Processors use technology to improve employee engagement
New tools are available for processors wanting to connect their workers, but to succeed, companies must have a business plan, transparent communications and a mindset for continuous improvement.
According to a 2017 Gallup Poll, out of the more than 100 million Americans working full time, only one-third actually like their job. On the other hand, 16 percent of workers are actively disengaged and can be distracting and destructive to the engaged employees. According to Gallup’s Chairman and CEO Jim Clifton, “The remaining 51 percent of employees are not engaged—they’re just there.”
In a 2015 research study, "Mind of the Food Worker," conducted by Alchemy Systems for The Center for Research and Public Policy, the numbers fare a little better for the food industry. Two-thirds of food workers are satisfied in their jobs, but 33 percent of food leaders said their companies were doing a poor job of preparing millennials in the workplace. The same research found that 42 percent of food workers rarely or never receive coaching from their manager/supervisor, and 20 percent of employees said they received too little training before starting the job. Couple this with the finding that 37 percent of workers and 47 percent of supervisors agree that training is sometimes too complicated.