Is your warehouse a revolving door of employees? High turnover has a real impact on an organization. It can cost one to four times an employee’s salary to replace them, productivity takes a hit and churn can have a serious impact on morale. Retaining warehouse workers requires putting in the work to create a safe and engaging environment for employees.
Here are some tips to help you reduce turnover and retain your best warehouse employees.
Offer Competitive Salary and Benefits
If you pay the lowest rates in the market and offer thin or no benefits, you cannot hope to attract or keep great workers. It’s not always feasible to boost starting pay rates or hand out raises, so if you cannot compete on salary, make up for it by offering non-traditional benefits like more flexible scheduling, job sharing or even liberal paid and unpaid leave policies. Be sure to review your compensation packages annually to keep in line with your local market.
Focus on Safety
The best warehouse workers value safety and because they are top employees, they don’t have to settle for an environment in which they feel their safety could be at risk. Work on shoring up your culture of safety from the top down and show employees that their health and well-being are valued on the floor.
Recognize Excellent Work
It’s easy for warehouse workers to feel unappreciated given the demanding nature of their work. A little bit of recognition goes a long way towards boosting employee engagement and satisfaction. Recognize employees at least once a month who go above and beyond. Consider small “prizes” like gift cards for things like perfect attendance, perfect safety records, going above and beyond to help a coworker, etc. Even small rewards help employees see that their work is valued and will help keep them connected to their work.
Outline Career Paths
While some warehouse workers are perfectly content to stay where they are, some of your best people probably have designs on supervisory or management roles. If they are unclear about whether they can move up, they will look to another company when they are ready to take the next step. Talk to employees about career development and teach managers to spot and coach high-potential workers
Retention Starts With Great Hiring Practices
The most effective way to reduce warehouse turnover is to hire the right people from the start. This can be challenging when you have deadlines to meet and a warehouse to keep running. That’s where Employment Professionals Canada can help.
Contact or call 1-800-842-0421 to speak with our manufacturing and labour staffing experts to learn how we can help you improve the quality of your hires and boost long-term retention.
