How to reward blue-collar employees

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White-collar employees work behind the desk, while blue-collar employees get their hands on the actual manual labor in manufacturing. There is no doubt that blue-collar employees play a pivotal role in the organization.

However, it is often seen that blue-collar employees receive fewer benefits from the organization than the white collars. Then, what are some ways the organization can compensate blue-collar employees?

1. Provide career development opportunities

It is not true that only office workers seek experience and education to advance their careers. Rather, employees in a division of manufacturing constantly demand the necessary training for career development. For blue-collar employees, there is a big difference in salary level depending on the skill level. In fact, in Germany, where the manufacturing industry is a forte, there are active technical education to students and encourage them to work in manufacturing industries.

The perception that blue-collar employees are inferior to white-collar employees must first be discarded. It is important to grant a role with decision-making authority to the experienced blue-collar employees. Without proper treatment for employees in manufacturing, there will be fewer people to replace those who take on the most important jobs in the company.

2. Provide extra monetary compensation

A single most direct method of employee compensation is in the form of money. Employees often consider the amount of compensation as how much they are worth in the organization. Extra monetary compensation can be performance-based bonus or salary increase. This is one of the extrinsic motivational methods that can make employees perform better.

3. Open employee recognition

Compliments have a lot of value in terms of employee recognition. Employees may feel unnoticed when they find that their efforts and contributions are overlooked. Therefore, it is important for employees to feel valued and appreciated.

This concept can be easily explained through Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’. According to the ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, the two most valuable psychological needs for humans are belonging and recognition. Complimenting or acknowledging employees is critical to the success of any business, as it is a very effective strategy to increase engagement in workplaces.

Company executives must properly recognize blue-collar employees, because openly appreciating their work can make them feel secured and valued. Providing reward through recognition can increase employee productivity and help build relationships based on confidence, trust, loyalty, and respect.