Inefficiency in the workplace leads to poor productivity and low morale. The good news is it can be easy to fix. Here’s how.

What is work inefficiency?

What is work inefficiency?

Work inefficiency occurs when employees are not performing to their fullest potential due to various reasons, such as poor management, inadequate training, or personal issues like stress and burnout.

This can result in low productivity, missed deadlines, poor quality work, and decreased employee morale. To address work inefficiency, companies need to identify the root causes, provide necessary resources, and support employee wellbeing. By doing so, companies can create a more productive and efficient workplace that benefits both employees and the organization.

How to deal with inefficiency in the workplace?

How to deal with inefficiency in the workplace?

We’ve all heard the saying ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ – but what about ‘inefficiency breeds low morale, a drop in productivity and, sometimes, chaos’?

Probably not so much – but it’s true.

The problem with inefficiency in the workplace is that it forms part of a vicious cycle. Demotivation and dissatisfaction at work lead to inefficiency which causes low productivity which loops you right back round to demotivation again.

Untangle work with Workplace

From informing everyone about the return to the office to adopting a hybrid way of working, Workplace makes work more simple.

According to Forbes, just 30% of US workers can wholeheartedly say they feel inspired and engaged in their work.

More disturbing is the fact that a further 18% are actively disengaged with their work, and find it stressful, frustrating or pointless.

So, how do you break out of the cycle and maximize performance? Here are some ideas.

Start sharing

People can waste huge amounts of time and become frustrated when the knowledge they need to do their work isn’t easily available.

To maximize performance, you need ways to release information from silos. From improving document storage to enabling people to access quick answers to key questions, better knowledge-sharing means greater workplace efficiency.

The right technology can help. Organizations use Groups in Workplace to store information, share it, and get work done.

Groups enable people to share and collaborate on documents, assign tasks, share feedback, tag colleagues and post updates.

You can also use these groups to share or exchange documents directly – or via integrations with tools like Box and SharePoint.

And your team can use them as the centerpiece of your professional relationships and your projects by integrating Workplace with project management tools like Jira Cloud.

Stop micromanaging

It might feel as if monitoring employees’ every move is improving efficiency, but it’s often counter-productive.

Micromanaging can add unnecessary steps to a process and make people feel they’re not trusted. Both of these can sap morale.

Building open and transparent communities within your organization is an important first step. Being open by default helps break down organizational silos and boundaries and gives people quicker access to the information they need.

And it also helps everyone feel more connected to your company mission and their co-workers.

Maximize diversity

Having teams that reflect the diversity of your customer base can act as a boost to efficiency.

According to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends 2018 report, 78% of hiring managers consider diversity to be extremely important. And 62% focus on it as a way of improving company performance.

Encouraging collaboration within a diverse team, where each person can learn from – and teach their colleagues in equal measure – is vital in boosting workplace efficiency.

Give feedback

To become more efficient, people need to understand what they can do better. Providing your people with regular, tailored and constructive feedback is a way of helping them improve their performance and can boost engagement too.

Managers use one-to-one private Groups as a place to provide this feedback as well as manage their ongoing annual reviews.

Be flexible

Be flexible

Having employees present in the workplace all day every day doesn’t necessarily make for greater efficiency.

People can make more of their time if they’re able to work on the move, and sometimes working from home can be more productive than being in the workplace.

Having mobile-enabled collaboration tools means you and your remote workers can easily stay in touch.

Workplace Chat connects employees wherever they are. People use it to share and collaborate on files, to communicate with GIFs, stickers, emojis or an iconic thumbs-up.

They send voice clips, run polls, and they share where they are when they’re on the move or they’re working from home.

And you’ll be surprised at what giving your employees the freedom and flexibility to work remotely for one or two days a week can do for your business.

Manage your time

Manage your time

Efficiency is all about achieving your goals with the least waste of time. Time-saving can boost engagement too, with people less likely to find themselves working late.

To manage your time more efficiently, look at the way you communicate and collaborate. Are your people drowning in email or attending unnecessary meetings?

With tools like Workplace, you can target communication to where it’s really needed and help people find smarter, more familiar and more effective ways to work.

That means people can spend less time on processes that don’t work or systems that don’t talk to each other. They can spend more time on the things they enjoy.

And that means happier people and greater efficiency and productivity. Discover next how to create a positive work environment.

Let's Stay Connected

Get the latest news and insights from the frontline of work.

By submitting this form, you agree to receive marketing-related electronic communications from Facebook, including news, events, updates and promotional emails. You may withdraw your consent and unsubscribe from such emails at any time. You also acknowledge that you have read and agree to the Workplace Privacy terms.

Keep reading

Keep reading

Was this article helpful?
Thanks for your feedback

Recent posts

Productivity | 11 minute read

What is productivity and why does it matter?

Productivity was a hot topic even before global lockdowns. Now it’s business-critical. Discover what we mean by productivity, how to measure it, and how you can boost productivity post-pandemic.

Team Collaboration | 10 minute read

How to build team collaboration

A collaborative approach can help your people work smarter, more creatively and more effectively. Here’s how to get team collaboration right.

Business Communication | 9 minute read

Business communication explained

Your business depends on the successful sharing of information — and so do your employees. Yet 66% of companies lack a long-term business communication plan. Why is this such a critical mistake? What are the most common communication challenges? And how can you avoid them?