There are a great number of expert-backed techniques that can be employed here. However, sometimes the most minute changes are also the most effective when it comes to building a team environment.
In my professional experience, investing in branded team clothing for your workforce could be a smart measure. Throughout this article I endeavour to lay out the most intriguing benefits that this method can offer along with relevant research surrounding it.
1- Help Staff ‘Step Into A Role’
As an HR professional, you will understand the magnitude of ensuring staff suit their given roles. The first step in this process is choosing the correct candidate for the position. However, you should also consider how what they wear will impact their performance.
Branded t-shirts are more than a mere piece of clothing; they are a costume. From the moment that an employee puts on the garment, they are stepping into a role. Research entitled ‘The Effect of Employee Uniforms on Employee Satisfaction’ suggests that this transition can be highly powerful. By wearing the uniform or branded item of clothing, the staff member internalises the idea that they are playing a role within the company.
Put simply, choosing to invest in branded t-shirts could make a significant difference in the way that your employees act. Having the company logo or name on the garment allows staff members to connect deeply with the business and, indeed, their role within it.
2 - Encourage Their Creativity
Regardless of the industry that you are in, employee creativity is an invaluable tool. Each staff member has something unique and interesting to bring to their position. Encouraging them to be forthcoming with ideas and perspectives should be a top priority.
Creating an environment in which employees feel confident in contributing to the greater conversation is one piece of the puzzle. You also need to arm them with the tools that will allow them to think outside of the box and offer up their innovative ideas.
With that in mind, let’s talk about perhaps one of the most surprising effects that branded clothing has on staff members. Research published by the Association for Psychological Science suggests that formal wear can increase abstract thinking. In short, investing in formal branded clothing could help unleash your staff member’s creativity in an instant.
3 - The Power of Colour
Do you consider colour psychology when you’re choosing uniforms or branded wear for your staff? If the answer is no, it could be time to rethink your current strategy. The colour of clothing you choose could have a serious impact on employee engagement and performance. Research from Samford University suggests that each colour sparks different characteristics and traits in the person wearing the garment.
For example, the report suggests that green encourages feelings of balance, love and harmony while blue increases feelings of calmness and kindness. If you’re an HR professional, you may be wondering how you can utlise this information within the workforce. The report also highlighted the most powerful colour for staff clothing.
The colour red is often used to signify love and romance. However, it may be better suited to the realms of the working world. The report suggested that wearing this colour could help to boost energy levels, increase passion and improve spontaneity. Since all of the above can be advantageous in a professional setting, this tone may be worth considering.
4 - Improve Inclusivity
There’s no ‘i’ in team. It may be a tired, old saying, but it’s one that rings true in every aspect of the professional sector. Solidifying a team can be a tall order. There are many different moving parts in any workplace. Ensuring that your company has an inclusive culture is an ongoing mission. As the HR representative, you will be tasked with this challenge and completing it may be harder than you first imagine.
While team-building exercises and lectures can foster an inclusive environment, you should also consider the role that branded clothing plays. Having your team wear the same branded clothing could change the way that they think about one another. As an employee looks around the workplace, they will see their colleagues as their peers.
The underlying theory here is that when people look the same, they act as a team. When each employee wears their own clothing, they may see their unique style and fashion choices as differentiators. These minor differences can cause figurative distance between the team members. On the other hand, when each member of the work group wears the same branded clothing, they have an affinity with their other colleagues.
5 - Boost Their Confidence
Confidence is essential in any professional setting. One way in which we can improve employee engagement is to help boost their confidence. The more empowered each staff member is, the more likely they are to excel when it comes to their position. On a personal level, you may have experienced the power clothing can have on how you feel. Applying this ethos in the workplace could change the way that staff members act.
There’s research behind the notion that clothing can change attitudes. One article published in the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly Journal investigates this theory on an in-depth level. The report suggests that wearing a uniform can change the mindset of employees and offer an array of benefits. The outcome was that wearing branded uniforms could enhance employees’ levels of self-confidence while also their credibility.
6 - Appeal To Their Eco-Conscience
Each of us has a responsibility to play our part in solving climate change issues. Currently, this topic is increasingly pertinent both in the UK and the world at large. The latest YouGov poll suggests that concerns about the environment are at an all-time high, with more than a quarter of Brits citing it as one of the top three issues faced by the country. Major changes must be made to save the future of the planet as we know it.
But what does this have to do with your workforce? Put simply, if your staff have an eco-conscience, so should you. Increasing their engagement is about demonstrating that you’re playing for the same side. You can start small here. When it comes to the branded clothing you choose, you may want to opt for organic t-shirts, rather than other fabrics.
As a leader in the HR sphere, you have the opportunity to appeal to your staff on every single level. That means understanding the concerns of the modern-day workforce and responding to them in the correct manner. Just as many supermarkets and eateries are switching from plastics to disposable materials, you may wish to do the same.
Conclusion
There’s a multitude of reasons that getting bespoke branded clothing could enhance your employee engagement. Throughout this article, I have highlighted some of the most important benefits that this small change can yield. It does not end there. There’s a wealth of research that can be done into the effects that uniforms and clothing have on staff members. However, the proof is often best seen for yourself. Why not consider investing in some branded clothing for your team and notice the impact it makes first-hand?