49% of Employees in Transportation and Logistics Don’t Feel Recognized at Work

Chances are your transport and logistics employees aren’t feeling the love. Here’s what to do about it. 
 

Here at Workvivo, we strongly believe that every organization on the planet can (and should) enhance their employee appreciation and recognition efforts.

Let’s be real: there aren’t many employers you could set as the gold standard when it comes to recognizing staff.

But for the transport and logistics sector in particular, there’s a long road ahead. (See what we did there?)

But don’t just take our word (and terrible puns) for it. When we ran a survey of 330 transport and logistics workers, we found that 49% – yes, half – of them don’t feel recognized at work.

That’s a lot of employees who don’t feel appreciated for the work they’re doing and, as a result, a lot of employees far more likely to feel disengaged, quietly quit, and even leave.

In fact, in our survey, 80% of respondents said they’d consider leaving their current employer if they didn’t feel adequately appreciated.

While the results made us sad, they didn’t surprise us all that much. That’s because recognition is an area in which most employers are underperforming, but which becomes even less common in industries that have a high percentage of frontline staff.

Let’s drill down into the results and what they could mean for your organization.

Your people will leave – It’s as simple as that. 80% of the participants in our survey said they’d consider leaving their current employer if they didn’t feel adequately recognized.

You won’t keep up in a tight talent market – What’s the only thing worse than losing your best people? Losing them to your competition. 48% said they would pursue a role in another company if guaranteed more recognition and rewards. The problem isn’t just that you’re not doing enough to recognize your people; it’s also that there are other companies out there who are, and the more they market their brand, the more your restless employees will notice them.

The industry could be tumbling towards a talent shortage – 65% would consider leaving the industry altogether if they didn’t feel appreciated.

There’s a major discrepancy between how much employees value recognition and how much recognition they receive – 79% of participants believe being recognized for their work is important, but only 29% report receiving recognition often.

But we’re not just here to deliver bad news and even worse puns. We’re also here to help!

Beyond the obvious ones, like compensating your workers fairly (we really hope that’s a no-brainer), here are some employee appreciation ideas to get you started.

1. Rev up your recognition program

If you don’t have one yet, there’s no time to waste. Write down some recognition ideas, draw a rough timeline, randomly doodle intermittently if you get bored (this part is optional, but recommended), and set up an internal working group.

What should this look like? It should be a bunch of things that serve as thank-yous to your staff. These can include handwritten thank-you notes, short posts on your employee app recognizing achievements, a weekly roundup of milestones, chocolates on special days, and much more.

One of our fantastic contributors, Cat DiStasio, recently put some appreciation ideas together. Check them out here.

2. Deliver on training and development

Showing genuine interest in helping your employee develop their skills is another way to make them feel valued. You’re not going to invest in training someone you secretly wish would win the lotto and leave the team behind, right? …right?

Offer training programs, workshops, or seminars that enhance their skills and knowledge. But just as importantly, advertise those resources extensively. Regularly remind your people where they can find opportunities for learning and development.

3. Drive your company culture to new heights

Embed recognition as a core part of your culture. If recognizing your employees – you know, the most vital ingredient of your organization’s success – isn’t somewhere in your company values, that needs to change. Like, now.

Hold regular employee appreciation events, which can range from casual lunches to company retreats.

Offer flexible work arrangements. People do their best work when they’re given the autonomy and trust to do it their own way, and everyone appreciates a positive work-life balance – especially those who typically work long hours and in isolated roles.

Make employee feedback the norm, not the exception. Create channels for open communication and feedback. Regularly seek input from employees about their experiences, challenges, and suggestions. Knowing that their opinions are valued fosters a sense of inclusion and makes employees feel appreciated. Plus, it helps you build a better workplace and, ultimately, achieve more success – it’s a win-win!

Short-term actions for long-term gains

In the transport and logistics industry, where project precision and execution are absolutely essential, showing appreciation for employees is a non-negotiable for building a positive and motivated workforce.

By implementing these strategies, companies can create a culture of appreciation that not only boosts morale but also contributes to happier customers and overall success.

Recognizing the efforts of individuals in the transport and logistics sector is an investment in the wellbeing and longevity of both employees and the company as a whole. Workvivo’s mobile-first app makes everything we talked about in this article sooo much easier. Book your demo today!