
The productivity gap between the UK and other developed
nations is undoubtedly one of the most troubling issues of our current economy.
The
Office for National Statistics (ONS) has stated that UK workforces are 31% less
productive than their US counterparts and 17% less productive than the rest
of the G7 countries, despite the number of hours worked by Britons being
similar to these other nations.
It is an issue that no organisation launching a science
recruitment campaign should ignore - but what are five of the factors that are
exerting the greatest influence on staff productivity?
1. Staff attitude
The people who you recruit to your organisation's science
jobs need to have the right attitude, but all too often, employees do not enjoy
their work and therefore spend more of their time watching the clock or
thinking about the money than making a major contribution to their employers'
fortunes.
Do your bit to improve employee attitudes by placing them in
roles that play to their passions and strengths, in addition to formally
recognising their achievements.
2. Ill health
Did you know that during 2014, sickness
absence was an average of 2.8% of working time per annum, or 6.5 days per
employee, costing employers an average of £16 billion?
Employee ill health is unquestionably a great drain on the
productivity of UK workforces, with public sector organisations feeling the
worst effects - a median of 3.5% of working time is lost due to sickness time
in such organisations, compared to the 2.2% recorded for private sector firms.
3. Technology tools
It isn't just those organisations in more technical fields,
such as information systems, that need to keep up to date with the latest
technological developments that could benefit their employees' output.
Between 1995 and 2005, the
IT revolution was found to be responsible for 0.6% of labour productivity growth
and 1% of overall growth in Europe, the US and Japan, so you can rest
assured that when your staffers are equipped with the right tools, they will
get more done.
4. The 'higher ups'
Are you providing your workers with the supervision that
they need to deliver the maximum productivity, not just answering their
queries, but also encouraging, motivating and inspiring them, in addition to
formally recognising and rewarding their achievements?
Unfortunately, all too many supervisors concentrate on the
negative aspects of their employees' performances or don't keep promises to
them, thereby eroding the respect that staff members have for them and
therefore, their commitment to delivering the best work.
5. Downsizing and
outsourcing
It may be tempting to save money by farming out more of your
organisation's work to independent professionals or simply downsizing your
company, but have you considered the effect that this has on existing staff
members' morale?
If your current employees suspect that your firm is on a
downward slide, their own focus can suffer as they contemplate their own
position within the organisation and potential alternative career
opportunities.
One of the most sure-fire employee productivity boosting
measures will always be to simply recruit the best-suited individuals in the
first place. Your organisation should therefore never underestimate the assistance
that a leading science recruitment agency - such as Hyper Recruitment Solutions
- can provide in your hunt for the best pharmaceutical, clinical and other
science talent.