How To Improve Employee Workplace Performance

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An article recently published in the Journal of Organizational Psychology states that research found that employees do, in fact, draw support from their subordinates, and each employee can play an important role in the supportive environment of the workplace. The study also revealed a positive relationship between support and job performance, meaning the more supported employees felt in the workplace, the better they were at their job. The following are a few tips on ways in which you can improve employee workplace performance within your organization.

employee workplace performanceEncourage communication

In this regard, you need to be open-minded and encourage expression of ideas and suggestions without criticizing any part of it. Hold frequent staff meetings, provide suggestion boxes, or conduct surveys. Communicate clear goals and objectives to your employees, while maintaining an open-door policy.

Positive work environment

Keep the workplace setting clean and nice looking to promote a cheerful attitude. Little things such as natural light and personal space for each employee will help in creating a positive work environment. And don’t forget to keep things fun. For example, acknowledge an employee’s birthday by having the team sing happy birthday or putting up a sign in the office.

one man and three women wearing blue scrubs standing in a line with arms crossed and smiling

Show appreciation

Acknowledge achievements and offer words of encouragement, such as ‘nice job.’ This will make an employee feel as if they matter in a way that gives their work a sense of purpose. When things go well at your organization, always extend credit to your staff.

Provide effective training

Employees can be helped to improve their skills through in-house development and on-the-job training. Allow your employees to attend seminars and workshops, or enroll in an online eLearning course. Also, keep in mind that training is not a one time event, but rather a continuous activity.

Job performance and the employees’ level of happiness impact the potential of success for an organization. With both an appropriate performance management system and a positive approach to influencing people that increases happiness, an organization’s key results can more likely be achieved and sustained. Be sure to keep the above tips in mind when working towards improving employee performance in the workplace.

To request a quote for employee curriculum development or instructional design services, visit Avidity Medical Design today.

Keys to Effective Employee Management

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In today’s economy, employee management becomes even more crucial to a business’s success. Even though things started to pick up from the standpoint of our current recession, our healthcare industry is still struggling in part due to the Affordable Care Act. In fact, a recent poll listed financial issues as the top problem for healthcare system management. Any business, especially in healthcare, would be wise to exert extra effort in terms of employee management in these turbulent times. In our economy,employees won’t hesitate to leave for a better salary, and prospective employees won’t want to work for a business with poor employee management.

Some current issues facing corporate employee management are as follows:

  • Employees who find it difficult to relate to one another with regard to business endeavors because they are all trained differently and aren’t on the same page.
  • Employees who receive lower salaries and sparse raises, which are almost unavoidable in our current economy.
  • Employees who lack technical savvy. Many businesses heavily use technology in everyday dealings, and some employees may not be up to speed in terms of technology.
  • Employees who have a negative attitude and, as a result, impact the productivity of other coworkers.
  • Employees who leak information via social media. This is increasingly problematic due to the ease with which employees can access social media.

Ten Great Ways to Manage Your EmployeesNot addressing these issues and poor employment management, in general, will lead to a decline in employee productivity and employee retention. A great way to address the issue of difficult employee relationships, for example, is to have a mandatory training course that helps all employees get on the same page in terms of professional workplace communication. This is especially crucial in the area of health information management, where healthcare practitioners are all trained in the same general subject matter but with differing approaches and even different vocabulary, depending on their specialty.

Avidity Medical Design provides training that addresses problematic issues surrounding employee management. Blended learning courses, for example, place healthcare practitioners on equal footing in terms of how they relate to one another in the workplace. Courses are tailored to specific healthcare specialties. Medical coding students receive comprehensive training in ICD-10 and clinical documentation improvement. Medical transcription students receive the same level of training, but the focus shifts to teaching them how to accurately transcribe operative reports, emergency room records, and other types of clinical documentation. Contact us today to learn how we can train your employees to optimize their job performance and improve their relationships in the workplace.

Ten Steps to Minimizing Employee Turnover

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Employee turnover rates can be devastating for some employers. Each lost employee leads to missed opportunities and decreased productivity within the organization, while increasing the burden on current employees. When these factors are combined with the requirements of recruiting, the overall costs can be as much as three times the original salary. The best way to minimize these costs and create a better working environment is to understand how you can minimize employee turnover.

minimize employee turnoverThere are 10 key steps in retaining employees, many of which are especially important for those in healthcare settings. The mental and physical demands of healthcare require employers to be proactive in creating an environment that allows employees to thrive. When these needs are met, turnover rates decrease, productivity and morale increase, and the workplace atmosphere becomes one of improved teamwork.

Step One – Understand the Causes of Turnover

Numerous studies have shown that most managers believe that salary is the main reason that employees choose to leave. However, polls of employee exit interview responses have shown that there are more significant causes, including:

  • Unfulfilled expectations in the workplace
  • Lack of cohesion between the employee and required job functions
  • Lack of feedback and coaching to improve employee productivity and performance
  • Lack of recognition for superior performance
  • No room for advancement or growth
  • Imbalance between work and life due to overwork
  • Decreased confidence and/or trust in members of management

These employee-provided causes show employers not only why employees leave, but also how management can fix these issues to retain current talent. Employers who address these issues increase employee retention and improve employee performance.

Step Two – Promote Values for Positive Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is a key area of employee retention. Employers who create and follow a value-based culture based on respect, honesty, teamwork, attitude, and excellence of services not only retain current employees, they also attract recruits who value working in a positive environment.

Step Three – Improve Training Practices

Training should become an integral part of both new-hire practices and ongoing development. Employees who receive ongoing training and support feel more valued, better able to achieve their goals, and gain an improved understanding of key job requirements.

Step Four – Institute Mentoring Programs

Mentoring programs provide new recruits with a solid means of developing necessary skills, while also encouraging feedback relationships to assist with achieving personal and career goals. The pairing of experienced employees with new recruits is vital, especially in healthcare settings. The sensitive nature of the job can overwhelm new employees, and the availability of a mentor allows new recruits to openly address their feelings and issues, rather than abandoning the position.

Step Five – Improve Lines of Communication

Employees need to feel that they are valued, and that their input is taken seriously. Institute communication programs that encourage and promote employee feedback and suggestions, and ensure follow through from upper management.

Step Six – Show Appreciation

While salary increases and benefits are important, employees need to know their work is appreciated. Adding scheduled Employee Appreciation activities and rewards builds employer/employee relationships, and promotes a better working environment.

Step Seven – Provide Periodic Coaching

Ongoing coaching improves understanding of organizational goals, and guides employees on how they can meet them properly. Coaching should be used for both under-performance issues and as a way of showing employees whether they are meeting organizational goals.

Step Eight – Learning Opportunities

Providing opportunities for employee growth is essential for minimizing employee turnover. These opportunities also help employees reach important milestones for career advancement. Employers who provide training courses and workshops also retain employees at a much higher rate due to each employee’s perception that management is committed to helping them grow and achieve long-term success within the company.

Step Nine – Motivational Rewards

Employees who receive recognition for their contributions are motivated to increase personal performance. Employees need to know that their efforts are appreciated, and this enhances retention exponentially.

Step Ten – Promote Career/Life Balance

Scheduling practices should focus on providing the best balance between work and family. Flex time, compressed weekly schedules, and telecommuting options ensure employees can meet the demands of their employer and their families. When this balance is addressed, it leads to higher productivity, fewer call-offs, and better retention.

Businesses that focus on instituting these steps will lower turnover rates, and improve the organization as a whole. If you are interested in creating training opportunities to retain good employees and minimize turnover,  contact Avidity Medical Design today.