I Tried 11 Methods that Improved Workplace Productivity

50% of organizations struggle to keep workplace productivity at an acceptable level (70% or more). The key challenges are low employee performance, inefficient workflows, and a lack of employee engagement.

That is why business leaders, managers, and HR professionals constantly look for ways to improve work efficiency. To their credit, they often come up with solutions that boost employee performance.

Unfortunately, most of these methods backfire in the long run by burning out workers. Also affects employee morale negatively.

Over the last 3 years, I've tested practical strategies that consistently improved workplace productivity. So, let’s go through them.

In this article

• Definition of workplace productivity
• How productivity impacts businesses
• Advantages of improved workplace productivity
• Tested strategies to boost office productivity
• What makes employees inefficient
• Workplace productivity assessment
• Business transformation with workplace efficiency

What is Workplace Productivity?

Workplace productivity means how well workers finish tasks and reach goals in a given time. It's about the way teams use their time, skills, and tools to fulfill business goals while maintaining a positive employee experience.

At its core, productivity isn't about doing more work, but rather about doing the right work in the best way. As management expert Peter Drucker famously said, “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.”

This means high productivity involves reaching goals efficiently and maintaining quality standards. At the same time, it minimizes waste through proper resource utilization.

In the business world, productivity serves as a key sign of success. This directly impacts not only profit but also worker happiness. Which, by the way, shapes the company’s culture along the way.

Why Workplace Productivity Matters in Business?

Work productivity is not just about getting tasks done. It drives a company's success, growth trajectory, and workers' satisfaction. Productive employees help businesses improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase earnings.

Furthermore, high productivity levels create a positive work environment that promotes collaborative work and better output. As a result, customer satisfaction rises with the quality of products you deliver.

6 Key Benefits of Improving Workplace Productivity for Businesses

Making work more productive is not just about hard work, but rather it's about being smarter. Companies that focus on getting more done see better results, happier workers, and stronger growth.

Here are the main benefits:

Higher Profitability

Workers who get more done correctly finish tasks faster and do better work. This cuts waste and costs, which means more profit. McKinsey study show that good companies make 10% more profit and grow sales 35% faster than others.

Improved Employee Engagement

Happy workers try harder and do a better job. When workers can focus on important work instead of boring or slow tasks, they feel better about their role. Eventually, the organizational culture is shaped by high employee motivation.

For example, Gallup finds that companies with engaged workers see 14% more work done and 23% more profit.

Better Customer Satisfaction

Teams that get more done give faster and better results, which makes customers happy.

Research shows that engaged employees help companies get 17% more productivity. And 10% happier customers contributing to better workplace performance.

Lower Employee Turnover

Workers who feel useful and valued are less likely to quit. And this saves money for any company.

And guess what?

The Work Institute’s survey shows it can cost up to 33% of a worker's yearly pay to replace them. So making work better creates a happier workplace and increases employee retention.

More New Ideas and Growth

Good workplaces give workers time to focus on creative projects through strategic planning. This helps create new ideas and grow the business.

Companies like Google show that good work methods help create new ideas and grow bigger.

For example, Google's 20% time rule helped develop products like Gmail, Google News, AdSense, Google Maps, and Google Translate, which are worth billions of dollars today.

Stronger Competitive Advantage

Organizations that maximize productivity can deliver better services faster. And adapt to market changes more efficiently. This creates a sustainable competitive edge.

11 Proven Ways to Increase Productivity in the Workplace

Go through these tested strategies that helped many industry leaders and me to boost workplace productivity significantly.

1. Utilize Your Morning Energy

Getting a head start with full energy is the best thing you can do to boost your productivity. From my experience, I can guarantee you, this is the very first step you can take to maximize efficiency.

See, this isn’t just a random personal opinion. A survey of 1,086 CEOs from Inc. 5000's fastest-growing companies reveals that 64% of CEOs wake up at 6 a.m. or earlier. And 90% get up by 7 a.m. [Source: Inc. Magazine]

The reason is simple: you're in your best shape when you wake up after a sound sleep.

In fact, your body experiences a 50-75% increase in cortisol levels that peaks 30-45 minutes after waking up. This provides natural energy for peak performance. [Source: ScienceDirect]

So, don’t waste this sacred energy by getting into any media consumption before work. Try accomplishing a few tasks in the morning, then have some entertainment as a treat.

I first heard millionaire entrepreneur Brian Dean talking about this to increase productivity level, and ever since, it’s my top pick.

Want another piece of solid advice? Get at least 6 hours of sleep.

2. Do Advance Planning with Prioritization

The best time to plan your day is at the end of the previous working day or at the beginning of the very day.

I take a 50-50 approach. For half of my next day’s planning, I do it at the end of the previous day, and the rest is at the beginning of that day.

Moreover, it’s even better if you plan the required time for each task in advance. This will keep your brain focused on the target. And you’ll get the dopamine boost of getting things done on time.

For example, in 1918, Charles M. Schwab (president of Bethlehem Steel) brought in consultant Ivy Lee to improve executive productivity. Lee’s method was simple: at the end of each workday, list and rank the six most important tasks for tomorrow.

The next morning, start with #1 and work down by moving unfinished items to the next day’s list. After a short trial, Schwab was so pleased with the gains that he reportedly wrote Lee a $25,000 check for the advice.

3. Proper Time Management

Productivity is all about how efficiently you’re managing your time. Therefore, for the best time management, here is the cheat sheet you should consider:

• Perform task & time audit.
• Find time leaks (identify your time wasters)
• Set measurable & realistic targets with deadlines

Trust me, if you can master these 3 things I just mentioned, you’ll be on another level.

For example, U.S employees waste 2.9 hours in a workday. That’s more than 35% of total work hours! Time audits simply help to identify and reclaim these hidden time drains.

On that note, finding time leaks is easy. A time tracking software gets the job done without any hassle. Personally, I use Apploye time tracker to monitor my active time, idle time, and overall time report of each project and day.

Once you find the loopholes, then deadlines will further align you with the targets you want to achieve on time.

4. Utilize Productivity Tools & AI

Use of productivity & AI software is a must if you want to gear up your daily productivity. They make your days simpler, easier, organized, and focused.

For example, taking advantage of a tool like Apploye can improve time tracking by 40%. Things like this directly help to boost workplace productivity.

Some other tools can also help you increase efficiency and productivity in the workplace:

• Productivity analyzer & time tracking tool. (Apploye)
• Project management tool: (Trello, Clickup)
• AI assistant: (ChatGPT, PI, Gemini)

5. Focus or Deep Work Mode (time blocking)

Many of us often underestimate the power of deep work. But this is when productivity peaks.

Gloria Mark, a Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, showed an eye-opening number in her book. She found that after an interruption, it can take up to 25 minutes to regain attention on a task.

So, I highly recommend focused work if you aim to complete assignments quickly. The hack is simple: pay your attention to one task with a defined goal and deadline.

Furthermore, avoid any sort of disturbance. For instance, meetings, chatting with coworkers, using social media, or task switching until you meet your goal.

To effectively time block and focus on tasks, I suggest using focus apps like Forest, Apploye, or any employee monitoring software. These tools will help you maintain concentration and track your progress efficiently.

Typically, I keep a part of my everyday job for deep work. This quick sprint allows me to complete a significant number of tasks in a short time.

For an ideal reference, you can check this daily routine of Brunello Cucinelli (Founder & Ex-CEO of a famous fashion brand). Here you’ll see how he utilizes the focus time at its best.

6. Take Breaks

You might feel like productivity is all about continuously working, but that’s not true at all. In fact, it is counterproductive.

For example, Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab ran a study with 14 volunteers. They found that consecutive meetings stressed the brain. It was measured by the human brain’s beta wave activity.

However, once they took a 10-minute break, the brain was reset, and that dropped the stress level.

So to enter into a deep work state, you must take breaks while working for a long period.

The Pomodoro Technique is a no-brainer for this. Ideally, it suggests taking a 5-minute break after every 25 minutes of focused work.

But you can set your own rules according to your preference. Keep in mind that only breaks alone won’t do much if they aren’t refreshing enough.

My recommendation is to try to take a walk, talk to somebody, or grab a coffee, etc.

7. Cut Distractions

On average an employee wastes more than 2 hours a day just by using their phone. This is a prime example of distraction killing productivity.

But that’s not it. Office distractions come in many forms and shapes. Here’s a quick look at the common sources of distractions in the workplace.

• Social media
• Gossiping
• Randomly checking emails & switching between tasks
• Too many meetings
• Outside distractions (noise) etc.

To avoid you can:

• Set a specific time limit for your phone and social media use.
• Keep the phone on silent mode or away from the desk.
• Set focus hours, and during that time, you wouldn’t switch between tasks.
• Avoid checking emails randomly. Check it at a selected time of day.
• Use noise-cancellation headphones.
• Request or report to your management for a better workplace environment.

8. Say ‘No’ to Multitasking

Stanford researchers found out how bad multitasking can be. They studied about 100 students. Split them into groups of people who multitask a lot and who don't.

The results were shocking!

In every test, the heavy multitaskers did much worse. Professor Clifford Nass said,

"They're suckers for irrelevancy. Everything distracts them."

Ironically, students who thought they were good at multitasking couldn't screen unnecessary information, had worse memory, and were even bad at switching between tasks. And they thought they were best at it!

You see, the human brain is specifically designed to do one task at a time. Juggling multiple tasks confuses the brain and reduces focus and efficiency.

Therefore, always try to engage in one task at a time; nothing less, nothing more. Do one job well, and only then move on to the next task.

9. Keep Things Simple - Don’t Be a Perfectionist

Although we all love a job that is perfectly done, it comes with a heavy price: time.

We waste countless hours of our time on tasks that don’t significantly contribute to our personal or organizational progress.

A clear example comes from Dalhousie University. Researchers studied 1,258 psychology professors. They found that perfectionist professors wrote fewer papers.

These teachers also got fewer citations and published in worse journals than other professors.

Now, if you look deeper into your day-to-day operation, you’ll find this yourself. Like doing another fine-tuning or a final revision, or a final retouch. Most of the time, it’s not that important.

Meanwhile, you could have completed another task without putting much mental pressure on yourself.

So next time you’re doing a task yourself or delegating it, don’t overcomplicate the ones that have clear, simpler solutions.

10. Organize Your Workspace

A neat, clean & organized workplace will automatically set your mood for a productive work day.

It takes only 5 minutes to declutter your desk and organize it, the effect is mesmerizing.

Consider setting the following things to get a great, productive day:

• Neat and clean desk
• Ample light in your workspace
• Ergonomic sitting position (chair, sitting position, desk height, etc.)
• Plants on the desk or in the room
• Healthy airflow and temperature control, etc.

11. Clear Communication

Effective communication is one of the cornerstones that is often undervalued in a lot of organizations. As a result, companies lose money without even realizing.

To give you an example, the average cost of miscommunication for a company with 100 employees is $420,000 every year.

By building robust communication across the business you can significantly cut down wasted time. And it positively affects the overall revenue.

Here are a few sets of rules that helped me & my team ace our communication:

• Use clear language
• Emails and messages should be on point & well-structured
• Every meeting must have a list of action points
• Active listening
• On-time follow-up of the task

How Workers Lose Productivity and Become Inefficient?

Workers don’t lose productivity because they are lazy. They lose it when time, attention, and energy leak away.

Here are the main culprits (and what the research says).

Unclear Goals and “work about work”

When priorities are fuzzy, people sit in status meetings, chase updates, and duplicate effort. Asana finds that 60% of the workday goes to “work about work,” with 103 hours/year in unnecessary meetings and 209 hours/year on duplicate work.

Too Many Meetings and Messages

Always-on chat and email fragment focus. Microsoft found out that the average worker gets 117 emails per day, and 40% check email before 6 a.m.—a recipe for constant context switching.

Information is Hard to Find

Knowledge workers spend more time communicating than creating. And 62% say they struggle to find what they need. Microsoft’s data shows 57% of time goes to meetings, email, and chat. This hurts their productivity.

Multitasking and Context Switching

Switching tasks is not free. Research building on Rubinstein, Meyer, and Evans shows that task-switching can cost up to 40% of productive time.

Burnout and Chronic Stress

Burned-out people slow down, make errors, and withdraw. In Gallup’s 2024 global report, 41% of employees reported. “a lot of stress.”

In another study, 23% of workers confirmed feeling completely burned out. Another 44% said they feel burned out sometimes.

Impacts of Low Workplace Productivity in Organizations

Low productivity drains profit, weakens teams, and slows growth. Here are the common, proven effects of this:

Higher Operating Costs

When output per hour is low, unit labor costs rise. That means you pay more in wages for the same amount of work. The U.S. Labor data shows that more productivity cuts work costs, while less productivity raises them. [Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics]

Big losses from disengagement

Poor productivity and weak engagement go together. Gallup estimates that low engagement costs the global economy about US $8.9 trillion each year. That is around 9% of global GDP!

Lower Quality and Unhappy Customers

Teams with poor engagement see more errors and weaker customer outcomes. For example, Gallup research finds that disengaged employees are responsible for 41% more quality defects.

Higher Turnover and Replacement Costs

Problems and burnout make people quit. Studies show it costs 33% of base pay to replace one worker—hiring, training, and lost time add up.

Well-being Costs and Absenteeism

Poor productivity environments often come with stress and mental-health strain. The WHO estimates depression and anxiety cost US $1 trillion each year in lost productivity worldwide. [Source: World Health Organization]

Measure and Monitor Workplace Productivity

Keeping track of how employees are performing is crucial for a sustainable business. To do that, you need to measure and monitor workforce productivity regularly.

Here’s how you can measure workplace productivity:

Set Clear Benchmarks

First, select tasks, set goals, and the data you want to track. You can do it on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. I recommend you do this daily for maximum effectiveness.

To get started, estimate how long each type of task should take. A productivity software can help you track time more accurately and identify patterns.

Once you complete the assigned task, compare your target vs what you have achieved. This will show your true capability and the areas for improvement.

Now, when you keep doing this regularly, you’ll find the optimal performance patterns. Take it as a reference and try to match it every time you take on other tasks.

Note: Track your current performance for a week before implementing any new productivity strategies. This baseline data will help you measure the effectiveness of your improvements.

Use task & time tracking tools

Now that you’ve done the groundwork, it’s time to track things for reviewing. Leverage task & time tracking tools like Apploye, Asana, and Clickup to monitor the time you spend on each task.

Using productivity tools will provide you with detailed reports and analytics on your active and idle times. This will help you identify patterns and areas for improvement easily.

Analyze task completion rates

Task completion rate is one crucial metric that you must consider to adopt any productivity strategy. Especially for team managers and owners.

Try to regularly review your to-do lists and task boards. Look at how many tasks you’ve completed vs how many were planned. This can give you a clear picture of your efficiency and help identify bottlenecks.

Conduct regular reviews

Set aside time each day, week, or month to review your productivity. For the team, it’s better to go for a weekly or monthly review.

Reflect on what strategies worked well and which didn’t. This self-assessment will provide valuable insights and help you make necessary adjustments to your approach.

Monitor your output quality

Make sure that your output maintains a high standard. Consider tracking metrics related to the quality of your work, such as error rates, client satisfaction, or project success rates.

Compare baseline data

Finally, you have to compare your current productivity data with the baseline data (the data you had before implementing the productivity strategies).

This comparison will help you see the tangible improvements and motivate you to continue optimizing your workflow.

Examples of Workplace Productivity

Here are clear, real-world examples of workplace productivity. Each shows a simple change that led to better work.

Remote Work Trial at a Call Center (Ctrip)

What Ctrip did: Let agents work from home in a nine-month test.
Result: 13% higher performance overall. This is because workers spent more time on customer calls. Also, the number of calls was higher.

No-Meeting Days in Large Companies (MIT Survey)

What Organizations did: Cut meetings by about 40% (two meeting-free days a week).

Result: Workers reported 71% higher productivity and lower stress, with better focus. [Source: MIT Sloan Management Review]

Four-day Workweek Trial in Microsoft Japan

What Microsoft Japan did: Closed offices every Friday. Gave 2,300 workers three-day weekends with full pay. Also, cut meetings to 30 minutes and pushed remote work.

Result: Each worker sold 40% more compared to the same month last year. And 92% employees liked the four-day work week. [Source: CNN]

Atlassian's "ShipIt" Hackathon Days

What Atlassian did: Quarterly arranged a 24-hour-long hackathon for employees to create anything related to their products.

Result: Jira was born. It is now one of the top revenue-generating products for Atlassian.

Signing Off

Improving office productivity is a continuous journey. It requires constant experimentation and adjustment along the way while focusing on employee productivity statistics and employee productivity reports.

To achieve this, you have to stay committed and regularly track improvements. Only then can you see labor productivity reaching new heights.

Frequently Asked Questions About Workplace Productivity

What is the 1 3 5 rule of productivity?

The 1–3–5 rule is a simple way to plan your day. You choose 1 big task, 3 medium tasks, and 5 small tasks to finish. It keeps your list short so you focus on what matters and avoid overload. Adjust the numbers if your day is full of meetings or your big task is very heavy.

What are the 4 types of productivity?

Labor, capital, material, and total factor productivity are the 4 types. The first three look at one input at a time. But the total factor looks at everything together.

How can we create a work environment that balances productivity with social interaction without compromising focus?

Set daily focus time and separate time for teamwork. Protect them with no-meeting rules and a do-not-disturb policy. Create clear spaces and rules, such as quiet areas for deep work and team spots for quick talks. Also, add short, planned social meetings so people can connect without random breaks.

What are the biggest reasons for and against using stats to drive productivity in a workplace?

In the workplace, stats show what works and what doesn’t. They reveal bottlenecks, guide goals, and help teams track progress and improve. However, too many stats can cause stress. Workers can miss context or quality and raise privacy concerns, so use them with judgment and human review.

What is the productivity of an employee?

Employee productivity is how much good work a worker does in a set time. It looks at what you get (tasks done, work quality, results) vs what you put in (hours, tools, cost). You can measure it with things like tasks finished, deadlines met, mistake rates, customer feedback, or money made per worker.

How do workplace dynamics affect employee productivity and job satisfaction?

Good work culture, like clear roles, open talk, trust, and fair leadership, helps employees focus and do their best. So work gets done better and people are happier. On the other hand, too much control, unclear goals, and playing favorites create stress and low drive. It hurts morale and makes people want to quit.

How can you improve workplace productivity without increasing working hours?

Set clear goals and cut low-value work. Cancel or shorten meetings, reduce distractions, and time-block deep work. Improve tools and processes, automate repeat tasks, use checklists and templates, and give quick feedback. So people get more done in the same hours.

What does research say about the productivity of workers who work more than 50 hours per week?

Studies show that working more than 50 hours per week makes workers do worse work. After working long hours for weeks, people get tired and make more mistakes. This cancels out the extra time they put in. Studies show that working 40-50 hours per week works best for both health and getting work done.

What are the most effective ways companies can track employee productivity without reducing motivation?

To track productivity without reducing motivation, look out for results, not activity. Set clear goals and evaluate finished work, quality, and on-time delivery. Use simple tools like project boards and short weekly check-ins.

Why is optimism believed to be key to workplace productivity and mental health?

Optimism helps people expect good things, so they try harder and stay focused. It cuts stress and helps them recover from problems, which helps their mental health. Optimistic teams share ideas, solve problems faster, and keep going, so they get more done.

How can we increase productivity in the workplace while ensuring worker safety and preventing burnout?

Keep workers safe and fresh with regular breaks, good training, risk-free tools & work areas, and fair hours. Also, switch hard tasks and limit overtime. Check workload and stress with meetings and tool data. Then change staff, due dates, or priorities before people burn out.

How can you maintain productivity and motivation at work?

Set daily goals, break work into small steps, and block time to focus while you turn off alerts. Take short breaks, move your body, eat well, and sleep enough to stay strong. Track progress, celebrate small wins, and connect your tasks to a goal; ask someone for help when you get stuck.