Background:
Through decade long process improvement & consulting experience, I will say one of the commonly seen major problem of apparel manufacturing industries are worker turnover, absenteeism and their low involvement in process improvement, which gets converted into low productivity, poor quality, increase in wastages and low profitability. This entire problem has a direct relation with worker happiness.
Global companies like Google, Amazon and many other most successful companies growth and innovation comes from their happy and dedicated employees. These companies have taken serious initiative for improving employee happiness.
Many people would argue, “these are big MNC companies and they have deep pockets and resources” although the argument is more of a myth than a truth. Let us understand how even a small and medium size apparel manufacturing company can even get benefit from - “Worker Happiness Index”.
How to Measure and Analyse Worker Happiness Index?
There are various ways and means to measure the happiness index although it depends on company, to what sophistication level they want to measure and analyze the happiness index.
Data recording for happiness index:
- A well-designed check-sheet format could be used for capturing each worker happiness or grievances.
- There could be simpler ways to capture worker’s happiness. For initial identification, organisation could place two baskets named happy and unhappy and each worker could be given similar ball to put in basket. This would help organization to understand quickly percentage of unhappy workers. Incase of high percentage of unhappy workers, in-depth data collection could be initiated in future.
Understanding situation better through data analysis and various graph, charts:
- Department wise happiness and unhappiness percentage should be captured every month.
- Reason for unhappiness / grievances category should be analyzed through pareto chart.
- To get the company wide complete picture of worker grievances Radar chart can be used for quick understanding.
Improve worker happiness through problem solving & implementing simple and innovative solutions:
- Once data collection and analysis is done, there are various tools for root cause analysis like: Fish bone diagram, 5 why analysis & Brainstorming etc.
- It is very important to select simple and effective solutions which can bring happiness to the worker and employees.
- It is very important to continue with worker happiness data capturing, even after it improves.
Benefits:
Following benefits can be achieved through improved worker happiness:
- Reduction in worker migration
- Reduced absenteeism
- Reduction in excessive overtime
- Reducing the chances of ’worker unrest’ or ’worker strike’
- Increased work efficiency through higher output per person
- Improved quality through well trained happy worker instead of newly joined worker due to higher attrition
- Whole hearted participation in improvement projects which brings financial savings for management
Conclusion:
Most of us assume worker/ employee happiness can only come with increased salary, bonus or incentive. Well, they are important but many times it can be improved with simple steps, I have experience where a worker morale & happiness was improved through:
- Improving workplace hygiene, washroom cleanness
- Easy approval for ‘taking flexible holidays’
- Regular acknowledgement of better performance
- Initiating or Improving canteen facility, child care room, medical facility
- Eliminating misconduct with worker
- Regular worker training & motivation
Many times small changes can even bring happiness to the majority of workers. Improved worker & employee happiness not only improves the performance and profitability it also creates the momentum, which takes the company to the path of business excellence.
Published By: Manoj Singh
Manoj Singh has wide experience of over 12 years in garment industry in
India and abroad. He has done consulting for over 7.5 years and his services has benefited above 70 factories in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar & Dubai. He has actively worked with Factories, Brands, and International funding agencies, Garment Clusters, Boards & Councils and other consulting firms.
