Don’t let a struggling company culture jeopardize your manufacturing or logistics operation. Here’s how to spot the warning signs and take action before it’s too late.Don’t let a struggling company culture jeopardize your manufacturing or logistics operation. Here’s how to spot the warning signs and take action before it’s too late.
Organizational culture — a company’s values and expectations — conditions how employees feel about their manufacturing or logistics workplace and behave on the job. Get it right, and it serves as the foundation for positive employee engagement and productivity. Get it wrong, and you could be facing a spike in accidents and related shutdowns, as well as demotivated workers eyeing the exit sign.
How can you tell if your organizational culture needs a reset? Here are the top three warning signs to look out for and tips for improving the culture at your facility.
1. heightened safety risks
In 2021, the injury and illness rate among full-time warehousing and storage workers was 5.5 percent, compared to a national average across all industries of 2.7 percent. But with the warehousing workforce booming, focusing on safety has become more important than ever. A safe work environment makes workers feel valued and respected, so they take pride in their work and are more engaged.
What can you do to promote safety in your facility? Having skilled workers with the knowledge and training to work safely, is key, so offer employees the opportunity to upskill. For example, send technicians for training on the maintenance and repair of the machinery they operate or team leaders for project management courses. You could also look into rolling out new warehouse technologies, which may reduce workplace accidents by preventing repetitive strain injury or tracking potential hazards.
2. low employee morale
Dissatisfied employees tend to make more mistakes, which could have severe consequences in a manufacturing or logistics workplace. They are also more likely to quit their jobs or to provide customers with poor service — costing your company time and money.
In manufacturing and logistics, a primary cause of poor employee morale is boredom or dissatisfaction at a perceived lack of opportunities. To keep employees challenged, offer paths for career progression within your company. In addition to upskilling, discussed above, help employees to build their careers by encouraging them to be proactive in setting career goals, finding mentors and creating networks.
Your employees may also feel unrecognized for their efforts and contributions, especially if a large number of people perform similar roles. By building acts of recognition into your organizational culture — through offering shout-outs, personalizing rewards or creating a wall of fame — you can let employees know how much their hard work matters to you and the organization.
3. a lack of innovation
From data analytics to drones, cutting-edge technology is transforming manufacturing and logistics. Companies that don’t innovate risk falling behind in efficiency, production speeds and customer service delivery — all of which can chip away at the strength of your organizational culture.
But with the immense amount of new technology available, finding the right fit can be tricky. First, identify what improvements you want to make and what you want the technology to achieve for your business. Perhaps you want to reach new levels of productivity, diversify your supply chains or achieve greater manufacturing agility. Then research possible solutions and analyze how each would meet your needs before inviting vendors to pitch.
Don’t wait until your organizational culture requires an overhaul before getting the insights and solutions you need. Get in touch with Randstad today for expert help in creating a positive and productive work environment.