What is time efficiency, and how can it be improved in the workplace?

Time is our most valuable resource, making time efficiency crucial for team and individual success. However, at work, it’s common to get sucked into the trap of equating hours worked with time efficiency, even though we all know that’s not how it works 

Perhaps the best thing to do in such situations is to remind yourself what time efficiency is and how to cultivate it in your workplace. Luckily, you’ve found just the article you need. 

In this piece, we’ll explore time efficiency and its benefits for your workplace. We’ll also dive into several ways to improve time efficiency at work. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

What is time efficiency in the context of work?

In essence, time efficiency is the ability to achieve a desired result with an optimal amount of resources used, including time. It’s about getting more done in less time through optimized processes, focused work, and the removal of time-wasting activities.

Time efficiency can be improved through strategic planning of one’s to-do list, getting rid of distractions, and working smart—think automating tasks, eliminating useless parts of your work, efficient communication with colleagues, and so on.

Why should I want to improve time efficiency? 

Really, why should you want to improve time efficiency? 

By reclaiming your time, you’ll not only get more done but also gain more space to pursue what matters, both professionally and personally, thanks to: 

• Increased productivity and job satisfaction. As you become more time efficient, you’ll likely get more done in less time, and with that, your productivity levels will increase. Plus, crossing items off your to-do list can make you more satisfied with your work. 

• Better work-life balance. Getting things done a) on time and b) with just the right amount of resources could lead to more time and energy for life outside of work, especially if your job doesn’t require an 8-hour workday. 

• Lower stress levels. I know that anything promising less stress in life sounds like a scam. But time efficiency is indeed one way to worry less. Not running behind deadlines will likely introduce you to more ease.

• Saved costs. From a management perspective, increased time efficiency among workers means less wasted company resources and saved costs. Specifically, this can lead to reduced overtime pay, lower operational expenses through optimized resource allocation, and potential savings on future hiring costs.

5 ways to increase time efficiency at work

Now that we’ve examined the reasons why people should care about improving their time efficiency, let’s learn some practical ways to do so.

1. Planning and prioritizing

One way to increase time efficiency at work is to plan one’s workload and prioritize tasks. Several hacks can help you do it better.

Set goals

Effective goal setting is crucial for providing clear direction and focus, ensuring that efforts align with key priorities, and, ultimately, leading to more efficient work. 

Using the SMART goal method may be one way to ensure your goals are clear and well-set. To do so, consider each goal from the SMART perspective: Is it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound? A well-defined SMART goal provides a clear roadmap for success.

Prioritize tasks

Another crucial part of improving time efficiency is prioritizing tasks to better manage workloads. A good hack to try is the Eisenhower Matrix, a prioritization matrix that helps you balance task urgency and importance.

The Eisenhower Matrix prioritizes tasks using an Urgent/Important grid. As you categorize the tasks in the four quadrants (see the Matrix illustration above), you’ll have four groups:

• Important and urgent—do these tasks immediately.
• Important but not urgent—schedule tasks for later.
• Not important but urgent—delegate such tasks.
• Neither urgent nor important—eliminate these types of tasks.

Create a daily schedule

Developing a good daily schedule—a time-bound to-do list for a day—is trickier than one might think, but it’s possible if you follow some rules. Plus, it can make all the difference in time efficiency improvement. Here are five tips for building a daily schedule that works in your favor:

• Use productivity tactics like time blocking or the Pomodoro technique to schedule focused work.
• Plan your work around your productivity patterns. 
• Do not forget to schedule a decent amount of breaks.
• Be prepared for changes.
• And be ready to pencil in new tasks or events.

2. Managing tasks effectively

Another crucial aspect of improving work time efficiency is improving task management. As with planning and prioritizing, there are several ways to do this.

Use project management tools

Project management tools can be very helpful for improving task management. They offer a centralized platform for organizing, tracking, and collaborating on tasks, streamlining workflows, and boosting time efficiency.

There are plenty of project management tools out there, and your choice depends on your needs. Here’s a long list of tools you can explore to find the best-fitting option. 

Delegate tasks when possible

Managing tasks all by yourself when you have the option to delegate some part of the work is a direct path to work overload and lost time efficiency. Plus, not delegating work if you’re a manager might indicate distrust towards your team, and time efficiency or not—you really don’t want that. 

Thus, after you’ve analyzed your task list using the Eisenhower Matrix, go on and delegate all the work that falls into the delegation quadrant.

Avoid multitasking

Ah, sweet multitasking. It always seemingly promises the feeling of productivity but always delivers merely an illusion of it. Multitasking is a real killer of time efficiency at work. Here’s why:

• It has a switching cost. Every time you jump between tasks, your mind needs time to reorient, refocus, and get back into the flow—the so-called switching cost. This makes you lose time.
• It steals your attention. Multitasking makes it difficult to concentrate on a single task, which can prevent you from getting any work done.
• It makes you more prone to errors. Juggling several tasks at once makes it easier for you to make mistakes. When that happens, additional time and resources are required to fix the errors. 

3. Minimizing distractions

I know it’s easier said than done, considering we live in an era of distractions, but keeping unwanted noise out of your head can do wonders for your and your team’s time efficiency. 

Know your enemies

Start by becoming aware of things that distract you the most during the day. Common distractions include notifications (phone, desktop, communication apps, you name it), social media (scroll, scroll, scroll), chitchats with colleagues, a cluttered workspace (this includes too much noise), and more. 

Self-observation is the key to knowing where your focus fleets. One tactic is to keep a distraction journal, where you note each time you get sidetracked. Another option, perhaps a less manual one, is using time tracking apps. These apps provide a less troublesome alternative, automatically generating reports that highlight your distraction hotspots.

Reduce unwanted interruptions

When you’ve detected your distractions, it’s time to get rid of them to improve time efficiency. Here’s a list of hacks you could try when dealing with the most common focus thieves:

• Set specific email check times.
• Close tabs you don’t need.
• Use “do not disturb mode” on your phone and/or computer.
• Silence certain notifications (for me, removing WhatsApp notifications has been a game-changer).
• Use noise-cancelling headphones when working in a loud environment.
• Declutter your desk (trust me, it works).
• Put a physical do not disturb sign on your desk when doing some deep work.
• Use a dedicated focus app.
• Mix remote work with office days and adjust tasks accordingly—remote days for deep. work, in-office days for meetings and tasks that require communication.

4. Communicating to increase time efficiency

How we communicate at work can make or break our time efficiency. Mastering efficient communication requires practice, but luckily, there are some tips you can adopt.

Practice concise communication

Not everyone has the gift of concisely communicating information. And even those who do, rarely practice it. So, how can one become a more direct communicator?

• Plan your message. Before speaking or writing, outline the key points you need to share. This will help you stay on track and get to the point.
• Ask yourself: Is this crucial? Honestly, not all matters are essential and need to be shared. Before messaging, scheduling a call, or dropping by someone’s desk, determine if this is something that genuinely warrants immediate action.
• Avoid organizing video calls if possible. Zoom fatigue is a real thing, and the exhaustion of videotelephony doesn’t improve time efficiency, that’s for sure. Plus, how many times have you sat through a Zoom meeting thinking it could’ve been an email? Don’t be the person who makes others suffer. Just don’t.

Use suitable communication channels

Picking the right channel is crucial for efficient communication. When something’s urgent, direct and immediate channels are best (a quick drop by someone’s desk, a phone call, instant messaging). For less urgent matters, email will do just fine. 

Plus, consider the complexity of your message. Does it have visual materials to show or docs to attach? Is the information confidential? Will you need the message for future reference? Consider these factors when picking your format.

Set clear expectations and deadlines 

Deadlines and expectations are not just about work management; they’re about minimizing wasted effort and increasing time efficiency. 

Define the task clearly—instead of giving a vague description of what needs to be done, be precise. While this approach may seem like a waste of time, it can actually save you time, as it will help reduce errors and prevent reworking. 

Moreover, it’s a good idea to break down larger tasks into smaller chunks. This will be especially helpful for employees who struggle with prioritizing work. It’s also effective if a task seems daunting—working in smaller steps makes it easier to complete.

Regarding deadlines, make sure they’re well communicated and realistic. Setting a soft and a hard deadline is also a good strategy to ensure efficient time use at work.

5. Tools to increase time efficiency

We already mentioned project management tools as one way to increase time efficiency, but there are other apps and software that can also help achieve the desired improvement. 

Use time tracking and productivity software

Time tracking and productivity software are the No.1 game-changers for improving time efficiency. Time tracking tools such as DeskTime provide data insights into your efficiency and productivity, drawing a clear picture of your work patterns and pinpointing potential distractions.

DeskTime will give you a clear understanding of how your time is distributed across different projects and tasks and help you identify productivity bottlenecks. With these insights, you can optimize your workday and improve time efficiency.

Give to-do list apps a shot

While the old-school pen-and-paper to-do list crafting is lovely, integrating a to-do list app into your daily routine could make you more time efficient without even noticing it. 

Our team used to jot down all of the tasks in a Google Doc, and it worked fine. However, not that long ago, we decided to switch to a tool called Motion, and honestly, it has been a game-changer.

Motion is a project management tool, but it also includes personal to-do lists, which can be automatically generated. My tasks and deadlines are clear, and it even helps me plan my work schedule for the day. Plus, it has plenty of features that generally help our team collaborate better. Give to-do list apps a chance, really.

Schedule and automate repetitive tasks

Repetitive tasks are silent time-killers of our workdays. By scheduling and automating such tasks instead, you can unlock some sweet time savings. Here are a few task categories that can be scheduled and automated, at least to a certain extent:

• Email management—use filters to automatically categorize emails, set up an autoresponder for common queries, and use email scheduling tools.
• Social media post scheduling—tools like Buffer or Hootsuite can help with automated posting.
• Data entry and reporting—use tools for automated data collection, leverage spreadsheet formulas and functions, and try out reporting tools.

Time efficiency is in your best interest

Now that you know the many tips, tricks, and tools for improving time efficiency, I wanted to conclude by returning to the basics. 

Time efficiency is in your best interest, not only for professional reasons. More free time means more time for your hobbies, personal interests, and time with friends and family. Plus, staying on track with your work and not wasting energy can reduce stress and improve your well-being. The energy saved can be directed towards pursuing your passions outside work and simply enjoying life to the fullest. 

Embrace improved time efficiency and discover the freedom and joy that come with genuinely owning your time.