Partner Article

Less can be more concerning productivity

Productivity isn’t about putting in longer hours. According to an Institute for Work and Technology (IAT) study for example, it’s quite the opposite, writes Jonathan Kini, Head of Enterprise Commercial Marketing at Vodafone UK.

France, with a working week of less than 38 hours, has a productivity level of 117.9 points (based on an EU average of 100), while Germany, with an average working week of close to 40 hours, has 106.8 points. The UK has an average 43-hour working week and is much less productive with 85.5 points. We, here at Vodafone believe that British businesses need to find better ways of working if we are to raise our productivity to the same level as other developed economies.

Productivity hub

One proven way for a company to increase its productivity is to embrace flexibility at all levels of the business. Whether you’re growing a small workforce or managing a large one, greater flexibility can improve business agility, reduce costs, and improve staff morale and job satisfaction, which all contribute to greater levels of productivity.

For example, employees often spend time out of the office, visiting clients or working from other locations. By empowering staff to work flexibly and equipping them with the right mobile technology, these hours spent away from the desk don’t have to mean wasted hours and slow response times. Staff can respond to colleagues, preventing disruption to workflow, and answer customer queries and requests, helping to gain and retain important business.

Smarter use of office space can also allow businesses to do more with less.

With staff working away from the office, empty desk space still costs money. By removing fixed desks and creating a flexible working environment, businesses can save money on property costs while operating at the same capacity, thereby increasing productivity. Recent research by Vodafone and YouGov found that British businesses could save £34 billion through smarter use of office space.

What’s more, working more flexibly can save on the frustrating daily commute. Without the need for staff to travel to and from the office and instead work from wherever they are, the business and the employee save time and money, allowing staff to work smarter and do more with the time they have.

More goals, less waste

Implementing these changes in the workplace will also require cultural changes throughout the business. Productivity is about achieving results, therefore managers must learn to be results-focused. Setting employees clear goals and assessing them according to what they achieve, rather than how much time they have spent in the office, can help drive greater productivity.

Becoming more productive means looking for better ways to work so you can achieve “more with less”. By striving for greater flexibility at all levels of the company and implementing a culture of results, businesses can bridge the productivity gap.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Vodafone UK .