It is undeniable that happier employees are better employees. When you have happier manufacturing company employees, they work harder, better and more carefully, with less turnover, fewer accidents and increased productivity. Here are 10 keys to encouraging manufacturing employee happiness:
- Show Appreciation
Showing appreciation for your manufacturing employees generally offers by far the highest ROI when it comes to employee morale and engagement. A simple personal thank you for the hard work they do can work wonders and doesn’t cost you a dime. Singling out people for public praise when they do exceptional work is one of many great ways you can boost employee morale by showing appreciation.
- Make Them a Part of the Company
Studies show that when employees feel engaged with the company and feel they are a valued part of the company’s success, they enjoy work more and will work harder. Have a system in place to really hear and implement employee suggestions.
- Offer Meaningful Incentives
Cash bonuses are great, but they only take you so far. Come up with rewards that will be meaningful to your employees, such as catered lunches, ball game tickets, letting them bring their kids to work or even letting them pick their own rewards.
- Have Clear and Strong Values
Very few people want to feel like they are working for a faceless corporation that doesn’t care about anything besides cranking out the product and collecting profits. Show the company what your values are and act on them, such as forming coordinated volunteer efforts or engaging in environmentally-friendly initiatives.
- Provide Continuing Education Opportunities
Many people love to learn, especially when they can learn more about the job they do every day. Don’t miss opportunities to send employees to classes, conferences or other avenues where they can bring back what they learn to do a better job for you and your company.
- Give Them Different Jobs to Do
Every company requires some specialists, and if you hire someone to do a specific job, it may not always be possible to take them off of that job. But keep an eye out for opportunities to train an employee on a different aspect of the business. Monotony is a huge morale killer, and if you can change it up and give an employee the opportunity to learn or try something new, it could really boost their spirits.
- Encourage Positivity and a Collaborative Work Environment
In 21st century society, we no longer need to tolerate bullying, intimidation or other negative, aggressive behaviors. Make an effort to identify those employees whose personalities are at odds with a positive, collaborative work environment. See if there is a way to help them become a team player, but if there isn’t, they probably aren’t a good fit for your company.
- Give Feedback
Giving feedback can provide your workers with helpful tips to improve their performance. Feedback doesn’t have to be “criticism,” either. It can also be positive feedback that lets someone know when a job was well done. Striking an effective balance between both can motivate your employees to perform better.
- Make Sure They Take Breaks
It’s often tempting to work straight through scheduled breaks to get a job done, but those breaks are there for a reason. Make sure your employees take them.
- Be as Flexible as Possible With Vacation Schedules
This is not always feasible in a manufacturing environment, but telling employees they can take vacation whenever they want (with notice) for as long as they want (within reason) can be a huge morale booster. In most cases, employees will appreciate the trust and freedom and not take advantage.
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