Warehouse work isn’t easy, and it’s been especially difficult throughout the COVID pandemic. Are your employees worn out and undermotivated? Revitalize your team with these three strategies for engaging your warehouse workers.
Tips for Engaging Your Warehouse Workers
Show Them How They Make a Difference
When you place an online order, you assume it will show at your doorstep within a few days. However, this would be impossible without warehouse workers. Don’t assume your team knows how important their jobs are, show them! Celebrate their accomplishments, starting with the numbers. Display daily, monthly and yearly tallies on public bulletin boards. Include figures such as the number of trucks unloaded, packages delivered, and returns processed. And whenever possible, share positive customers experiences. Did your organization successfully deliver a meaningful, or even lifesaving, package? Or did you come through for someone who was counting on a last-minute delivery? Even though these stories may seem trivial, they can make your workers’ everyday tasks seem less grueling and more inspirational.
Emphasize Health, Wellness & Safety
Warehouses can be dangerous environments. So, when your business prioritizes health, wellness, and safety, you are sending a message. You are telling your employees you want to protect them because they matter. And as a result, your employees will work harder. Although this strategy may sound overly simplistic, real-life evidence shows it’s effective. When Paul O’Neill became CEO of Alcoa in 1987, he emphasized safety over profits. By the time O’Neill retired in 2000, “the company’s annual net income was five times larger than before he arrived.” Most experts agree this wasn’t a fluke. Rather they argue, by putting safety first, O’Neill drove higher levels of performance in ways otherwise difficult to accomplish. (Forbes, 2019)
Provide Opportunities for Advancement
Most of us don’t want to be performing the exact same for our entire careers. We would prefer a bit more variety. And warehouse workers feel the same way. Therefore, provide opportunities for your team to learn new skills, advance, and grow. You could offer free forklift certification classes, software training, and, for those interested in pursuing management positions, leadership workshops.
Additionally, consider implementing upskilling and reskilling initiatives to build off your employee’s strongest skills. Someone who’s an expert at troubleshooting conveyor belts could train as a machinist. Whereas someone with a natural talent for counseling their coworkers could transition into an HR role. Many companies also offer tuition reimbursement programs for those who wish to pursue advanced degrees. Giving employees the chance to work toward something, rather than being indefinitely stuck in the same-old role, automatically increases engagement.
Are You Hoping to Add Engaged Warehouse Workers to Your Team?
Halpin Staffing Services would be happy to help. Our recruiters place material handlers, receiving associates, forklift operators, and more in warehouses throughout Southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois. Contact us today to find the reliable people you need!
