Employees are paid to do a job. When your employees step foot in the office each morning, you expect them to get to work immediately and give 100% to their work. While most of your employees are probably loyal and hard-working, they face a myriad of diversions each day. Even the best employees get distracted from their work from time to time.

If you frequently wonder what your team does all day, you are not alone. One in five employers believe their staffers are productive less than five hours per day, according to a 2016 CareerBuilder survey. Reduce uncertainties regarding your team’s performance by reducing workplace distractions.

Five Ways to Reduce Distractions and Boost Productivity

1. Think Twice About Your Open Floorplan

Seemingly ideal for a collaborative work environment, open floorplans make it easy for employees to communicate. However, open environments can also be a huge distraction. From the temptation to spend much of the day gossiping to trouble concentrating due to the high noise level, working in close corridors may not be the right setup for your team.

2. Offer Workspace Flexibility

Unless there is a business need for employees to work from a specific space, give them the freedom to complete assignments where they feel comfortable. For example, some people are most productive surrounded by absolute silence, while others find it stifling. To best accommodate your employees different work styles you could reconfigure the office to have designated quiet or collaborative spaces, or consider allowing people to work from home one or two days per week.

3. Designate a Space for Personal Calls

In cubeland, there are few things more distracting than employees who constantly take personal calls at their desks. Put an end to this by making people keep their cell phones on silent or vibrate. Require employees to head to the breakroom, hallway or outside area for phone conversations of a personal nature. People need to be accessible to loved ones during the workday, but limiting where these chats take place will make them less of a distraction for everyone.

4. Eliminate Unnecessary Meetings

While many meetings are necessary and extremely productive, others are just a waste of time. For example, weekly meetings that take place even when the team has nothing to discuss are pointless. Additionally, requiring people to attend meetings unnecessarily takes time away from work they could be doing, and breaks up their concentration. Be respectful of your employees time, and ask them to be cognizant of each others’ workloads and schedules as well.

5. Make People Feel Appreciated

Staying focused is a challenge when you feel like your contributions go unnoticed. On the other hand, it feels great to have a purpose and know your work is making a difference. Inspire your employees to reach their potential by recognizing their efforts. If your staff knows you are are aware of their efforts and appreciate their work, their motivation levels will surge.

Build a Productive, Hard-Working Team

Don’t let staffing issues distract your team from the job at hand. Become a construction industry leader by hiring the most talented professionals in the business. Partner with RealStreet to gain access to the lease, lease-to-hire and direct hire professionals needed to achieve your goals.