by Brianna Crandall — August 5, 2013—While nice weather and too many meetings rank high on the list of things that decrease productivity in the office, more than 70% of both office workers and managers believe that workers are more productive today than they were five years ago, according to a recent survey from Staples Advantage, the business-to-business (B2B) division of office products giant Staples, Inc. The company conducted an online survey of more than 250 office workers and 250 managers at organizations of all sizes across the United States in May 2013, asking a series of questions about productivity in the office from both the office workers’ and managers’ perspectives.
The survey reflects workplace trends in recent years that have shifted from private, dense cubicle environments to more open, collaborative workspaces with tech support, and now back towards a middle ground that respects workers’ need for both types of spaces, and accommodates the preferences of a multigenerational workforce with various work styles to keep productivity surging, noted a spokesman for the company.
Both office workers and managers agree that the following elements are essential to a productive work day:
- Mobile technology (29% office workers, 37% managers)
- Break times (23%, 33%)
- Telecommuting (19%, 35%)
On the other hand, both groups call out the following top two reasons for decreased productivity in the workplace:
- Technology limitations (31% office workers, 43% managers)
- Non-collaborative work environments (25%, 33%)
According to Staples Advantage, companies looking to increase productivity in their offices and overcome some efficiency hurdles should consider the following solutions:
- Collaborative workspaces—Businesses should take steps to create workspaces where employees can easily communicate and share ideas for group collaboration. Office furniture options now go far beyond the traditional chair, desk and cubicle. Companies should consider designing an open office environment by including a mix of casual and formal meeting areas to encourage spontaneous conversation and teamwork.
- Breakrooms—Stepping away from work in nearby breakrooms helps foster productivity by allowing healthy mental breaks, an opportunity to refuel, and casual conversations. To help make a breakroom inviting and effective, companies should include comfortable furniture and offer a variety of snacks for workers.
- Technology—Companies should equip their employees with the technology needed to get work done efficiently—from printers and PCs to products that help enable telecommuting, such as tablets and remote access virtual private networks (VPNs). Implementing a managed print services program can also increase productivity by eliminating the need for workers and in-house information technology (IT) staff to supply and maintain printers throughout the office.
“We’re seeing a trend in the right direction, with 70% of workers and managers saying they’re more productive now than five years ago,” said Tom Heisroth, senior vice president for Staples Advantage. “Providing employees with the right tools and resources is essential to improving office-wide productivity. At Staples, we make it easy for businesses to be productive with everything they need including technology, breakroom supplies, furniture and office products.”
BYOD and Productivity
Office workers and managers also weighed in on how a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy impacts productivity. Thirty-five percent of workers and 54% of managers believe BYOD policies increase productivity. With Gartner predicting that half of employers may impose a mandatory BYOD policy by 2017, companies should consider effective policies that can grow with demand. One key requirement for BYOD is a strong security policy, for which Staples offers the following tips:
- Implement a strong password policy on all devices that “times out” every 15 minutes
- Use data wipe software with the ability to “wipe” the data off a device if it is lost or stolen.
- Avoid saving data to a personal device, only to corporate servers.
Office workers and managers also agreed on a number of other hurdles to productivity including too many meetings (both 44%), nice weather (27%, 26%) and office space temperature (40%, 38%).
Staples Advantage serves organizations of all types with 20 or more employees up to the Fortune 1000, around the world. The company’s one-source solution includes comprehensive products, services and solutions to keep employees productive, from office supplies, technology and printing to promotional products, furniture and facilities supplies.
