When you think about employee engagement, happy hours and team-building activities might be the first things that come to mind. But a highly engaged workforce is shaped by far more than the occasional fun event or outing. Engagement depends largely on the everyday work environment and company culture — how things are done and how people feel when they’re at work.
Engagement also significantly impacts business outcomes. High engagement positively affects everything from customer satisfaction and work quality to employee retention and annual revenue. It even improves workplace safety. For employees whose work is physically demanding, fast-moving, or dangerous, like many in the manufacturing industry, engagement is vital.
Keep reading to dig into the importance of employee engagement for the manufacturing industry and a few of its benefits. Then, we’ll share six strategies for engaging your manufacturing workforce, including using technology — both in your facilities and for managing employee engagement.
What Is Employee Engagement in Manufacturing, and Why Is It Important?
Employee engagement is, to put it simply, an indicator of how employees feel about their work and their employers. It tells you whether or not employees feel a sense of connection to their employers and colleagues, if they know what’s expected of them at work, and if they’re at risk of quitting. Getting a read on engagement gives you deep insight into what’s working and what’s not when it comes to motivating and supporting your employees.
There are different employee engagement models you can use to measure it at your organization. One of the most widely used methods is a 12-question survey from global analytics and advisory firm Gallup. The survey measures factors including:
- The level of support employees feel they receive from their managers
- Whether or not employees feel they understand the responsibilities of their role
- Whether or not employees feel appreciated for their work
As we mentioned, engagement is even more important in the manufacturing industry, where employees often work in dangerous conditions. You need your employees to be physically present, of course, to produce products and operate the equipment. But more than that, you need employees who are actively engaged in what they’re doing to avoid mistakes, ensure safety, and maintain high production standards.
When your people are interested in and excited about what they’re doing at work, you’re very likely to see reduced absenteeism and turnover and an increase in employee satisfaction. There are stark differences between companies whose employees are highly engaged and those with low levels of engagement:
- 63% fewer safety incidents
- 21% lower turnover (at high-turnover organizations)
- 32% fewer quality defects
- 23% higher profitability
Every company can benefit from prioritizing its people and striving to create a safe, productive workplace where employees feel empowered to do their best. It’s much easier for everyone to focus on their work, come up with creative solutions, and achieve their goals when they have what they need to do their jobs and feel like they can ask questions and raise concerns without fear.
You can foster a workplace culture where engagement is the norm, even in a demanding field like manufacturing. Then, prepare to reap the benefits of engagement via better business outcomes: more productive employees, improved products and customer service, and increased revenue.
3 Benefits of Employee Engagement in Manufacturing
The benefits of employee engagement don’t just help the company’s bottom line. They’re an important part of creating a stellar employee experience that helps you attract and retain top talent now and for years to come.
Let’s take a closer look at a few of the most significant ways engaged workers impact the bigger picture at manufacturing firms.
1. Higher engagement leads to higher productivity.
The fact that employee engagement impacts performance is undeniable — there’s a proven correlation between how employees feel at work and how much good work they complete. In addition to the reduction in quality defects, high engagement results in an 18% increase in productivity for sales teams. So not only are employees able to produce a better product more consistently, but your sales teams sell more of it.
2. Engaged employees are less likely to quit.
Picture a workforce made up of people who are interested in their work, understand how their work contributes to achieving company goals, and feel supported to do their best. Do you think they’d be looking for a new job, or would they be planning for the long term in their current role? If you went with the latter, you’d be correct. In addition to reducing turnover at organizations where it’s typically high, low-turnover companies see a 51% reduction when employees are engaged.
3. Workplaces are safer when employees are engaged.
Did any of those engagement statistics we mentioned stand out to you? The 63% reduction in safety incidents might have caught your eye — we know it caught ours. In manufacturing firms, work is often performed in hazardous environments or with potentially hazardous equipment, and safety protocols must be created and followed. You also need to ensure workers are encouraged to point out potential hazards and unsafe practices.
When you create strict safety standards, provide safety equipment, train employees thoroughly, and maintain your policies and equipment, you give your workforce peace of mind. They don’t have to worry that they’re being exposed to unnecessary risk or that they’ll be punished if they have a safety concern. Instead, they can focus on their work, and you’ll build the trust that is essential for engagement.
Engagement also positively impacts the mental well-being of the collective workforce. Engaged employees are less stressed and less likely to experience burnout. They feel valued at work, have close relationships that make work more enjoyable, and understand the goals they’re working toward. That sense of belonging, connection, and purpose help foster a culture where the physical and mental well-being of every person is of the utmost importance.
🔧 Learn about how technology can enhance employee engagement in manufacturing — keep reading:
6 Strategies for Improving Employee Engagement in the Manufacturing Industry
Many employee engagement strategies are relevant across industries — HR teams can adapt them to work for frontline workers, at retail stores, or on construction job sites. Let’s take a closer look at which strategies work best for employees at manufacturing companies.
1. Invest in Top-Notch Technology
While technology updates aren’t a rare occurrence in most workplaces, the manufacturing sector has experienced some major advances in recent years. Many of these advancements are automating repetitive and dangerous tasks, making them less physically demanding and safer to perform. As manufacturing workforce trends indicate ongoing talent shortages, automation also enables companies to maintain productivity levels.
Technology is also helping to create more effective communication channels for employees in manufacturing. There’s a variety of mobile technologies and software that simplifies communication between employees on the floor and those in the office, and between employees working in noisy or dispersed environments. Better communication means work can get done faster, errors are fewer, and operations are safer.
Another benefit of investing in technology is its impact on your ability to attract and retain employees, especially younger employees. You can offer experience and training that appeals to people just starting out in their careers and those who are looking for a career change. With regular opportunities to improve, employees are more inclined to stay with your organization. Your organization gains all the advantages that come with a loyal workforce and the skills they acquire.
2. Maintain a Safe, Healthy Work Environment
A safe, healthy environment should be a top priority at every organization, and even more so at manufacturing companies. Your workforce is more likely to consist of employees in physically demanding or dangerous jobs. As a result, manufacturers typically need to uphold more stringent safety standards and offer more extensive protections for workers. Staying compliant helps keep your people safe from errors and injuries and protects your business from fines, lawsuits, and other consequences.
Compliance with health and safety rules, as well as a culture where those rules are followed and respected, is imperative if you want highly engaged employees. Your attention to the safety and well-being of your employees shows them they’re important to your company and helps reinforce trust and loyalty. It also builds a work environment that is truly safe and healthy — a positive feedback loop with nothing but benefits for your people and your company.
3. Champion Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance is a benefit that appeals to employees of all types, especially younger generations. When work-life balance is lacking, it’s a major factor in turnover among manufacturing employees. 34% of frontline workers and 41% of managers in the industry who had quit said it was a top concern when making their decision.
Don’t just say your manufacturing firm supports work-life balance — show it. One way to do that is by switching to a four-day workweek, which drew attention during the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike in 2023. It’s proven successful as an engagement strategy for many companies, including custom RV manufacturer Advanced RV.
CEO Mike Neundorfer moved employees to a 32-hour, four-day week in 2022, with no change in pay. After a slight dip in initial productivity, the business quickly returned to normal productivity with a renewed sense of loyalty and engagement from its employees.
Even though some were apprehensive about the change, now, employees love it. Said Bill Kowalcic, a skilled craftsman at Advanced RV, "I've never had a job where I've said this before, but at the end of the three-day weekend, I'm ready to come back in Monday morning.”
4. Use HR Tech for Engagement
Employee engagement needs to be measured, but that’s not easy to do on your own. Luckily, technology is used for much more than automating parts of the assembly line. It’s also a powerful tool for gauging and improving engagement levels. With an employee engagement solution, getting a read on engagement and learning which strategies work best is easier than ever.
Get even more strategies for motivating and connecting with your employees.
Download ClearCompany’s Employee Engagement Resource Bundle.
Here are some of the tools to look for in employee engagement software:
- One-question pulse surveys help increase participation among busy employees, giving your HR team a more accurate picture of engagement.
- Mobile accessibility ensures employees who rarely sit at a desk can complete surveys, share notes with colleagues, and post peer recognition messages.
- Reporting and analytics give your HR team insight into engagement trends across departments, locations, managers, and more.
5. Recognize and Reward Your People
Encouragement and appreciation go further in engaging employees than even a seasoned HR pro might imagine. Regular employee recognition boosts engagement and productivity and is frequently cited as one of the top ways to motivate people to do their best at work. 69% of employees say they’d work harder if they received more recognition.
6. Prioritize Employee Growth
HR teams in the manufacturing industry today have a unique opportunity when it comes to employee training and development. The sector’s workforce is aging, and as older workers retire, there are fewer workers to replace them, leading to a persistent shortage of skilled labor. At the same time, much of the workforce is voicing a strong desire for professional development, even expressing willingness to leave their jobs or stay longer at their companies for the chance to grow.
You can appeal to candidates and employees who want to grow and close skills gaps at your organization when you offer training and development opportunities. Form apprenticeship programs or partnerships with local community colleges to attract younger workers. When you invest in new technology, be sure to invest in training, too, especially ongoing training when software is updated or safety protocols change.
When your company puts its people first, everyone reaps the rewards. Attract top talent who want an employer who invests in their growth, equip them with the technology and resources they need, motivate them to do their best, and watch your business achieve its goals.
Power all of your efforts with ClearCompany, award-winning Employee Engagement software for the manufacturing industry.
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