A positive work environment is just as essential in the sanitation industry as in all other professions. Happy employees produce efficient work, discover creative solutions, and make sound decisions. Alternatively, dissatisfied workers are less productive and often quit, which puts the stress of employee turnover onto you. You may have everything under control, but management tips for keeping a happy workforce can never hurt!
In order to run a successful portable restroom operation, company culture needs to start with a human element. As a manager in the sanitation industry, you can learn many helpful tips for running a portable restroom operation with happy, productive employees. Explore our top six management tips for a happy sanitation workplace.
1. Focus On Training
After you’ve interviewed and hired the right people for the job, it’s time to train them. Employee training is the first time new employees understand what it’s like to work for you and your sanitation company. It is essential to make a good impression. Moreover, it’s important to make sure you follow through on those impressions with a consistent, functional environment.
Thorough training and cross-training set your employees up for success from the start. Additionally, hosting regular meetings to increase your team’s education is a fantastic way for your employees to bond and expand their skills.
2. Celebrate Successes
Did you know that the number one reason Americans leave their jobs is from feeling underappreciated? Clearly, it is crucial for your employees to feel valued and celebrated. Be sure to take time to verbally acknowledge staff members when they make improvements, complete a difficult task, or help out another team member.
A straightforward way to measure expectations and success in your portable restroom operation is to identify some key performance indicators (KPIs) related to your business. You can visually track progress on graphs or charts, so your employees clearly know what is expected of them.
When your team works together to reach tangible goals, they build a sense of camaraderie and collaboration. When you recognize their accomplishments, they will feel motivated to keep working hard.
3. Offer Benefits if Possible
Working in the sanitation industry requires difficult physical labor. From employees to managers and owners, no one gets off easy in this line of work. One of the best ways to create a happy workforce is to reward your employees for their tasking work by offering generous employment benefits.
Do you offer any of these benefits?
- Paid time off
- Paid sick leave
- Paid parental leave
- Health insurance
- Retirement plans
- Mental health benefits
- Gym memberships
Benefit packages are essential for workplace satisfaction in all industries, including the sanitation industry. Studies have found that 60% of employees rated benefits as a “very important” contribution to job fulfillment. Benefit packages are the critical component to fostering a happy workplace, even more than annual wages.
4. Get to Know Your Employees
A simple greeting or daily check-in can go a long way in the workplace. Your team members will feel valued when you take the time to get to know them. No one likes being treated like a number or a cog in the machine, so it is vital to humanize your employees and treat them with kindness. This is especially true for younger generations.
Keep up with your workers’ families and hobbies. Take time to mingle around your warehouse and office space so that your employees know you’re approachable. Further, offering a helping hand on current projects is a fantastic way to demonstrate that you consider yourself as an equal to your employees.
Get to know your employees and foster a positive work environment with these fun ideas:
- Host group lunches
- Plan team happy hour outings
- Attend sporting events as a group
- Organize holiday parties for your employee’s families
5. Encourage Workplace Wellness
Work-life balance is essential for happy employees, especially in a physically demanding role in the sanitation industry. Implementing workplace wellness is a fantastic way to foster health and wellbeing in your workforce. Workplace wellness can include things like healthy food, physical exercise, massage therapy, and more.
Ideas for workplace wellness include:
- Offer discounted health club memberships
- Prepare a list of healthy eating options near your worksite
- Provide fresh fruit and vegetables in the break room
- Post maps of local walking rails and parks
6. Provide Encouraging Feedback
Inevitably, conflict in the workplace will arise. Often, conflict occurs due to communication issues. Sometimes emotions flare because employees are unclear of their expectations, tasks are not adequately communicated to them, or someone is dealing with a bad online review. Conflict may seem like a negative setback, but it is an opportunity for improvement in happy workplaces.
Encourage peaceful conflict resolution between employees before you step in. If you have a conflict with an individual employee, address it one-on-one in private. Use the opportunity to initiate a constructive, encouraging conversation and provide mentorship.
When it’s time to give feedback to your employees, use the “sandwich method.” Begin by sharing something they are doing well. In the middle, talk about what they can improve on, and finish by sharing another positive trait. When you focus on encouragement, your employees will feel valued and inspired to work harder.
The key to effective feedback is for it to be expected and planned. Communicate at regular weekly or monthly intervals instead of springing feedback sessions on your employees at unexpected times. Encourage your team members to ask questions so that evaluation sessions are two-way conversations.
Watch Productivity Grow With a Happy Workforce
When you take the time as a manager of a portable restroom operation to prioritize a positive work culture, you will see incredible results. When your employees are happy, they are more productive and eager to come to work. Additionally, when you have content employees who want to remain with your sanitation company for many years, you minimize your own stress of employee turnover. Today, with employment issues on the rise, and growing minimum wages, providing a healthy work environment could make all the difference.
A happy workforce is a successful workforce, and the members of your restroom operation deserve to feel supported. Take ample time with training, offer benefits, provide encouragement, and get to know your team members on a personal level. You may be surprised at how your own happiness levels increase when you prioritize the prosperity of your employees.
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