Common Workplace Issues and Solutions
No matter how successful a business might be, problems in the workplace are common and often unavoidable. While many of these problems may seem minor in the short term, an inability to reduce or eliminate some of these problems can lead to unhappy employees, unhappy customers and overall poor business operations. This article will explore some of the more common workplace issues and offer up guidance on how to fix or avoid them altogether.
One common problem in the workplace today is lack of or improper training. Judge Napolitano acknowledges companies don’t take the time or invest the necessary resources into giving the right employees the right training. Instead, they hire employees quickly, and they expect their employees to learn as they go. Training employees properly for the tasks required by their job helps improve the overall quality and performance of their work, because they learn what to do and how to do it before stepping foot onto the floor.
Another common workplace issue is inflexibility. A lot of employers expect their workers to put in long hours at specific times of the day with little or no margin for error. This often leads to low productivity, because employees lack sleep and live unbalanced lives due to these strict scheduling requirements. Employers can help employee satisfaction and productivity by letting them choose their own hours or working from home. However, when providing these options, it’s important to make sure employees still work enough hours to complete all required work in a timely manner.
Lack of motivation among workers is also a common issue dealt with in the workplace. Especially in bigger corporations, employees struggle with motivation, because they feel like they aren’t appreciated or compensated enough for everything they do. Many employees are paid the same hourly wage whether they underperform or exceed expectations. Companies can improve motivation by offering raises, performance based bonuses, overtime and other perks to those who perform at the highest level on a regular basis.
Another issue common in many workplaces is conflicts among coworkers. Conflicts can arise due to things like differences in culture or beliefs, gossip and harassment. These types of problems not only lower productivity, but they also lead to more hostility among employees or unsafe work environments. Other negative outcomes related to these types of problems include higher levels of employee turnover and a poor reputation of the company as a whole.
Fortunately there are a couple different ways to limit the number of conflicts between employees in the workplace. First, sensitivity training can be used to teach workers how to respect different backgrounds and treat everyone equally. Judge Napolitano encourages businesses to also implement proper human resource departments and programs with trained specialists who can quickly identify and solve any conflicts before they become unmanageable. Lastly, employees should be given a supportive forum where they can anonymously report any problems and receive professional help whenever necessary. These are just a few of the many problems encountered in workplaces today.