How to Improve Employee Productivity in the Workplace: Strategies, Stats and Smart Solutions

In today’s hybrid, AI-augmented workplace, improving employee productivity is no longer about working harder, it’s about working smarter. With digital transformation accelerating across sectors, organisations must rethink how they define, measure and enable productivity. This article explores the latest UK statistics, emerging trends, and actionable strategies to help leaders and teams unlock their full potential. 

Why Productivity Matters More Than Ever 

Productivity is the engine of growth, innovation and resilience. For public sector bodies, NHS organisations, and enterprise teams alike, it directly impacts service delivery, cost efficiency and employee wellbeing. Yet, many organisations are still relying on outdated metrics and manual processes that limit performance. 

UK Productivity Snapshot: 2025 

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and workplace studies reveal a mixed picture: 

• Output per hour worked in Q1 2025 is 2.1% higher than pre-pandemic levels. 

• Output per worker rose 1.4%, driven by a 4.7% increase in gross value added (GVA). 

• The average UK employee is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes of an 8-hour day. 

• 83% of employees report being more productive when working remotely. 

• Workers in the top 10% of firms produce 3.59x more output than those in median firms. 

• AI adoption is rising fast: 53% of leaders expect to use agents to meet workforce capacity demands. 

These figures highlight both the opportunity and the urgency to modernise workplace strategies. 

Rethinking Productivity: From Human Effort to Human+ Teams 

Traditional productivity models are reaching their limits. Adding more people doesn’t scale, and legacy software can’t keep up. The future lies in Human+ teams, where AI agents augment every role: 

• Phase 1: AI Assistants (e.g. Microsoft Copilot summarising meetings, drafting content) 

• Phase 2: Digital Colleagues (agents triaging requests, generating reports) 

• Phase 3: Agent-Run Workflows (AI executing structured tasks independently) 

Organisations embracing this shift are seeing faster decision-making, reduced manual work, and improved employee satisfaction. 

10 Proven Strategies to Improve Employee Productivity

1. Define Success Clearly

Move beyond hours worked. Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to align teams with business outcomes.

2. Empower with Technology

Deploy tools like Microsoft 365, Copilot, Viva Insights and Endpoint Manager to streamline workflows and reduce friction. Prism for Copilot offers granular usage insights and cost optimisation. 

3. Automate Repetitive Tasks

Use Power Platform and workflow automation to eliminate manual processes. AI-driven triage and reporting free up time for strategic work.

4. Create Seamless Access

Enable single sign-on and secure access to all apps, SaaS, on-premises and installed. This reduces context switching and improves focus.

5. Invest in Wellbeing

Support mental health, stress management and emotional resilience. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce. 

6. Build Accountability and Routine

Up to 40% of daily activities are driven by habit. Structured routines and team check-ins reduce decision fatigue and boost consistency.

7. Upskill Continuously

Only 27% of UK workers feel adequately trained in AI. Invest in mentorship, training and leadership development to future-proof your teams.

8. Optimise Work Environments

Flexible schedules, ergonomic setups and healthy diets all contribute to better performance. Music boosts productivity for 79% of employees.

9. Tackle Productivity Killers

Social media, email overload and workplace chatter are major distractions. Use focus tools and digital wellbeing dashboards to manage them.

10. Track and Improve

Use dashboards, telemetry and feedback loops to monitor trends and adjust strategies. Tools like Prism for Copilot from Trustmarque is key to gain visibility and enable continuous improvement. 

Sector Insights: Where Productivity Is Rising 

• Construction and IT sectors are leading growth, driven by automation and digital tools. 

• Health and retail sectors lag due to increased hours worked without proportional output gains. 

Final Thoughts: Trustmarque’s Human+ Organisation Vision 

As organisations seek to scale productivity and AI adoption, Trustmarque’s Human+ Organisation proposition offers a transformative framework. It’s not just about deploying technology, it’s about redesigning work so that people and AI achieve more together. 

Trustmarque enables Human+ organisations by: 

• Augmenting the workforce with secure, knowledgeable Copilot agents that automate routine tasks and unlock new value. 

• Building scalable infrastructure across Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Azure AI, and Fabric Data Platform to support intelligent workflows. 

• Driving adoption and governance with tailored communications, training programmes, and change management support. 

• Ensuring ethical AI deployment with a focus on data sovereignty, inclusion, and workforce partnership, redeploying, not replacing, wherever possible. 

• Empowering Human+ teams to be engaged, aware, and productive, with AI-enhanced tools for creation, organisation and collaboration.

Whether you're just starting your Copilot journey or scaling across departments, Trustmarque helps you move from early success to sustainable transformation. The Human+ approach is about building confidence, capability and culture, so AI becomes a trusted partner, not just a tool. 

Learn more about Trustmarque's Human+ approach to AI.