We all know that happy employees do better work. They are more engaged in tasks and tend to stay in their jobs longer. Keeping them happy is the key – but how do you accomplish this with so many other things on your plate?

It’s a fact: employee engagement is down overall. According to Gallup’s recent report on engagement in the workplace, only 32% of employees are actually fully engaged in their jobs, and most of these are actively looking for other work.

It’s a millennial phenomenon, really. Easily bored and joined at the hip to their smartphones, it’s a task in itself to pry them away from their devices in favour of something more productive. One of the ways employers can accomplish this easily is by outfitting their workstations with dual screens. If you think that two screens are double the distraction, think again.

Research shows that employees with two screens are 60% more productive each and every day. Going back as far back as 2008, there is plenty of culpable research to back it up.

Here’s how:

Using two or more monitors saves time

It may be seconds here and there, but it adds up over the course of the day. Employees can save time going back and forth between browsers, tabs, and applications by being able to display them all at the same time. Instead of manually switching back and forth, all it takes is a glance one way or the other.

This also saves time when working with complex spreadsheets, as employees will be able to view the entire file rather than having to hide parts of it to get it to fit on one screen. In the study cited above, participants were given a series of tasks to complete. Some had one screen, some had two, three or even four screens. The groups with multiple screens completed their tasks much more quickly and made fewer errors in the process.

Two or more screens help you stay on task

Depending on the type of work you do, you may have occasion to have to compare files, such as from a graphic design standpoint, for instance. Any task that requires you to look at two or more sets of data will benefit from using two or more screens. If you are coding, for example, you can code on one screen and view the results on another. Data entry, data analysis, or research projects that require you to reference one data set to create another can also benefit. Having needed information at the same sight-line minimizes distractions caused by losing your place, or having to wait for a preview to render.

Less clutter, less distraction

Having two or more screens allows your employees the ability to keep communications apps open, eliminating the need to constantly look at their smartphone or another device for updates from colleagues or sales prospects. You can effectively eliminate their need for anything beyond their workstation, reducing distractions and cleaning up their desktop to make room for more productive tasks.

Boosted employee productivity saves you money

According to the University of Utah’s research, using two or more monitors can save an average of 2-1/2 hours per day. Multiply that by the number of employees you have, and then again for how many days they work in a year multiplied by their salaries, that number adds up to a considerable amount – at least enough to cover the cost of supplying your staff with an extra screen.

Greenlight-ITC: IT consultants in Sydney and Melbourne

If you are looking for ways to boost employee engagement and productivity, adding a second screen to their workstation might be the answer. If you are ready to supercharge your staff with the power to go further, call Greenlight today.