One of the most important decisions when owning a business is whether to introduce corporate uniforms. Many employers nowadays see the attractiveness of the staff uniform clothing but ask themselves if that is the right choice for their business.

Introducing Uniforms Is A Good Idea

Corporate uniforms are often associated with businesses and industries such as food and health sectors and public services.

Today, many business owners from other sectors take into consideration introducing staff uniforms. Advantages of corporate uniforms can be seen in almost all sectors, not only the above-mentioned.

Frost & Sullivan published a report in 2010 which stated that United Kingdom invests a huge amount of money in buying corporate uniforms. Business owners in United Kingdom spend more than half a billion euros on clothing of their employees, which puts them on the top of the list of countries with biggest investments on workplace clothing.

The second best place in highest investments goes to Western Europe, where they spend around 3.2 billion euros on uniforms. What is more important is that the value of this industry is growing by estimated 3.3% on an annual level.

Uniforms Can Be Very Practical

Big companies will find that having their staff wear corporate uniforms can be very efficient and useful, especially when there are different departments or sections in the company.

Every business owner wants the employees to feel as the part of the team. Uniforms can help with that, since they will raise the employees’ sense of belonging and equality. Uniforms are often the key to successful teamwork and team building. On top of that, uniforms make employees feel equal to one another, once again reinforcing the team spirit.

When there are many different departments in the company, different teams may be distinguished by different uniforms. A garden center, for example, can design their uniforms in a certain way and then vary the colors for various departments. Those in charge of a nursery could wear green shirts, furniture staff could go with red ones, while those who work in the warehouse could wear blue shirts.

The First Impression Matters The Most

When a consumer sees a worker wearing official company attire, he immediately assumes that he is an expert and good in his job. Since consumers expect high standards from professional services, they will always trust more if a worker is dressed in a corporate uniform than in casual attire.

For example, if a consumer has a problem with their plasma TV and calls ‘Bright Sparks Ltd’ to solve the problem, they are more likely to trust the electronics expert if she arrives in a neatly presented uniform with a ‘Bright Sparks Ltd’ logo emblazoned on the shirt front, than if she arrives in Levi’s jeans and an everyday t-shirt.

Every company should try to make the best first impression and wearing professional work uniforms can help with that.

Consumers assume that a company is more professional if the workers wear uniforms and also, those uniforms can tell what the company is dealing with, according to a research.

Consumers will always trust more to the companies with staff wearing uniforms with logos and will always choose this company instead of the other where the staff is not wearing uniforms and hence looks less professional.

What About DIY Work Clothes Policy?

Is a DIY work clothes policy really such a bad idea? Not always. It is a feasible option when an employer is more reliant on individuals and when there is less communication with the public or no need for teamwork.

However, some kind of a dress code should always exist. For example, a magazine publisher is unlikely to ask their journalists to wear the company logo when interviewing and researching their pieces, while a law firm will expect its lawyers to wear a suit but not with the firm’s logo on the jacket.

In highly competitive sectors the look of professionalism is of the greatest importance. This can be accomplished by introducing uniforms to the staff so that consumer public can be confident in your professionalism, high working standards, honesty and hygiene.

More Advantages Of Wearing Uniforms

There are other benefits to using a corporate uniform. For example, uniforms have been shown to increase attention spans amongst workers, contributing to a greater productivity, better quality work and even higher levels of creativity and resourcefulness.

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology published a research according to which employees’ clothes and uniforms greatly affect their working performance. For example, wearing a lab coat can increase attention to detail, which is what laboratory scientists are required to have.

However, the research also showed that uniforms should fit the job – a painter who was given a lab coat to wear experienced no improvement in performance or quality of work. So, it is as important that a worker feels comfortable in their uniform as it is to include a company logo in the design.

Alsco uniforms can help you improve your company’s performance. Studies prove that comfortable, well-designed uniforms affect workers performance and can help boost their self-image.

If you want your staff to look and feel the best in professional and comfortable uniforms, check out what Alsco has to offer. Alsco offers a range of industrial workwear and work uniforms.

If you want to know more, feel free to contact us and ask for any information you need.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Images by jaspernoordam