When we think about making fleet operations more profitable, one might consider adding new or more vehicles, trimming labor costs, better managing inventory, and other tactical items. Improving internal communications might not immediately come to mind.
The way organizations communicate with their employees can have an impact on the operation’s profits. Employees need to feel valued, experience transparency and know the overall strategy and goals of the company to be fully motivated to help the organization increase business.
According to The Guardian, in a global survey of 26,000 LinkedIn members, 74 percent of participants said they want a job where they feel their work matters.
Employees want to know they are needed and their work is valued. One way to convey this is to show employees how their role and their work fits into the overall fleet operation strategy. Doing this will help employees increase their productivity, which can result in more profits for the organization.
Fleet operations should also clearly communicate the overall strategy for the operation. This will tell staff members the direction the company is headed and why certain decisions are being made. This can help employees prioritize their work around tasks that follow the overall company strategy.
Encourage Feedback, Ideas from Employees
To be profitable, fleet organizations need to attain and retain top talent. Companies need to ensure their staff members are happy with their jobs and the fleet operation to keep employees long-term. One way to monitor employees’ job satisfaction is to encourage open communication with their superiors.
These conversations give employees a chance to share new ideas with management. While overall operation strategies and goals are often determined at the upper-management level, the staff members are the ones performing the daily tasks. Listening to employee feedback can lead to new workflows and efficiencies that can result in cost savings for the operation.
Increase Transparency
Employees want to work for organizations that are transparent. This enables them to trust the operation and feel like they are clued in on the status of the company.
According to Forbes, “transparency means sharing the good, the bad and the ugly – areas where your company is excelling, but also where it is struggling.” Sharing this information can encourage staff members to develop new solutions and ideas to improve the weak areas and increase profits.
Create a Better Work Culture, Environment
Communicating with employees will help create a better work culture and environment, which will result in a happier staff. While managers want their team members to enjoy their jobs, creating a positive work environment can impact the company’s profits, as well.
Happy employees become advocates for the fleet operation. If a staff member feels appreciated and is dedicated to the operation, his or her loyalty will be felt by others he or she encounters. The employee might be moved to wear branded apparel in public or post positive comments about the operation on social media. This will help recruit new employees and help build overall brand awareness and loyalty. Increased brand awareness can help lead to more business for the operation.
Establish Better Client Relationships
Employees’ attitudes towards a company can be felt by current and potential customers. If an employee is appreciated, trusts senior management, and feels good about the overall direction of the fleet operation, that will be relayed to any customers he or she interacts with.
If an employee is happy, then the customer will sense that the operation is a good company to work with. If an employee is frustrated, it can lead to a bad interaction with the customer, and result in an overall poor impression of the operation. Employees’ attitudes can directly impact the customer experience.
As stated in Insights. Staffbase.com “great brands are built from the inside out.” To have satisfied customers, operations first have to focus on having happy employees.
Tools within the RTA Fleet Management Software platform can help improve communication. See how it can help your operation when you schedule a free demo.