--- title: WorkforceOptimizer - What is maximizing staff utilization description: Optimizer is FriarTuck’s proprietary platform that leverages on Machine Learning for predictive analytics, Mathematical Optimization to solve complex resource scheduling problems and advanced Data Analytics for real-time business analytics. Find out more. image: https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hubfs/Stock%20images/hand%20working%20with%20a%20Cloud%20Computing%20diagram%20on%20the%20new%20computer%20interface%20as%20concept.jpeg --- ![WorkforceOptimizer-logo-1](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WorkforceOptimizer-logo-1.png?width=440&name=WorkforceOptimizer-logo-1.png)   [![bg17](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bg17.png?width=2000&name=bg17.png "bg17")](https://workforceoptimizer.com/) # WorkforceOptimizer - What is maximizing staff utilization Posted by [Ken Peh](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/author/ken-peh) on Nov 7, 2018 11:41:00 AM ![Ken Peh](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/d926f97fcd900a50f4c394a134032212) *Reading time: 4 minutes* ![Productivity sign with a beautiful day on background-1](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stock%20images/Productivity%20sign%20with%20a%20beautiful%20day%20on%20background-1.jpeg?width=300&name=Productivity%20sign%20with%20a%20beautiful%20day%20on%20background-1.jpeg) In today's business context, maximizing employee potential should be one of your Human Resource Management and organization's priorities. Disgruntled, idle workers who do the bare minimum are dead weight for your company. Each employee you hire should be considered an investment in the company. Being able to push your employees to the maximum potential will enhance your entire company's productivity and efficiency. Here are some ideas to help your workers be the best that they can be - and not hate you in the process. **Hire the correct people** In our previous few posts, we talked a lot about the "marriage", that is, matching the correct candidates with their skill sets to the correct job. Applicants or candidates who are too opinionated or have "too much personality" are often nixed from the list of potential hires due to their unpredictability. This would be a huge mistake - often these individuals possess leadership characteristics which would enhance your workforce. ![Portrait young stressed woman thinking too hard steam coming out up of head isolated on grey wall background. Face expression emotion perception](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stock%20images/Portrait%20young%20stressed%20woman%20thinking%20too%20hard%20steam%20coming%20out%20up%20of%20head%20isolated%20on%20grey%20wall%20background.%20Face%20expression%20emotion%20perception.jpeg?width=600&name=Portrait%20young%20stressed%20woman%20thinking%20too%20hard%20steam%20coming%20out%20up%20of%20head%20isolated%20on%20grey%20wall%20background.%20Face%20expression%20emotion%20perception.jpeg) **Identify the gap and overcome it** From your workforce, you should assess individual potential. Maybe your data entry grunt actually has skills in other areas, such as product design or technical writing. Get to know your employees, their past experiences and their interests. Often times, an unhappy employee is simply a bored one, stuck in an unchallenging and unfulfilling post. Maybe a certain employee doesn't have outside skills, but has such a mastery of their job that they can be given the responsibility of training new hires. Or maybe they have outside skills that can be pursued in their free time - for example, search giant Google used to require that its programmers set aside 20% of their time on personal pet projects, in an effort to foster creativity. You can even rotate employees between positions to insure that everyone understands the different jobs at your company, so they can substitute each others' jobs, if need be. Understand if your employees are natural leaders, followers or innovators. If there are a few cogs that are getting stuck, such as irreparably disgruntled employees, these toxic employees will have to be removed from the equation to insure smooth operations. Nurture and develop talent in house. If you followed the steps above you should have a good idea of who your future leaders will be. Train them continuously, and have them train others. These prospective leaders should also be aware of your intentions to promote them. Let them know that you have your eye on them, to keep them competitive and vying for your attention. Reward these employees generously in the form of awards, bonuses of more flexible work hours. Give them recognition and make them feel like an integral, irreplaceable part of the company. These are the employees you want to pass along professional information and contacts to, in hopes that they will one day rise to a management position. Allow these employees to organize and lead company events in your place. When we talk about **[maximizing staff utilization](https://workforceoptimizer.com/features/)** here, it does not just mean increasing their workload or working time, but organizations should leverage on their skills and mix-and-match to the correct job fit. **[WorkforceOptimizer](http://www.workforceoptimizer.com)** did just that.  ![Business man pointing the text Workplace Diversity](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stock%20images/Business%20man%20pointing%20the%20text%20Workplace%20Diversity.jpeg?width=600&name=Business%20man%20pointing%20the%20text%20Workplace%20Diversity.jpeg) **Having a systematic approach to performance feedback to maximize staff utilization** Stay up to date with appraisals and feedback. Employees need to be thoroughly and continuously evaluated - not only when they are up for a raise. **[Set up a fair rating system - efficiency, punctuality, teamwork, attitude - and discuss the results with them after each appraisal.](https://workforceoptimizer.com/features/dashboard-management/)** At each appraisal, have the employee set his or her goals for the next appraisal, which will be subsequently gauged. This keeps employees aware of their own goals, and if they stayed their original course or strayed from it. If they stay with it, reward them - if they strayed off the path, remind them of their pre-set goals. In addition, require employees to take risks. You don't want employees who will always play it safe, or act as yes men. Reward employees who take risks and attempt to think outside the box, even if they fail, since this is a hallmark of a true leader. Now, if you have non-performing employees, even after encouragement, it may be time to part ways. Clearly warn and let go of these employees for non-performance. There's no point in subtlety here if you want to maximize your employees' overall performance. Make it clear to other employees that the employee was let go because they failed to improve or contribute to the workplace. ![Handsome confident young businessman in glasses leaning back relaxing in his chair as he chats to a female colleague](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stock%20images/Handsome%20confident%20young%20businessman%20in%20glasses%20leaning%20back%20relaxing%20in%20his%20chair%20as%20he%20chats%20to%20a%20female%20colleague.jpeg?width=600&name=Handsome%20confident%20young%20businessman%20in%20glasses%20leaning%20back%20relaxing%20in%20his%20chair%20as%20he%20chats%20to%20a%20female%20colleague.jpeg) \[1\] http://www.businessdictionary.com/article/517/tips-for-maximizing-employee-potential/ Topics: [November 2018](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/november-2018), [Maximize staff utilization](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/maximize-staff-utilization) ## *The WorkforceOptimizer blog provides weekly thought pieces on the challenges, solutions and happenings in the workplace. Subscribe below for weekly updates.* ### Subscribe Here! ### Recent Posts ### Categories - [September 2018 (11)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/september-2018) - [October 2018 (9)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/october-2018) - [Predictive Workload (7)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/predictive-workload) - [Workforce Optimizer (7)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/workforce-optimizer) - [Workforce scheduling (6)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/workforce-scheduling) - [November 2018 (5)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/november-2018) - [Time and Attendance (5)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/time-and-attendance) - [Dynamic rescheduling (4)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/dynamic-rescheduling) - [Maximize staff utilization (4)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/maximize-staff-utilization) - [Artificial Intelligence (3)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/artificial-intelligence) - [August 2018 (3)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/august-2018) - [workforce analytics (3)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/workforce-analytics) - [allowance calculation (1)](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/blog/tag/allowance-calculation) See all - ![FriarTuck](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hubfs/Friar_Tuck_April2018%20Theme/images/ftlogo-noborder-300x56.png) #### Follow Us On [![LinkedIn](https://info.workforceoptimizer.com/hubfs/Friar_Tuck_April2018%20Theme/images/flat_linkedin.png "LinkedIn")](https://linkedin.com/company/friartuck) #### Contact Us - +65 3158 1484 - Sales: sales@workforceoptimizer.com Address: 622 Lor 1 Toa Payoh Level 2 Singapore 319763 © 2018 FriarTuck. -