Keeping morale high in a warehouse is important. Your workforce will be more motivated, engaged and ready to take on more business-critical tasks. When employees are happy and motivated, it translates over to their work and also benefits the business in the long run.
So, what can you do to boost morale in your warehouse? Here are our top tips.
- Reward good performance.
- Avoid overworking your staff.
- Embrace warehouse automation.
- Play music in the warehouse.
- Introduce more flexible working opportunities.
1. Reward good performance.
Recognition can go a long way in the workplace. That is why you should always make a conscious effort to reward employees for doing a good job.
Research shows that businesses with a recognition culture have a 31% lower employee turnover. Not only will employees that feel valued do a better job, but they will also be more committed to your cause.
Rewarding good performance does not always have to be monetary. Sometimes it can be as simple as a pat on the back or verbal feedback.
You may decide to offer your staff extra time off as a way of rewarding good performance. Warehouse work can entail long hours and often feel antisocial. Little incentives like additional annual leave can go a long way and make your staff feel appreciated.
2. Avoid overworking your staff.
Overworking your staff is something you should always avoid. Warehouse work can be stressful and take its toll on people’s bodies. The more tired your workforce is, the poorer the output is likely to be.
Therefore, you should always be conscious of the shift lengths your employees work and also ensure they are operating in a safe working environment at all times.
Solutions such as warehouse automation can also make a difference when it comes to overworking your employees — we will explain how in the next section.
3. Embrace warehouse automation.
Automation is becoming a popular solution in warehouse operations for several reasons.
As well as being an effective way to reduce human error and labour costs, automation can also take on many warehousing tasks that usually require a large amount of human input.
For example, tasks like picking are repetitive and time-consuming. This can naturally impact an employee’s morale, as many typically desire to take on bigger and more impactful tasks.
Solutions such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) can now take on these types of tasks, freeing up more time for your employees to work on other aspects of their job that are more exciting and rewarding.
4. Play music in the warehouse.
According to research, playing music in the warehouse can offer many positive benefits. These include employees feeling more focused and more productive.
A recent survey also found that 90% of employees feel happier and more engaged in their job simply because music is played during working hours.
However, music in the workplace might not be for everyone. Therefore, you should take the time to listen to your staff's opinions and find a solution that meets everyone’s needs if possible.
For example, play music at an appropriate level, so your staff do not get distracted from their everyday duties.
5. Introduce more flexible working opportunities.
The future of work now looks very different. Over half of UK employers expect more flexible working requests from staff after the pandemic.
Flexible working in warehousing might look a little different to other sectors. Of course, you can not let your staff work from home because you need them in the warehouse to get the job done.
You can still offer other flexible working opportunities, including flexitime, longer breaks and job sharing.
These approaches are a great way to boost morale because they show your employees that you are invested in their welfare and committed to supporting them in finding a way of working that suits their needs.
Is your warehouse suffering from other challenges that could potentially impact employee morale?
If so, we have created a playbook that discusses some of the most common labour challenges warehouses face alongside guidance to help you overcome them.
Click the link below to get access to the insights today.
