What’s missing from conversations about employee productivity

Employee engagement and productivity are dropping. We’re seeing it in the headlines , and many of us are seeing the evidence in our own teams and companies. People are burning out, slowing down, losing steam—and this is happening in a moment when most companies desperately need their people to perform.

This drop in productivity has prompted many different reactions from leaders and organizations, some helpful, others less so. And a magnifying glass is on HR and People leaders as everyone asks: How the heck can we get employee productivity back on track??

Bad news first: We’re asking the wrong question. As Dominic Price writes for the Atlassian blog , "Productivity has always been a good way to measure the impact of machines and capital. It’s just never been a good way to measure the impact of humans."?

Conversations about productivity, e.g. “output per hour of labor” can quickly turn into calls for already burnt-out employees to give more, to threats, increased pressure, and punishment—all of which are short sighted. These tactics might lead to short-term gains, but at the end of the day, our businesses are powered by people.

And people can only take so much before they disengage or quit .?

But there is good news, maybe even great news. If we—employers and employees—can take this opportunity to collaborate on a path forward, if we can put aside the adversarial mindset and listen to each other, we can create truly resilient workplaces . Workplaces where there is space for the very real ebbs and flows of being a human, where people and teams are supported in ways that allow them to thrive, and where thriving employees build thriving businesses.

What might this look like? We just published a blog post that dives into 5 ways organizations can take a human-centered approach to productivity , especially in economic uncertainty. It offers considerations and strategies organizations can use to improve employee engagement and performance by:

1. Recommitting to the employee experience (particularly by supporting people managers) ,
2. Granting employee autonomy through collaborative return-to-office planning (and rollouts) ,
3. Leveraging meaningful work as your employee engagement superpower ,
4. Showing the process (as much as possible) behind tough financial decisions ,
5. Retaining your people with consistent recognition

The main takeaway? We can’t continue to have conversations about employee productivity without focusing on employee engagement , wellbeing , and appreciation . It’s time for a more human, more reciprocal approach to productivity. We can do this.

Natasha Wahid

Director of Content at Blueboard

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