Contributed by ABM.

Engaged employees perform better – both in terms of safety and quality. Companies with high rates of employee engagement report 48% fewer safety incidents and 41% fewer quality incidents, according to the Harvard Business Review.

  Engaged employees are connected to the “why” behind their jobs. Sanitation professionals aren’t just cleaning equipment; they’re ensuring that the end user receives a safe product. Janitors help make classrooms and offices healthy environments in which to learn and work.

Through ongoing communication about how their day-to-day work connects to larger business objectives employers can foster a sense of unity among all employees. That unity translates to engagements, as employees feel like an important part of the team.

  Flexible work schedules also keep employees engaged. Flexibility can give the employee a feeling of respect and thoughtfulness from the company often resulting in employees that are attentive, vigilant and innovative. When employees are satisfied and engaged, turnover can decrease. Less turnover can also improve the quality of cleaning because there isn’t service interruption due to onboarding and training.

  As the numbers show, employers should take employee engagement seriously. While identifying ways to streamline your operations through outsourcing, seek out partners who understand the correlation between employee engagement and production quality and safety. The data on costs show, it’s worth the effort.

Eric Kirchhoefer is vice president of sales, technology and manufacturing.


posted on 2/19/2020