In previous articles, Imagemakers - designers and manufacturers of high quality, stylish office wear- highlighted the impact of a corporate uniform on building brand awareness, elevating brand perception, and driving customer engagement. In this article, we discuss how a corporate uniform has the power to influence employee engagement positively.
Why is Employee Engagement Important?
When looking at improving employee engagement, company leaders often tend to focus on leadership and communication skills, forgetting that employees need to have a purpose and a sense of belonging – they need to be engaged with the business.
Employee engagement directly affects work culture, staff turnover, productivity, and relationships – which ultimately impacts the company's bottom line. These factors can all be summarised into two-word, team spirit.
A strong team spirit leads to higher levels of motivation and a stronger company community. Team unity achieves this by building trust between employees, increasing their confidence and communication, and improving shared knowledge. Furthermore, other employees and new hires will be inspired by their colleagues’ attitudes to work similarly. In this way, the positive team spirit will spread.
As team spirit, productivity and employee engagement increase, so too does employee self-assurance and productivity. This positivity is acquired between colleagues and is also noticed by customers, resulting in referrals and repeat business.
How Does a Corporate Uniform Contribute Towards Team Spirit?
A stylish, well-fitted corporate uniform has the power to create a feeling of affinity, which bonds employees and creates a sense of pride, shared purpose, and loyalty.
Employees who wear a uniform are also more aware that their uniform puts their company on display. In addition, they know that they are now recognisable to the public, which brings with it an added sense of responsibility and directs consistent and positive employee behaviour.
An observation in the Cornell study ‘‘The Effect of Employee Uniforms on Employee Satisfaction” notes that “part of the concept of uniforms directing employees’ behaviour comes from the idea that putting on a uniform also means stepping into a role”. In other words, a uniform directly impacts how an employee interacts with their colleagues, customers, and the general public.
The increased confidence that a uniform confers on employees adds to their sense of belonging and equips them with the self-assurance they need to make decisions or contact someone for assistance.
Before implementing a corporate uniform policy, it is essential to gain employee buy-in to avoid resistance from the company staff. At Imagemakers, we have experience with selling the concept of corporate wear to your team.
Although our head office and factory are in Cape Town, our consultants are active to assist you in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West provinces. We also have offices in Gaborone, Windhoek and Eswatini.
We design, manufacture, and supply corporate wear for staff and individuals encompassing a wide range of different companies and sectors. These include Banks and Financial Services, Hospitals and Healthcare, Mining, Motor Dealerships, Educational Facilities, Security Sector, Travel and Tourism, among many others. Last year alone, we helped more than 4000 companies make favourable impressions that last.
Our corporate uniforms are designed for both the summer and winter seasons. They are available in a range of coordinated looks which may be viewed on our digital catalogue or by ordering a free catalogue for delivery to your address.