The efficiency and productivity of employees plays a big role in the growth of a business. To ensure this however, it’s ideal for organisations or employers to put much effort into ensuring that their employees have a positive working environment which facilitates this. Employee productivity simply means using hours efficiently to perform or carry out significant and relevant tasks, which at the end drive revenue and contribute to achieving the goals of a given organisation or company. Augustin Manirakiza, former immediate vice president of the Rwanda Pharmaceutical Students Association (RPSA) and an entrepreneur says looking at the long-term benefits of employee productivity is vital. From his perspective, he believes that when organisations have a productive workplace, it encourages higher engagement levels and greater well-being. Manirakiza goes on to mention that employee productivity is important because it ensures the success of the business. “One thing I have come to realise as an entrepreneur, where the productivity of an employee is high, it ensures greater fulfilment not only for employees but also on side of the organisation,” he points out. Fred Omondi an entrepreneur with a consultation company believes that when employees feel productive and are given the opportunity to contribute to the overall growth of the organisation, there is a high possibility that they will gain a sense of purpose, thus encouraging them to work even harder. Meanwhile, the entrepreneur notes that productivity also encourages the best customer service, explaining that when employees are working well, they are undertaking the right activities to provide a fulfilling experience for each customer. Also, he says when employees are working towards one goal, the entire process runs accordingly. “As a result, they will be more satisfied and become more loyal to their company. They will also be in a position to help the organisation yield a greater return for their time and expenses,” he says. On the other hand, Omondi says that when employees are more productive, it improves their commitment in everything, as they tend to be more willing to participate and be involved with the business and its activities. Mathias Nkeeto, an educator in Kigali says it’s ideal to understand that productivity doesn’t only depend on the performance of the employee, rather, the operation techniques and methods being used. He explains that actions to develop the work process should be considered, when this is done, he says it helps save time. “We all know that saving time allows employees to perform other tasks that will help benefit them in the long run such as planning ahead and creating work strategies,” he says. He says that doing this in the long term helps the entire organisation operate in a smooth and organised manner. Manirakiza says productivity also helps improve employees’ morale to work hard and remain on the top.
