With all the technology at our disposal today, it’s no wonder that an average of 55% of employers feel that smartphones are one of the biggest distractions in the modern workplace. In order to maintain employee productivity and engagement, managers must devise strategies to keep their workforce inspired and determined, and an unlikely source of assistance in this field is the human resources department.

Being a manager or business owner can be incredibly time consuming. Your daily tasks and responsibilities can prevent you from addressing everything that needs to be managed, leaving you scrambling for help. The issue of lack of productivity among your employees needs to handled directly, and can often fall by the wayside. This is where your HR department can come into play.

Perhaps this lack of output is due to your employees not having their responsibilities and duties clearly outlined. This can lead to individuals performing the same task as their colleagues without them even knowing it. Your human resources department can write newer profiles for each job within the business to better explain each and every worker’s duties. Every employee should know exactly what they are asked to do, while also being allowed to experiment and incorporate creativity.

Another great way to motivate worker is to have awards given out for certain milestones achieved. By you and your HR department developing incentive programs, you can inspire your employees to not only increase their work rates, but work towards something tangible for a mutually beneficial goal.

An extremely common business strategy at the forefront of headlines today is that of flexible work scheduled. Offices with much more flexibility in terms of hours, pay, and time off are much more likely to find the best employees available in the talent pool. If you haven’t already done so, work with human resources to discuss changes in hours, opportunities to work from home, and more. So long as company goals are still being met, a workplace that understands and respects its employees personal lives is one that many people will actually want to work in.

Provide your team with the necessary tools that allow them to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities. Depending on the industry, certain analytical softwares gives employees more insight as to why they may or may not be achieving their goals. For jobs that require more mobility, smartphones and tablets provided by the company are a great way of ensuring each employee is well equipped in and outside of the office.

 

Don’t allow your workforce to become stagnant. That is, if a certain employee feels as though his or her skill set has reached a peak, sit down with them to communicate why they feel that way, and how they can be better utilized. Not every worker will speak up in this instance. Holding meetings addressing any issues of inactivity may allow others to realize why they haven’t been productive as of late. Always maintain open communication, and encourage your team to speak out if they feel as though their work has become dull.