The morale of your employees has a lot to do with the productivity of your warehouse. The happier your employees are, the harder and more efficiently they are going to work. A lot of companies have poured a lot of time and money into studies about how to raise employee morale, and a lot of it comes to down this: pay them a fair wage and give them work they feel matters. No one wants to do pointless work and get paid nothing for it. According to the American Psychological Association, “an unhappy workplace can increase depression and heart disease rates” and employees who like their jobs are “twice as likely to be thriving in their lives overall.” That means it’s in your business’s best interests, as well as your employees, to make your workplace a happy one.
Raising wages isn’t the only thing you can do to raise morale in your warehouse. A lot of times, it’s smaller things that do the most good. Our warehouse consultants have worked with companies all across the United States, helping them optimize their warehouses for the most efficiency and productivity. During that time, we’ve seen a lot of different ways to run a warehouse and manage employees. Here are some of the things that we’ve seen in warehouses across the United States that seem to work to raise employee morale.
Are you looking for ways to make your warehouse run more efficiently? Give our warehouse consultants a call and we’ll help you find the right solutions for you and your team.
Recognize hard work when you see it.
People want to know that their efforts are being seen and appreciated. When you see an employee going the extra mile to get a project done or helping out in an area that might not be on their normal list of duties, acknowledge their efforts and thank them for it. This has the added benefit of engaging management more, too because they’ll need to keep an eye out for these kinds of efforts to praise.
Offer training and advancement opportunities.
Employees want to know that there are opportunities for them in the future to advance their careers and better their lives. Training them in new areas and giving them skills that can help advance their career is an investment not just in the employee, but the future of your company as well. More skilled employees are more valuable to your company, and you are more likely to retain them on your team when you make an investment in them. Plus, those new skills could end up paying off in the productivity department later on, too.
Listen to feedback and react to it.
Your team wants to know that management actually cares about their work and their opinions. That doesn’t mean you have to listen and act on every complaint that comes through your office door, but it does mean you should take the time to listen to your team. They may be able to offer you insight into issues you didn’t even know existed and help you find solutions that can help the entire operation run smoother. Even if they bring an idea to the table that’s not feasible, you can thank them for it and let them know they’ve been heard.
Raising employee morale can be a long process but it’s always worth the effort. A happier team is one that’s more engaged, takes less time off, and works harder to help your company succeed. If you are searching for ways to make your warehouse run more efficiently, talk to our team! Our warehouse consultants can help you optimize your space and your process to help you create a warehouse that makes more of a profit. Give us a call or contact us through our website today.