Arriving to work early can be very beneficial. Is this something we should be encouraging our staff to do more often? What are the actual benefits of showing up before your scheduled start time?
Firstly, if we expect our employees to arrive to work early, their work environment has to be desirable. Investing time and money into creating a welcoming working space, will make it a place where employees will wish to spend their time. This not only actively encourages earlier arrivals; it will also boost levels of productivity. If an employee is happy in their surroundings, they will be in a better frame of mind, therefore, in turn, be driven to do more work.
From an employees’ perspective, arriving that little bit earlier gives them time to settle in. Spending some time making a cup of coffee and catching up with colleagues before starting the working day is a great place to begin.
ikewise, employees who do put the effort in to begin work slightly earlier than their start time, should be recognised. Mangers should be noticing who is early, as it shows enthusiasm and reflects great organisation skills. This is a good factor to mention during employee appraisals.
During a discussion with an employee, it may be wise to help them set up a plan for the day. Giving an employee a sample of how to allocate their time and add structure to the work day should encourage them to do this for themselves. Furthermore, if an employee does take this step on board, they are likely to start work earlier, as they will arrive and plan ahead – leading to more productive work.
Interestingly, setting a daily schedule can be linked to goal-setting techniques. When an employee is due a three-month review or one-on-one session with their manager and/or HR body, this can be discussed. If a manager wishes to guide an employee to think strategically and set their own goals, the SMART technique is highly recommended.
For further information on how to adapt this technique, please see this previous blog post on goal setting, or contact Clover HR today.
