5 productivity hacks for HR professionals in 2023

“Work wasn’t very productive today”. Sounds like something we all say, or at least think to ourselves every now and then.  As employers navigate around work environments that work best for their employees, this can sometimes be difficult for employees to personally adjust to, disrupting motivation and productivity. With shifting to hybrid or even fully remote work modules, some employers are still insistent that employees work in-office full time.

Based on a research paper published by the University of Chicago, results showed that employees who work in-office are only productive 36-39% of the time, losing focus or diverting their attention to other things for the remainder of their work hours. One thing’s for sure, HR in recent years has had to reinvent processes that were previously heavily manual. Necessity begets innovation; sometimes innovation isn’t in the coding of fancy apps alone but coming up with new and practical ways individuals can work more efficiently.

While companies figure out what works best for all employees, here are a few ways to boost your productivity and make the best out of your work hours!

1.       Scheduling days or weeks ahead of time

By planning your itinerary for your workdays in advance, it is easier to visualize the tasks and plans that are required of you for the week or even month. This avoids a sense of feeling overwhelmed which can in turn lead to procrastination and even burn out.

2.       Setting daily and weekly goals to know what to prioritize

Setting goals allows us to have a clearer sense of tasks and to-dos for the days and weeks, while also providing a sense of fulfilment. This could help build a sense of achievement and place significant in less-important tasks.

3.       Create a conducive work environment

Distraction can be our biggest enemy when it comes to working productively, which is why it is important to make sure you’re in a conducive work environment that encourages focus and concentration. Often time, clutter is also an overlooked factor in disrupting concentration and productivity. With that said, maybe it’s time to clear your desks a little, and find a quiet space that allows you to think!

4.       Stick to deadlines

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Going a couple hours or even a few days past our deadlines because we miscalculated our time or underestimated our abilities to complete a task. To maximise our productivity, it is always important to stick to deadlines as strictly as we can! Cultivating discipline and good work habits helps us to stay motivated and maintain productivity while at work

5.       Separate work and rest time; not letting either overlap.

It’s surprisingly common that employees received work related emails and text messages past work hours or even on weekends! This makes it difficult to draw a clear line between work and rest, which can create a habit of overworking without even realizing it! By segregating our time strictly, we are establishing priorities in different areas of our lives at different times, allowing a balance in work and leisure, resulting in increased productivity during actual work hours.

In resolving distraction and unproductivity, we can never solely rely on one solution. It’s important identify what keeps us motivated and productive, and what are the forces that cause us to lose focus. Perhaps this is a good time to evaluate and reset our productivity habits for the new year!