Now that you know how to attract new, high-quality employees, let’s discuss what you need to do to keep them around.
Make it More Than Just a Paycheck
Most people work to pay their bills, not because they love working. However, perks and bonuses can be an attractive (and affordable) way to retain workers without having to increase hourly pay.
According to a survey by Paychex, employees in the transportation and warehousing rank bonuses as their top benefit, with inexpensive, quality healthcare ranking second. Offering perks such as flexible schedules2, robust benefits packages, productivity bonuses, and paid time off (including paid sick days) can be used to encourage employees to stick around. Offering healthcare, in particular, is huge: healthy workers get sick less, and having healthcare benefits makes it easier and more affordable for workers to invest in preventative care.
We’ve already discussed the importance of tailoring your recruitment approach to the local area and worker needs3, but this holds true for retaining workers as well. On-site childcare appeals to parents while offering a shuttle service (even if it just leaves from one central location) can make it easier to retain workers at remote warehouses.
Show Your Appreciation
A recent study found that 79% of people who quit their jobs cited a “lack of appreciation” as their main reason for leaving.Offering perks and benefits can help show employees you really do appreciate all of their hard work, making them more likely to stick around.
This approach also helps with recruitment: happy employees are more likely to recommend a job at your warehouse to friends and family, while dissatisfied employees are more likely to discourage potential new employees from applying in the first place.
Offer Clear Paths to Advancement
People want the opportunity to advance and grow their skills. Offering access to training and skill upgrade programs, as well-defined career paths can turn a job into a career. As an added bonus, this approach makes it easier to fill management and other roles with employees who are already familiar with your daily operations.
Foster Strong Management-Employee Relationships
People don’t quit a job; they quit a boss. When an employee works for a boss who respects them, and they enjoy working with, they are more likely to stick around long term. The key to fostering good relationships is open communication: employees need to be comfortable approaching their superiors about any needs or concerns.
Create a Clean, Safe Workplace
Warehouse work is dangerous, so creating a safe workplace and offering adequate safety training is crucial for retaining workers. Knowing you take employee safety seriously makes workers more likely to stick around, and taking safety seriously makes it less likely that workers will be injured on the job, protecting both your employees and limiting productivity disruptions.
Give your employees the tools they need to turn more dock doors faster and grow your bottom line with RoadSync. Book your demo today!
