Why Creating a Rewarding Workplace is More Important Than Ever
It is a simple notion, but one we take seriously at Beacon Manufacturing Group: To be the first choice for our customers, we must also be the first choice for our employees.
As an engineering and innovation hub for leading contract manufacturers, our success depends on an integrated team of talented, dedicated professionals. Here is a quick look at what we have identified as the most important steps you can take to support, reward and inspire exceptional people every day.
Put People Front and Center
The emphasis on employee success should begin with your core principles. These principles – including your Mission, Vision and Values – must embody your company’s commitment to customers and to each other. It is right there in Beacon Manufacturing Group’s vision statement:
Our vision is to be an innovative, growth-oriented and trusted provider of services and solutions to support the success of our people, partners and customers.
This should be followed with a set of clear, common-sense values that employees can embrace and embody. Company leaders must be committed to ensuring all are aligned around these behaviors – from your newest employee to your longest-tenured team member. Accountability, integrity, innovation, service and teamwork are the values that keep the Beacon team connected within a customer-driven culture.
Embrace Problem-Solving Opportunities
At Beacon, we love sinking our teeth into a tough challenge. Organizations that solve problems well embrace challenges as a chance to put their team’s diverse skills, knowledge and experience to the test to create new and increasingly innovative solutions. This can only be possible through cross-functional alignment and collaboration.
Business leaders must foster a culture that embraces and encourages this teamwork across functional teams, divisions or even businesses. This is fundamental to finding new ways to solve our customers’ most pressing manufacturing challenges.
As teams and companies grow and evolve, your focus must remain on bringing together exceptional people with diverse skills, knowledge and experience to create new opportunities for employees and greater customer value.
Support a Growth Mindset
To truly be a first-choice employer, you must view growth through the eyes of your employees. Establishing opportunities for employees to learn new skills and gain new expertise will improve your ability to deliver for your customers while building tomorrow’s leadership team.
An investment in employee training and development is just one way you can support and develop your people. These investments should apply to training opportunities inside and outside your facility. Cross-training and cross-functional collaboration are crucial to broadening perspectives and building a sense of pride and shared purpose.
Above all else, you must foster a safe, vibrant work environment and careers with high growth potential that encourage people who grow alongside you.
Listen, Share and Act
Employees expect and deserve clear, transparent, responsive leadership. They also deserve the opportunity for their voice to be heard.
Open communication is key to fostering the trust and belonging that inspire teams to do great things. To that end, Beacon Manufacturing Group launched its first enterprise-wide employee survey in April 2022. The survey results provided insights that helped develop an action plan to address any recurring concerns, capitalize on notable strengths and foster a culture of listening to employees. Teams were mobilized to focus this year’s action plan and are making strides to:
- Ensuring a positive work environment for all.
- Remain consistent in employee communications.
- Enhance access to training and development for all employees.
- Provide opportunities for employees to directly contribute to continuous improvements.
Whether you are conducting a formal survey, or simply checking in with employees on the shop floor, you must always maintain these pathways to be considered a true best place to work.
Make an Impact
When you tackle complex manufacturing problems as often as we do, you get many chances to help make products that matter. From a critical part in a system used to develop new vaccines, to a filter component that helps us breathe cleaner air, the parts we manufacture are critical to shaping a better, safer world.
As our company grows, this opportunity to make a difference helps us attract and retain the exceptional people we need to thrive.
After all, I know Beacon employees join me in taking immense pride in this work. And nothing makes me prouder than knowing that across the organization our talented, driven team is mastering manufacturing complexities and delivering the vital innovations our customers need to succeed every day.