Pioneering Ways to Increase Team Productivity

As the workplace impact from the COVD-​19 pandemic fades, business leaders are assessing their situation. For some, the hasty hiring driven by the pandemic now poses challenges. At the same time, the benefits of the AI revolution are leading to pioneering ways to increase team productivity.

Employers are taking a hard look at the bottom line as 2025 approaches. The latest Conference Board release indicates a drop in the Leading Economic Index. 

With businesses anticipating slower revenue growth, additional hiring is unlikely. They may even reduce headcount.

But as all business owners know, the same amount of work must be done. Some employers will look to technology to help them increase team productivity. For example, businesses that haven’t used automated phone services until now will be exploring that avenue. A bigger shift will likely come through the use of AI. A Bloomberg report posted earlier this year noted the impact of this technology. Nearly 50% of businesses that are using AI plan to reduce their staffing costs over time.

Clearly, CEOs are on board with this idea. Our research shows that 34% of CEOs are AI proponents. And 39% of these proponents understand the value of AI when it comes to their team’s success.

With those kinds of numbers zooming around, employees are growing increasingly nervous about their future. This is not the first time that technology has drastically changed the daily work process. And it’s not the first time that workers have worried that their jobs will disappear.

Instead of letting employees worry, leaders need to step up. With the right mindset and vision, they can reshape their organization for long-​term success. And they can reassure their employees.

Optimizing the Team You Have

One prevalent trend in the workforce, highlighted in a recent USA Today article, is job adjustment. Here’s how that trend works. An employee who was hired for one position is now also doing part of another.

Reorganization

This situation may come about because of an employee departure. Instead of rushing to hire a replacement, managers take the opportunity to assess job responsibilities and workloads. Some parts of a position could be automated while other parts can be distributed across the department.

Managers may also decide that part of an employee’s tasks are no longer critical to the organization’s mission. A good exercise at the end of every calendar year is to check on how each employee spends their time. Managers may find that some employees are not busy enough.

In these times of elevated labor costs, employers can’t afford slack time in team members’ workdays. Reorganizing jobs may be necessary to increase team productivity.

Resistance

Some employers face a backlash when they make these changes. In larger companies with a unionized workforce, the employees may refuse to do additional work. They may even walk off the job.

But smaller businesses have more flexibility. One way to approach optimizing the team is to survey employees. Ask them which parts of their jobs they love and which parts they don’t.

Managers can use this information, along with the details of psychometric assessments, to decide how to allocate work.

Growth and Development

Other than the ability to work remote, the benefit most employees want most is skill development. A PwC report issued earlier this year underscored this sentiment. 72% of survey employees said they are excited to learn and grow in their role.

This excitement could lead to an increase in team productivity.

At the same time, 45% say they have experienced a big increase in their workload. Managers should acknowledge that they are asking more of their team members. And they should explain how the additional skill development is linked to each member’s career goals.

PwC analysts point out the importance of communication during the process of change. “When employees understand the reasons for change, they’re more engaged and connected to the organization’s goals.”

There is no shortage of ways to increase team productivity. Managers should use the available resources to train employees to thrive in jobs designed for the future.

Image from Kindel Media on Pixels.