FEATURE FOOD & BEVERAGE
How to drive employee engagement in the food and beverage industry
Engaged employees recognise culture
manifesting itself in the form of supportive management, a positive work environment, opportunities for growth, and leadership they can trust. Employee communication that engages employees from the perspective of culture should focus not just on publicising these values, but also on encouraging and recognising value- centric actions and behaviours.
#3 Foster employees’ emotional connections to their roles This can be tricky to do in a work environment that is often purely transactional: Employees might take an order, wipe down tables, or stock the bakery case. Or they may be responsible for one task in a production line. So how can you get employees to care
By James Scott, CEO of Thrive T
he food and drink industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, whilst
the agri-food sector constitutes 13 per cent of employment. In Ireland, the 250,000 agri-food jobs are directly linked to the performance of the entire economy. In the United States, more than 1.7 million people are employed in the food and beverage industry.
THE CHALLENGES If you’re in this industry, you likely have your plate full of challenges, including a tight labour market, heavy competition, and high turnover, along with the constant needs to innovate and create a differentiated customer experience. There are a number of circumstances
underscoring these challenges, but a couple of trends are particularly notable. First, the rising importance of technology for everything from ordering a meal, to that meal’s packaging, to robotics that manufacture the packaging and even process the food. And second, the rise of customer control: customers who want everything delivered, even foods that don’t exactly travel well; conscience- or belief-driven purchasing; and customer choice reigning supreme.
ENGAGING EMPLOYEES WHILE BOOSTING REVENUE As businesses focus on growth and invest in improved processes, innovation and customer experience, employee experience
10 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 | IRISH MANUFACTURING
is getting lost. And when you don’t offer a rewarding, engaging employee experience, that can lead to growth-hurting staff shortages, amongst other issues. Here are four things we recommend for
elevating employee engagement within the food and beverage workplace:
#1 Increase and improve employee feedback According to the publication Food Industry Executive, low wages aren’t the number one complaint of employees. Lack of proper feedback is. The old way of thinking about feedback as periodic — such as that provided in an annual performance review — won’t cut it in today’s work environment. You must develop a way to provide and
ask for constructive feedback more frequently and in a way that is more personalised. Employees today want to know their individual contributions are noticed, recognised and appreciated. Look for opportunities to integrate peer- to-peer feedback and to communicate recognition on a daily basis.
#2 Concentrate on culture Another reason to get the feedback wheel running smoothly: culture. Perhaps not surprisingly, culture is negatively affected by the wrong kinds of feedback. At its heart, company culture is often described as a shared set of values that fosters community.
on an emotional level about these kinds of jobs? First, they need to find the work meaningful and they need to view the job they’re doing in a strategic context. To feel connected, they need to like — not just understand — a company’s vision, and they need to know what their responsibilities are and how they play into the greater vision and purpose of the company. When that is communicated effectively to employees, they feel elevated from a “cog in the wheel” position, and their sense of value within the organisation increases.
#4 Invest in digital tools that promote engagement & communication Food and beverage companies are scrambling to adopt technologies that will better the customer experience or keep pace with certain market demands. For instance, investing in mobile payment platforms, self-ordering kiosks, customer apps, and so on. Investing in technologies that better
the employee experience and improve employee communication is every bit as imperative. Digital tools, such as employee communications apps, can be used for everything from integrated payroll to rota scheduling, sharing important health and safety information, to empowering employee-generated feedback and content as well as encouraging peer-to-peer recognition.
Thrive
https://thrive.app/ T: +44 (0) 20 3198 0600
/ IRISHMANUFACTURING
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
