The ultimate startup hacks to boost productivity

Whoever thinks working at a startup is all about fun and games is deluded. Startup employees are constantly under pressure to put forth their best foot. The main focus of every startup is growth. For this reason, they have to complete long to-do lists in remarkably short periods of time and work with very little resources at their disposal. Sure, the work environment is relaxed and less formal as compared to multinational companies, but employees at a startup have to work doubly hard in order to make the budding company a success. Here are a few hacks by which startups can boost productivity.

Keep track of time

It is easy to lose track of time while you're in the middle of a task. If you want to get more work done out of the eight hours in a day, begin timing yourself. Along with assigning a to-do list to your employees, give them a time chart that will indicate the approximate time each task will take to get completed. This practice will ensure that your employees accomplish more work in a day and this would ultimately boost the productivity of your overall organisation.

Take scheduled breaks

Encourage your employees to take short breaks every hour or two. These scheduled breaks will help them maintain a constant level of performance during lengthy tasks and will work wonders for their productivity. Sitting long hours at a desk leads to a steady decline in performance and can bring down the concentration levels of your employees.

Avoid unnecessary meetings

A lot of companies call for team meetings without a set agenda. This leads to a waste of the employee's as well as the company's time. If a particular task can be accomplished via email or telephone, avoid calling a meeting for the same. Also, meetings often start late and never end on time which can disrupt an employee's schedule and prevent him from completing tasks he would have otherwise accomplished during the day.

Decorate your office space

If you look up from your laptop and see something on the surrounding walls that will put a smile on your face, it will instantly put you in a good mood. Research shows that having plants around can increase your productivity levels by up to 15 percent. You can ask your employee's to give their suggestions as to what they would like to see around the office. Decorate your space with flowers, pictures, and candles to increase your employee's happiness quotient and give them something to look forward to everyday.

Encourage listening to music

A lot of people work better when they listen to music. Playing ambient sounds in the background can soothe stressed nerves and increase productivity levels by manifold. It also makes your work environment livelier and gives a surge to creativity. However, not all individuals can concentrate on the task at hand with music playing. In such a scenario, employees can play music on their headphones so as to not disturb their colleagues.

Employees are the most valued asset of any organisation, and it is therefore important to build and maintain a strong work culture to ensure productivity. This way, when your team expands, you won't have to lay down basic codes of conduct and work procedures from scratch.