'Lack of job recognition affects productivity'

Lack of job recognition in the Middle East's workplaces is the biggest barrier to employee productivity, concluded a poll conducted by Bayt.com. Forty one per cent of the respondents said little/or the lack of credit for their efforts causes their productivity levels to wane.

The ambiguity of roles at 30 per cent also stops people from giving their best at work; while 14 per cent felt that having no say in the decision making process negatively affects their productivity.

The overwhelming result of the poll that directly links lack of recognition to low productivity levels comes on the back of a recent Bayt.com survey into performance appraisals, which found that while 71 per cent of all workers receive either a quarterly, half-yearly or yearly performance appraisal, 50 per cent stated that they had no feedback on how they were doing.

Interestingly, just 11per cent of those surveyed in the productivity poll stated that the difficulty to find a good work/life balance stopped them from being productive, despite the issue receiving a lot of attention as a fundamental driver of poor productivity at work.

The productivity poll series conducted by Bayt.com sought to assess the drivers and obstacles to productivity in the region's workplaces and to uncover the motivating factors that would improve it.

The poll went on to assess what the main reasons are that respondents cite as the biggest impediment to productivity. Lack of motivation featured as the biggest obstacle, with 34 per cent agreeing that it was a major factor. Again, the ambiguity of job roles featured in second place as a barrier amongst 28 per cent of the respondents, while internal communication issues gained 16 per cent of respondents' votes that it is working to hinder their performance at work.

"Waning levels of productivity in the workplace can often be the biggest 'thorn in the side' of employers; because it can have a fundamental and detrimental effect on an employer's business," said Amer Zureikat, Regional Manager, Bayt.com.

"By finding out what the key drivers are that make workers less productive, employers can be empowered to tackle these issues head on, and improve an employee's output – both on an individual and organisational level.

"Organisations the world over are realising that successfully motivating staff on an ongoing basis is a fundamental element in building good rapport among staff, keeping staff loyal to the company and most of all maintaining optimal productivity levels of employees. This becomes even more crucial during these times of economic crisis, because news of job losses and an unstable future may serve to de-motivate employees significantly. That over two thirds of people cite lack of motivation as their biggest impediment to greater productivity suggests businesses across the region could be doing much more to address the issue for their organisation's benefit – as much as for the employees," added Zureikat.

Despite the issues of rising unemployment in the region and many companies downsizing and restructuring, only 6 per cent of respondents felt that being understaffed was the biggest barrier to their productivity levels, regardless of the fact that employees may have to work even harder to cover the human capital deficit.

The polls additionally asked what significant motivating factor would encourage the respondents to be more productive. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of respondents stated that it would be an increase in salary and benefits, with 40 per cent of the respondents' votes.

The least motivating factor said 9 per cent of respondents was having more job responsibilities. Employees believe their workloads are sufficient and that extra responsibilities do not mean they will become more productive as a result.

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