The happier your employees are, the more successful your company will be. This isn’t a new or revolutionary statement – but it's true. Employee engagement is a long-term hot topic; however, it’s usually spoken about in office-based roles. In this blog, we'll be looking at how employee engagement can be improved in an industrial workplace.

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Studies show that happy employees are more dedicated and productive than their unhappy colleagues – and they’re more likely to stay in their current role.

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Sounds too good to be true? There have been lots of studies and reports on workplaces that have shown that an employee’s happiness has a direct correlation with a business’s bottom line.

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A study by the Harvard Business Review explains that disengaged workers had:

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• 37% higher absenteeism

• 49% more accidents

• 60% more errors and defects.

Any of these can affect your business's budget…

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On the surface, the word ‘happy’ might seem a little idealistic to associate with the booming world of business and profits. But beneath it, the word ‘happy’ offers all kinds of positive corporate meanings: better production, better safety, and better attendance.

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Happy Workers:

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• Work harder because they appreciate their workplace and want to contribute.

• Have fewer accidents because they’re more focused.

So, a happy work environment attracts good people and helps the people who work for you to do their best for the company. Great! But what changes could you apply in your company to make this possible?

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• Updating the toilets, lockers and canteen facilities.

• Removing unnecessary PPE.

• Making Improvements to the heating.

• Soup days.

Kevin King, Manufacturing and Technical Manager commented:

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'I joined Armitages in 2018 tasked with taking the business forward in a difficult and uncertain economy whilst working with tight margins. It was clear a number of changes were needed.

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It was immediately clear that staff welfare was an area that needed improving when we asked the workforce how we could make things better. Essentially the employees talked & we listened! We wasted no time in modernising the toilets, canteens, addressing the heating in the winter, removing unnecessary PPE so the staff could be more comfortable when they work etc.

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But we wanted to go further - so this year, on several occasions, we’ve let the staff finish work slightly early (paid), bought everyone lunch when a big order was completed and ice creams during the summer heatwave.

Little things make all the difference, and that hopefully will help us attract better staff and retain the best of them.' 

In many Industrial workplaces, especially during peak seasons, it’s essential to understand the importance of employee engagement - it aligns with retention and productivity for your business. It’s not realistic to expect your employees to be engaged if they’re not happy in their work.

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Here at Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment, it's something we take seriously - every year we take part in the best companies survey and we're proud to say that we've been rated at the highest level (3 stars!).

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best companies describe workplace engagement as:

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'When people are engaged they feel connected to each other and to the aims of the organisation they work for. They believe in a shared purpose and feel they play an important part in fulfilling it.

An engaged workforce is more motivated and productive because people take pride in what they are doing and have faith in those around them. This leads to better working relationships, greater collaboration and ultimately a more successful organisation.'

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If you’d like to discuss ways to help improve your current employee engagement, or how we could help to take some of the pressure from your recruitment drives - contact your local branch today.