A shipyard is a unique environment. It will be unlike any other type of job most of your employees will have had if they’ve come from any other manufacturing environment. As a manager, you know that employee engagement is critical, so how can you improve employee morale in your marine industry environment? Here are some tips that are exclusively for shipbuilding employees and your unique business model.
- Allow for feedback and participation. Your shipyard workers want a voice, so it’s your responsibility to ensure the procedures are in place to provide feedback. Engage in regular meetings to check in with your team to see how they’re doing or if they have any recommendations to improve processes.
- Keep up to date on safety protocol. Safety doesn’t sound like a very sexy subject, but it is essential to employee engagement and the success of your shipyard. By keeping up to date with safety procedures, providing the best tools and equipment, and responding quickly to issues, you’ll demonstrate that your employees’ safety is a priority.
- Develop a culture of gratitude. We don’t often think about gratitude when it comes to manufacturing environments. We often have the mindset that if your employees do their job, that’s the base requirement. But studies have shown that simply saying thank you can improve engagement and performance. It also creates a culture where your employees are grateful for one another as well.
- Learn to deal with negative behaviors. Of course, it isn’t always sunshine in a production environment. When an employee engages in difficult or inappropriate behavior, you need to have processes in place to deal with them. The important part is being consistent. If you address employees differently for the same issue, there may be negative perceptions about your management processes.
- Provide skill related projects. Another way to engage your team is to provide them with additional challenges based on their skills and interests. Career development is important to a lot of people, and knowing your employees well enough to see and recognize their unique skills and will go a long way to building employee loyalty.
Do you want to know more ways to engage your shipyard employees and improve morale?
Contact the experts at Hutco to learn more today.
