Mention uniforms to your employees and they will probably conjure up images of orange polyester jumpsuits with “Norb” or “Nancy” over the pocket. Pretty grim.
But uniforms can be everything from simple T-shirts to high fashion apparel purchased at the trendiest boutique. As long as they are “uniform.”
Research shows uniforms work in the workplace. The American public favors the idea of employees wearing identifiable apparel almost 8 to 1, according to a study conducted for the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors.
Attribute – % Mentioning
- Easier to recognize – 97
- More professional – 73
- More neat – 69
- More pride in their company – 66
- Better trained – 58
- More predictable – 53
Whether yours is a machine shop where heavy-duty uniforms are worn to withstand dirt and frequent laundering, or a financial institution where more formal business attire is standard, uniforms appeal to your customers.
This is a win-win tactic. Your employees get an attractive fringe benefit. You get a lot of good advertising.
Create visibility for your company
Uniforms can build name awareness in your community and throughout your industry. Use your staff as walking billboards.
Not just at your office, either. Put your logo on baseball caps, T-shirts, jackets, golf shirts, handmade ties, the latest in casual wear, or any kind of clothes your staff likes enough to wear outside their homes. The more of your employees’ neighbors and friends who see your company name and logo, the better.
The key is to pick attractive apparel your employees will be proud to wear (e.g., a good quality casual shirt or 100% cotton sweater with the company crest tastefully embroidered on breast, collar or cuff) something stylish that they can wear around the office, and when they are running errands or cheering their kids on at the local soccer match.
There are good reasons for uniforms around the workplace, too. Wearing stylish clothes makes your employees happy while building a sense of camaraderie and team effort. Equally as important, the uniform look provides quick and easy identification for customers and vendors at trade shows, golf outings and industry events.
Appearance is important to your company’s credibility
A client whose computer programmers frequently spent whole days in their customers’ offices was having trouble enforcing a dress code. The programmers, a creative and somewhat eccentric lot, often expressed their creativity and eccentricity in the way they dressed.
We shopped a few catalogs and outfitted all the programmers in khaki slacks and jean shirts with the company logo on the breast pocket.
They liked wearing the comfortable attire, and they all looked sharp. A few months later, we added dark slacks, sweaters, and several other outfits, all bearing the company logo.
It’s easy to outfit your staff in uniforms sydney. And not terribly expensive.
Simply choose your corporate “style” and take your clothes to a local embroiderer.
You’ll pay for a setup charge of a few hundred dollars to make your company’s name and logo. (Remember, it’s not your employee’s name you want over the pocket. It’s yours!)
Then each shirt, jacket or baseball cap can be embroidered for a few dollars, depending upon the complexity of your logo.
The benefits of uniforms are many. They provide you one more way to get your name in front of your customers. Your employees appreciate the fringe benefit. And you’re assured they always look sharp.
Just try and stay away from the orange polyester jumpsuits.
