Is your logistics company working harder than ever to attract and retain top talent? A recent study shows that 43% of companies in the logistics industry are struggling to fill vacancies and keep the right people on board.
With a sky-rocketing 31% turnover rate, the logistics industry has been heavily impacted by the Great Resignation as well as an aging workforce. That’s why so many HR managers in the logistics sector are focusing on enhancing the employee experience.
Below, we discuss 6 key factors to consider, along with some practical tips to help you reshape your logistics company’s employee experience.
The importance of employee experience in the logistics sector
Most HR managers understand that offering a positive employee experience helps you retain talent and stand out from competitors in the overcrowded job market today. In fact, 60% of employees say they are more likely to stay working at a company that offers them a positive employee experience, according to a study by Gartner.
Yet the benefits of a positive employee experience extend beyond retention. The same Gartner study found:
- Employees who have a positive on-the-job experience are 69% more likely to be high performers.
- They are 52% more likely to work “above and beyond” the minimum that is required of them.
- They experience a 44% decrease in work fatigue.
These benefits make employee experience an important driver for your company’s success. Research by PWC finds that companies that invest in employee experience save up to 12.6% of their revenue that would otherwise be lost due to absenteeism, employee turnover, and other factors. On average, investing in employee experience also increases revenue by 1.78%, compared to raising salaries (another important incentive for retention), which increases revenue by only 1%.
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The role of HR managers in improving employee experience
HR is the backbone of every successful organization. From recruiting, to hiring, to onboarding and beyond, HR plays a decisive role in providing employees with a positive experience. It starts with adopting a human-centric approach to HR management. Yet it is equally important to provide employees with the modern tools they need to succeed on the job and feel connected with the company and its culture.
6 essential factors to make logistics employees successful and engaged
Here are 6 areas where HR can boost employee experience and contribute to building a more engaged workforce.
Factor 1: A streamlined onboarding process
Companies have just a 50% chance on average of retaining an employee during their first 18 months of employment. A positive onboarding experience has been shown to boost retention by 82%. That means effective onboarding is a key factor for your company’s success. To offer an optimal onboarding experience, it’s important to work with user-friendly tools that cater to your employees’ learning preferences.
Mobile onboarding solutions are the ideal choice for employees in the logistics industry. Your workforce is spread out across multiple locations, and each employee needs easy access to onboarding materials anytime, anywhere. This helps integrate learning into the employee’s everyday work, which is a powerful method for getting them up to speed and making them feel at home in their new role.
Factor 2: Effective communication
In the past, companies relied on a number of platforms for communicating important information to employees. These included channels like your intranet, company newsletters, and bulletin boards.
Yet logistics employees are spread out, and even office staff are spending more time working remotely. Today’s deskless workforce needs information to be easily accessible from anywhere.
To cater to your employees’ needs, consolidate all your communications within a single mobile app. This ensures employees always know where to go for the latest information, and they never miss out on an important notification.
Factor 3: Opportunities for growth and development
As younger employees take to the job market, it’s more important than ever to offer ample opportunities for growth and development. Research by Deloitte shows that 51% of Gen Z employees consider opportunities for growth to be their biggest motivator at work.
Yet in-person training is expensive and difficult to organize, especially when a large percentage of your workforce is working on the road or remotely. This is why e-learning is a lifeline for logistics workers. With the right mobile-first technologies, you give your deskless employees access to on-demand learning, so they can continue to develop on the job at their own pace, no matter where they are located.
Factor 4: Work-life balance
Logistics employees often face long, irregular working hours, which makes them particularly prone to burnout and a poor work-life balance. One study found that truck drivers, for example, are 237% more likely to experience a work-life imbalance, compared to other workers.
To protect employees during their downtime and give them time to recharge, HR needs tools that make it easier to separate work from free time. Instead of using non-business apps like WhatsApp to communicate with employees, for example, offer them a designated app for all work-related communications. This prevents employees from feeling like their work is encroaching on their private life. In addition, it’s a more effective way of communicating with them, since 42% of deskless workers say they mute and ignore work-related messages in WhatsApp.
Factor 5: Recognition and rewards
Simple acts of recognition and praise make a big difference in the way employees experience their jobs. Employee recognition can take many forms, from verbal feedback to formal incentive structures and beyond.
HR can help create a culture of recognition by training managers to provide feedback more effectively. It’s also important to give employees opportunities to offer their own feedback by participating in online surveys, for example. Be sure to also integrate two-way feedback into performance appraisals, so that employees know that their opinion matters. This helps them feel more invested in their own success, as well as the success of the company.
Factor 6: Workplace culture
According to Forbes, your company’s culture may be its strongest asset for enhancing the employee experience and boosting retention. A strong company culture encourages employees to explore creative solutions and learn from mistakes without fear of repercussions. It also promotes a sense of inclusion and diversity, in which every employee feels comfortable. This is particularly important for attracting next-generation talent, as 83% of Gen Z employees say they consider mutual respect and inclusivity to be a major factor when choosing an employer.
Offering a streamlined tech experience at work promotes a unified culture. This is why more companies are introducing one-stop HR platforms, where employees can access all the resources they need, but also engage with each other socially, share experiences and offer each other support on the job.
💡 Tip: Read more on unleashing the potential of the Gen Z workforce.
Your next steps in boosting employee productivity, engagement, and loyalty
How would you rate your company’s performance in the 6 areas discussed above? If you’re interested in offering your employees an even better experience, the HR technology you’re using makes all the difference.
For workers in today’s logistics industry, the employee experience is more online than ever. That’s why it’s vital for HR to offer employees a single platform that supports them in all aspects of their daily work.
Oneteam provides an all-in-one solution where your deskless workers can communicate, learn and connect with your company. This helps your logistics company go the extra mile towards enhancing the employee experience, boosting engagement and growing a future-proof workforce.
Read how Oneteam helps similar logistics organization on our logistics page.
