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Productivity Is In The Eye of the BeholderProductivity Is In The Eye of the Beholder
Making do: It's something business-technology managers and staff members have grown accustomed to. Still, disappointing business conditions haven't eroded productivity.
3 Min Read
Making do: It's something business-technology managers and staff members have grown accustomed to. Still, disappointing business conditions haven't eroded productivity. Employee output continues to grow, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Output for each hour worked by nonfarm laborers rose 5.1% in the third quarter of this year compared with the second quarter. Little wonder that most managers believe their company's productivity is at an all-time high.
The most common productivity metrics, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, pertain to the amount of hours per day or per week that employees spend on the job.Optimize Research's recent Productivity 2002 study supports this claim. Of the study's 196 companies that monitor worker output, four in five depend on hours-worked metrics to track employee output. Other popular methods include revenue or sales per employee, return-on-investment measurements, and customer-retention rates.
Collaborative software tools as well as bandwidth enhancements, PC up-grades, and employee software training are among the most common technology initiatives that have spurred output gains.
Perhaps the secret to productivity lies in a well-rounded business approach. Tom Smith, senior VP for information technology and CIO of trash-disposal company Waste Management Inc., says that unyielding executive support and adequate funding keep employees properly engaged and IT output growing.
What approach is your company planning to take in 2003 to improve its worker productivity? Let us know at the address below.
Helen D'Antoni
Senior Editor, Research
[email protected]
Access Pays OffWhat are your company's most effective technology steps and policies to increase employee productivity? Internet use at work rose 17% year over year in August, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Despite its distractions, Internet access is proving worthwhile. Four in five of the 300 executives inOptimize's Productivity 2002 study say that equipping more employees with Internet access is one of the most effective ways technology can raise productivity. |
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Employee AwardsAre employees given incentives for increased productivity? It's not unusual for companies to reward managers for improvements in employee output. Of the businessesOptimize Research surveyed, four in five offer productivity incentives to executives. Yet managers aren't alone in receiving compensation for productivity gains. Staffers also are being rewarded for output improvements. And while companies depend primarily on formal programs to award employees, others prefer to acknowledge improvements on an informal basis. |
Advances HurtWhat are the most significant external factors that affect your company's employee output? It's difficult to find enough money to invest in cutting-edge technology these days. It's even harder to stay up to date when new technologies make your past investments obsolete. According to most managersOptimize surveyed, technology alternatives and the time and effort it takes to introduce them into the workforce are playing havoc with employee productivity. Three in four of the study's 300 respondents report that the launch of new technology is a significant factor affecting their employees' output. |
Time SaverDoes technology let your employees get more done in the same number of hours as in the past? The ever-changing world of IT might challenge productivity objectives, but most executives agree that once technology initiatives are up and running, they're a key reason why employees are working more effectively. In fact, most managers report that, because of technology, employees are working the same number of hours while getting more accomplished. This holds true regardless of company size. |
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