Survey Finds Half of Small Businesses Struggle to Improve Productivity

When over 300 US small business owners were asked what they anticipate to be their greatest challenge related to managing their workforce in the next six to 12 months, 52 percent reported “improving productivity and efficiency,” according to a survey by Oasis, a Paychex Company, which provides outsourced HR solutions.

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The research acknowledged additional challenges, including:

  • Attracting quality employees to join the business (41 percent)
  • Developing employees to be able to contribute at higher levels (33 percent)
  • Keeping employees focused on what’s most important for business (33 percent )

“Being in charge of a small business comes with time-consuming people management and HR administration that can drain productivity,” said Melissa Ness, Director, PEO, Central Region at c. “Administering payroll, complying with employment regulations, and offering competitive health benefits are specialized skills that require time and resources. These tasks can be a distraction from the work that needs to get done in acquiring customers and growing the business.”

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“These important yet time-consuming employee-related tasks take up about a quarter of all work time, according to 31 percent of the small business owners in our survey,” said Ness. “And while 39 percent said they spend too much time on workforce-related issues, 83 percent said they still regard the time spent on HR and workforce issues to be a good investment.”

“Running a small business means that you need to be in the know when it comes to ways to maximize the efficiencies and profits,” said Ness. “Working with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), like Oasis, can help make a significant difference in your company’s performance so the leaders and managers of your business can focus on growth.”

Many owners said they would consider seeking assistance from an outside resource for such activities as “attracting quality employees to join our business” (49 percent), “improving productivity and efficiency” (34 percent), and “employee retention and engagement” (27 percent ).

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