Every employer or manager’s desire is to have employees who are efficient and productive with their work. They understand that productivity ensures that an organisation meets its business goals. Promoting productivity also helps in creating a healthy working space. However, a number of factors can ruin employee productivity, which can then affect the company’s growth and hinder it from achieving its goals. Moses Mugabo, an IT employee notes that a poor work environment forces employees to lose their morale, something that lowers their productivity. He believes that a proper work environment isn’t just about having enough equipment, but also being able to communicate and relate with co-workers effectively and working as a team. When these principles are lacking, employees won’t be motivated to work. He also notes that employees who are sick or stressed may not be able to meet deadlines and also risk burnout. A number of employers don’t go an extra mile to bother knowing whether their employees are okay or not, yet any of their personal areas affected, affect work as well. Mugabo encourages bosses to make sure that employees get enough rest, break in between work, feed well, exercise, and are given enough time before the deadline, plus heartening them to go for leave. He discourages the idea of employees being given work tasks during off days because they will report to work still tired. Mugabo stresses that low morale may drain employees’ mood, as they won’t have the guts to work. In most cases, low morale may be triggered by lack of trust, fear of making errors or conflicts, poor communication, and so forth. “Lack of training can also be the cause of poor productivity, for instance, many companies shun giving training opportunities to their employees as it may seem expensive, yet, when they are equipped with knowledge and skills, the company benefits as well.” He also says that the mistake most employers make is to employ people with education qualifications but lack skills, yet still don’t take them through the procedure of how the company works and what they are expected to do. In the long run, workers just do what they can yet they could have done better with training, this too wrecks productivity. Adrian Busingye, an entrepreneur in Kacyiru, explains that tenacious absenteeism can also be a problem because it cuts into company productivity and profits. It is important to know why workers absentee themselves. If there is no reason, give them a warning but if there is a problem, assist them in finding a solution. He also says that lack of the necessary tools to perform the work could be a problem. Research shows that a staggering 87 per cent of employees are not engaged with their work. Providing the right tools is one of the most important factors that drive employee engagement and improves business outcomes. For Busingye, when employees are not heard or if their ideas and views are not put into consideration, there is no possibility of offering the best results. According to Forbes, employees whose voices are heard are 4.6 times more likely to deliver their best work. Hearing the voices of employees ensures not only comprehensiveness but also equality in the workplace. Effective leaders ought to listen to what employees say and the communication should be two-way. Busingye says to never underestimate the power of gratitude as saying “Thank You, You’re doing great, Good job” can upsurge employees’ engagement in the workplace. It can also boost them to perform better.
