The importance of maintaining a happy workforce
- Thursday, August 3, 2023
- Posted By The Growth Company
Findings that 90% of manufacturing workers are open to moving jobs is an important reminder to manufacturing firms that investing in your workforce is a vital business strategy.
Employees in the manufacturing sector are more likely to be willing to leave their job over the next year than the average across the economy, with work-life balance a key consideration.
Manufacturers have previously been warned that a lack of wellbeing support could result in losing out on talent. The issue does not just exist at ground level – recent research has found that over a fifth of managers in manufacturing are finding it more difficult to stay positive at work.
We’ve worked with manufacturing firms across Greater Manchester to build happier and healthier workplaces through our Leadership and Management support. Bury firm Crossfield Excalibur spoke to us about the benefit they’ve seen from investing in their workforce.
The finding, reported by The Manufacturer, comes from a survey of 70,000 employees by recruitment firm PageGroup.
According to the research, manufacturing is second behind only the procurement, supply chain and logistics sector when it comes to workers’ willingness to leave their job in the next 12 months.
The news comes shortly after a survey of business leaders by the Institute of Directors in May, which found that skills and labour shortages were having a negative impact on nearly half (46 per cent) of UK businesses.
Companies looking to attract and retain talent are now being encouraged to look at their wider value proposition for employees, as well as traditional factors such as salary and career progression. In particular, wellbeing has emerged as a key consideration, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PageGroup survey found that 60 per cent of manufacturing workers cite work-life balance as crucial to their job satisfaction.
In 2021, a national survey found that half of manufacturers had increased their spending on health and wellbeing following the onset of the pandemic.
Supporting flexible working arrangements and establishing a culture of recognition at work are some of the most common measures recommended by experts for improving wellbeing.
GC Business Growth Hub was part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014-2021, as part of a portfolio of ERDF-funded programmes designed to help ambitious SME businesses achieve growth and increase employment in Greater Manchester. Eligibility criteria was applied. The 2014-2021 ERDF fund was allocated by the European Union that finances convergence, regional competitiveness and employment and territorial co-operation.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Department for Communities and Local Government was the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which was one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information, visit European Regional Development Fund: Documents and Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you would like to know more please contact us at bgh@growthco.uk