june2021 - 34

FEATURE
What to Know When Measuring
Your Team's Productivity
By Shahram Zarshenas
THANKS TO THE dawn of the digital era and modern technology,
the business landscape continues to shape and shift in
unprecedented ways. Entrepreneurs across industries leverage
various tools to upgrade their practices and systems, ensuring
that progress and productivity are always prioritized.
With the development of tools and
So long as your accounting workplatforms
come the smartphones and
social media world, however, which
has effectively blended personal and
professional lives. Drawing the line has
become rather hard to do, and unfortunately,
this is causing a problem
regarding employee productivity.
And now comes the new challenge-how
can employers effectively
measure their team's productivity
daily? While micromanaging is
believed to be the best way to do so,
it's important to remember that your
employees are people too, and in the
accounting landscape where talent is
needed, you'll want to keep them as
happy as possible.
To help ensure you get the most out
of your productivity measuring plans,
here's a quick and easy guide to follow:
UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE:
THINGS TO REMEMBER
* Instead of measuring hours and days,
measure the tasks at hand
In a highly digital environment, the
lines between personal and professional
lives are steadily becoming blurred.
Overlapping is a reality all employers
must face, and the age of micromanaging
must come to an end. Forcing your
employees to stay away from their personal
lives should be out of the question
and instead, encourage them to focus
on the tasks. If the work gets done, then
you have nothing to worry about.
34 JUNE 2021 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
flow is honored, papers are worked
on, and clients are happy, you will
have had a productive day. Break
down the work into tasks, and assign
them accordingly until all projects are
completed. From there, you can get rid
of anything that could cause further
stress and issues.
* Allow your team's results to tell the
story of productivity
Anchoring on the first item, it's
best to focus on the results. It's the
most important element that indicates
employee productivity. Make sure to
constantly ask for feedback among
your employees, but never forget about
your clients.
Attain as much information as you
can regarding the customer journey
they've experienced. What works well
will continue to work, and as long as
you're seeing results that keep the
company thriving, you're working with
the right people.
* Never lose sight of your company goals
Measuring your team's productivity
is crucial, but it's important to sit
back and remember-what are you
trying to accomplish? Keep your goals
in mind, as this is how you ensure that
the entire team is focused. If you're
hitting goal after goal, and objective
after objective, you're on the right
track.
WHERE TOOLS COME IN
When it comes down to actual measurements,
however, you may want
to invest in the right tools. A tracking
system allows you to keep a tab on
your employee's productivity levels,
all without trying to seem intrusive.
Here, you'll be able to use a system
that tracks tasks and projects, and
not your employee's day. In doing so,
you also see what aspects of the work
take too much time, and how you can
further improve the practices in place.
INVEST IN THE BEST CPA
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
TOOLS
Your ability to measure employee
productivity in the workplace is critical
to your firm's success, but remember
that how they spend their time doesn't
always guarantee success. The best
way to see productivity is by looking
at the results-down to the last detail.
If it's promising, with satisfied clients
and organized files, you're on the right
track. ■
Shahram Zarshenas is the CEO of Financial
Cents, www.financialcents.com.
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM
FINANCIAL CENTS BLOG.
http://www.financialcents.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
june2021

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