How To Improve Your Warehouse Culture

Improving warehouse culture has significant positive impact on your bottom line.  An engaged workforce increases productivity, improves customer service, and lowers employee turnover, all of which cut down on costs. By aligning core values, consistently measuring results, building action plans and following through on changes, you will see results.

A values-driven culture drives performance.

We have seen consistent results using this approach, and you can, too.

Download the Whitepaper: Company Culture Counts >

Here’s how to improve your warehouse culture:

Establish Measurable Behaviors

When employees know exactly what is expected of them, it empowers them to excel. You can derive a specific set of fundamental behaviors for success that are directly aligned with your organization’s core values. For example, LEGACY has six core values that ultimately guide the specific and measurable behaviors on which warehouse employees and facilities as a whole are evaluated.

Set the Tone with Leadership

A values-driven culture is only as effective as the actions of those in leadership roles. One of our core values at LEGACY is “Servant Leadership.” You will see this demonstrated when visiting one of our warehouses, in behaviors from warehouse managers pitching in to help with heavy volumes to team leaders thoughtfully answering team members’ questions, setting them up for success. Leaders that consistently demonstrate values-driven behavior give the entire warehouse a visible example to follow.

Provide a Path for Career Growth

Employees that feel in charge of their career and are given the tools to grow are much more likely to be engaged and satisfied. Engaged employees are more likely to take pride in their work, have better output, and give better customer service. In this way, career growth programs can be directly related to job performance. Set your workforce up for success by providing training programs and certification opportunities to build on their skills.

Learn More About How People Management Plays a Role in Overall Warehousing and Distribution Success >

Perform Regular Cultural Assessments

Consistency is the key to successful assessments. If your measurable behaviors are clearly established and reinforced by leadership, your employees will feel confident undergoing regular cultural assessments. The results should be shared and areas for improvement should be properly resourced. A transparent approach fosters a positive attitude and shared sense of ownership in the success of the team.

Follow Through with Action Plans

Each Cultural Assessment should be ended with a plan to improve on any areas that either or both parties saw room for improvement on. In addition to training programs as mentioned previously, this could include a leadership check-in throughout each week to follow up on behaviors that are being worked on. Consistent follow-up will reinforce the process and improve performance.

These are just a few ways that you can improve your warehouse culture. Implementing and executing a successful strategy for a strong culture takes a big commitment, but the rewards are well worth the investment. For more thoughts on company culture in warehouse and supply chain operations, download our white paper “Company Culture Counts.”