The Importance of People: How Employee Satisfaction Leads to Employee Productivity
It’s no question that third-party logistics (3PL) companies take hundreds, if not thousands of people to keep them in operation. From customer service to fulfillment, there are many shoes to fill and tasks to complete. What we’ve seen in our 30 years is how efficiently and effectively these tasks are completed has a direct correlation to the tools and training provided to employees, which make daily tasks easier, adding to employee happiness.
When we have promoted from within and utilized employee skill sets to the fullest, we have seen problems solved and tasks completed in an efficient and timely manner. For all of that, we credit the principles Prism was founded on 30 years ago.
Not that we need any other reason to continue valuing our employees, but our theory is even backed by science. This Journal of Applied Behavioral Science study shows that companies with happier employees have increased productivity and company effectiveness. We didn’t need a study to tell us to do the right thing, but we’re glad others see the benefits of investing time into their people.
Here are a few things we at Prism have adopted to continue to retain employees and harness employee satisfaction to keep employee productivity and efficiency the best it can be.
Capitalizing on Employee Skill Set
We’ve all had a new hire that didn’t quite pan out. Maybe they were struggling to keep the pace in their particular role or they just weren’t meant to be in a position with as much physical labor as they were in. Either way, getting to know these employees with great work ethic and keeping them in your company is exactly what you should do. At Prism, we believe in capitalizing on our employees’ best skills and moving them to positions that allow that skill set to shine.
This has been key to our success and is a proven strategy for employee productivity. In fact, 60% of employees feel it’s “very important to do what they do best.” Of course, it is. Even though a position they were hired for might not be the right fit, see if there are other openings within that may capitalize on their great problem-solving, timeliness, or attention to detail, for example.
Hiring from Within
This goes hand-in-hand with capitalizing on employee skill sets, but hiring from within has been pivotal to success at Prism. Typically experienced employees who know the ins and outs of the company and understand their partners are unmatched by any outside “experience” in a specific position.
You can read more about our people-first mentality and how proud we are of the many tenured employees we’ve had the pleasure to see blossom into management roles in our 30th-anniversary tribute article.
Investing in Technology
Investing in people is key, but investing in technology can be just as vital. Not only is technology essential to staying relevant in the 3PL industry, it also has the great additional benefit of making employees’ jobs easier.
Technology can take mundane but necessary tasks, eliminate human error, and perform the task often in a fraction of the time it would’ve taken manually. This increases employee satisfaction and allows them to use their skills for more critical tasks.
Hiring from Within
This goes hand-in-hand with capitalizing on employee skill sets, but hiring from within has been pivotal to success at Prism. Typically experienced employees who know the ins and outs of the company and understand their partners are unmatched by any outside “experience” in a specific position.
Family First
We are first and foremost a family company. For more than 30 years, our leadership, including, but never limited to, the Van Puffelens, has kept family at the heart of the organization. We understand that employees need time to address family matters. Our organization works to keep a healthy work-life balance a priority for all employees at every stage of the company.
53% of employees surveyed value a role that allows them to have a better work-life balance and a stronger sense of personal well-being. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated from home life can bring a new sense of satisfaction to one’s career, and we believe the only way to make that possible is by ensuring employees feel empowered to take PTO and truly clock out when they leave the building. We encourage everyone to put family first because that helps them and inherently the business thrive.
Why Partner with an Organization that Values People?
For many obvious reasons, an organization that values employee satisfaction also increases employee productivity. Partnering with an organization that values people means you’ll benefit from that increased productivity. Faster processing times, increased care through fulfillment, and personal touch are just a few of the things we’re proud to offer at Prism Logistics.
If you’re ready to increase your output and decrease wasted product, reach out to us for a custom quote and personalized experience catered specifically to your needs.
