part of your strategy, it’s easy to identify the right ratio of square footage to employees.
- Higher work efficiency: When you take the time to improve day-to-day operations, people work better together. As team communication improves and employee-manager relationships grow stronger, the result is greater work efficiency.
- Lower overall costs: Organizations that are intentional about workplace management solutions reduce expenses in numerous areas, from expensive meetings to costly context switching.
Strategies for enhancing workplace performance
To make the most of workplace management, you need to think beyond daily operations. The ultimate goal is to create a culture where productivity thrives.
Not sure where to start? Add these eight proven strategies to your toolbank today.
1. Regularly balance (and rebalance) workloads
Unbalanced workloads are among the biggest enemies of productivity. And unfortunately, they’re also one of the most difficult areas of workplace management to get right. Research shows eight in ten employees suffer from daily work-related stress, and 39% say workloads are to blame.
Thankfully, there’s an easy fix. Conduct a workload analysis, either at regular intervals or each time you add new projects and assignments, to see who’s overworked and who has the capacity for more. This strategy is one of the best ways to position teams for success since it ensures each person has the right amount of work — and will bring their all to each task.
2. Help employees manage their time
How well do your team members manage their time? If activities take longer than expected, the costs add up fast. Organizations lose millions each year to time wasters like unnecessary meetings and busywork.
But teach people how to be more time efficient, and numerous benefits follow. They'll meet deadlines, deliver higher-quality work and set bigger goals — all with less stress and overwhelm. While many employees find their own ways to manage daily schedules, it's a good idea to provide tools and tips along the way. Focus on helping team members prioritize tasks and swap recurring meetings (where possible) for extra focus time.
3. Offer flexible work arrangements
Flexible work isn’t just something to consider — these days, it’s essential for workplace success. Surveys show 57% of workers will look for a new job if their company refuses to allow remote work, and 42% would leave their jobs for a more flexible work environment.
Flexible work arrangements offer a range of business benefits, too. By providing tools and technology to support remote or hybrid work, you open the doors to a wider talent pool and more diversity and inclusion. Whether you adopt a four-day workweek or simply give employees more flexibility in choosing what hours they work, find a flexible arrangement that works for your unique workforce.
4. Watch for signs of disengagement
One of the best predictors of business success? Employee satisfaction. When people are engaged and productive at work, results follow. But according to Gallup, employee engagement has reached an all-time low. Even worse, U.S. businesses lose $1.9 trillion in lost productivity to disengaged employees.
However, there’s a way to turn things around. When you track the stages of employee disengagement, it’s easy to spot early warning signs — and step in before your workplace takes bigger hits to morale. This often-overlooked workplace management strategy is one of the best ways to boost well-being and ensure a happy, productive workplace. The sooner you spot the signs of burnout and low engagement, the easier they are to address.
5. Focus on fostering a positive culture
Fostering a positive workplace experience does wonders for employee engagement. People who work at companies with a positive environment are happier, more productive and less likely to leave. And companies with standout cultures average higher annual returns.
In other words: Good workplace management includes creating a culture where productivity thrives. When you work to foster a positive environment, you send the message your people matter.
Not sure where to begin? Supporting work-life balance is a great place to start. Research shows 57% of employees won’t accept a job they believe will negatively affect work-life balance. Offer flexible arrangements, distribute workloads evenly across team members and watch for signs of overworking. These steps alone will go a long way toward improving the workplace culture.
6. Use data to support employees
What do your employees need to be successful? This question is surprisingly difficult for many managers to answer, especially when people work from home. Yet effective workplace management hinges on providing proper support. Understanding where people work best, what tools they need and what distractions they face is critical.
For this reason, many organizations use workplace management software for insights into productivity and well-being. Better yet, some managers leverage specialty workforce analytics solutions to empower employees with their own personal insights dashboards. These reports provide employees with data on how they spend their time and what they can do to build healthier work habits. And based on the latest employee monitoring trends, many more workers would love to have access to them. More than 90% of surveyed employees say they’re open to employers collecting their workplace data to help improve performance and well-being.
7. Use predictive workforce analytics
For an even more effective way to put your employee data to great use, look for opportunities to leverage predictive workforce analytics. This strategy allows you to analyze past and present patterns in employee behavior to forecast what will happen in the future — and helps you find and fix potential issues faster.
For example, you might examine underlying causes of burnout and disengagement today to lower your risk of turnover tomorrow. Or learn which apps employees actually used in the past to decide which contracts you'll renew for next year — and which ones you won’t. Collecting and reviewing employee data at regular intervals is a great way to lower costs, improve productivity and create an outstanding culture over time.
8. Prioritize employee recognition
The numbers say it all: Organizations with formal employee recognition programs experience 31% less voluntary turnover than those without. They’re also 12 times more likely to have strong business outcomes. When looking for ways to improve the workplace, don’t overlook the value of employee recognition. This powerful tool is an excellent strategy for boosting morale and driving performance.
By calling attention to people’s contributions — a job well done here, a quick turnaround there — managers encourage employees to do their best work. Employees who are shown appreciation are more likely to take pride in their work and feel what they do matters — and are far less likely to leave.
Simplify workplace management with ActivTrak
If you want to create the most competitive workforce possible, effective workplace management is crucial. The strategies above are all excellent methods for strengthening your culture and positioning your company for long-term growth.
Want to get a head start? ActivTrak offers a comprehensive suite of workforce analytics tools to help you manage productivity, engagement, well-being and more. And you can start today for free! Gain insights into how work gets done at your workplace — and schedule a free demo for more tips and tricks to master workplace management.
