A recent survey has revealed that Welsh medium sized businesses in the food and drink sector are performing above national and global averages in terms of employee satisfaction.
The Welsh Government’s Food & Drink Insight Programme, in partnership with Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru / Food & Drink Skills Wales, commissioned and carried out the survey which delved into various areas of the workplace including job satisfaction, wellbeing, organisational culture, management feedback, facilities, training and employee engagement.
The survey’s findings were notably positive, including Welsh businesses achieving an engagement score of 73%, surpassing the industry average of 71%. For the purpose of the research, engagement is defined as the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work, with engaged and happy employees being more productive and profitable.
Additionally, a significant 81% of respondents agreed that living in Wales enhances their quality of life and work-life balance, with the ease of accessing nature outside of work hours scoring highly as one the factors for this.
For the newly-appointed Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, the survey’s findings are very encouraging and shows that Wales is an attractive location for food and drink businesses.
He said, “We are thrilled with the results of this survey, which show that Welsh food and drink businesses are leading the way in terms of employee satisfaction.
“The Welsh Government is committed to initiatives that bolster the food and drink sector and contribute to employee wellbeing. The insights from this survey are instrumental in fostering continuous improvement areas and skills development.”
The Food & Drink Skills Wales project has been a key partner in the work, with the project planning, and the intention to use the findings to help improve skills development within the food industry.
Nerys Davies from Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru / Food & Drink Skills Wales said, “We are thrilled with the results of the survey, which shows that Welsh food and drink businesses are leading the way in terms of employee satisfaction.
“However, while the results are extremely positive it also serves as an invaluable tool in helping us identify key areas for improvement and gaps in skills provision. The Food & Drink Skills Wales programme looks forward to working with businesses and partners to support the industry become an even better place to work.”
Explaining why they took part in the survey, Osian Deiniol of Llanrwst-based Blas ar Fwyd said, “We were keen to take part in this survey, as we believe that employee satisfaction plays an important role in the success of a business.
“It’s great to see the industry in Wales is on the right track, but just as important is the fact that the survey also provides us with valuable insights into how we can continue to improve and develop as a good employer. We look forward to working with Food & Drink Skills Wales on these areas over the coming months.”
Meanwhile, reflecting on the findings Doreen Donovan from WorkL, who conducted the survey said, “Our interviews with the businesses showed that people who choose a career in Welsh food and drink are, on the whole, very satisfied with their work, with the scores exceeding global averages.
“The engagement score was particularly positive, which is very good news for businesses as research consistently shows that companies with employees who are more engaged are typically more successful and profitable.”
