The Importance of Valuing Employees

Value each worker’s input. “You don’t want to do anything unless it adds value,” says former OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor John Henshaw, in today's panel discussion at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. Managers must engage their workers and make them feel needed and appreciated in order to gain employee commitment, he adds. This will ensure higher productivity and a stronger dedication to the safety process. 

The key characteristic at successful companies is that "as many people as possible are engaged in understanding what their job is and own their own safety and health,” rather than just following the rules and owning the outcomes, Henshaw says.

According to Henshaw, successful engagement “comes down to the right people at the sites.” When it comes to choosing site managers, choose someone trustworthy and caring, he adds. A site manager has to care about workers, workers’ families and human needs. “Find your champion who can do that very well and then benchmark off of that champion,” Henshaw adds. “Showcase those skills so the other managers can see what’s valued in a company.”