CREATING A BLUE PLACE TO WORK

Nobody cares about Blue Collar Workers. Nobody reading this anyway. Because chances are you belong to the White (or Pink) Collar world. A very different place.

Despite accounting for nearly 80% of the work population, Blue Collar workers have remained in the blind spot of corporate and talent leaders since like, forever. They don’t get the cubicle. They are not invited to R&R (Rewards & Recognition) evenings. You don’t create content with them in mind. Sure, there are exceptions (construction giant Hilti where Blue Collars lead in every sense, for instance). But not very many.

There are many reasons why this is the ‘done thing’. Unfashionable qualifications? Regional lingo? Greasy palms? Take your pick. But the big reason is probably the fact that we look at their output graph as a no-surprises plateau. When you are thinking of that carpenter, the pizza delivery guy or your security guard, you're not expecting any WHOAs or EUREKA!s. The schtick is factory-fitted into our psyche. They clock in their shift, they go home. No hockey stick growth curves begging to be optimized in this picture. Just how magical CAN a drudge cycle get, right?

As much as you allow it to, truth be told. And with research confirming that people who are more emotionally invested in their jobs - and feel truly engaged at work - are upto 20% more productive, you have every reason to.

BetterPlace, an organization digging deep into the space, predicts that Blue Collar jobs are all set to dominate the employment terrain. Deloitte’s ‘Future of Work Accelerated’ Report suggests that 60% of organizations have started increasing their share of gig workers. Contractual jobs - of which Blue Collar is a growing subset – is already becoming the default engagement format in a scattered, on-demand workplace.

IT'S MONEY SITTING ON THE TABLE (SOMETIMES, LITERALLY)

It simply doesn’t make business sense to look at Blue Collar through a prism of indifference anymore. Not when pressing the right buttons can turn the table. And help your business unlock value you probably never imagined possible. Like Germany, for one, is doing so successfully. But how do you engage a wavelength that is pretty much alien to you? Well, let your project begin right there. Get to know your Blue Heroes better. Find out what they want.

Here’s where things will get interesting. Research studies confirm that money isn’t always Priority Number One for this tribe (although, given little other stimulus in a partisan economy, that’s what they may seem most focused on). In fact, Blue Collar workers have been known to refuse promotions just so they don't have to part company with an environment they feel connected with. This is a group that is actually hardwired around SISU, a Finnish term meaning "I’m Self Made”. Yes, self-pride and skill-confidence are the biggest motivators in this picture. Co-workers who subscribe to this 'swag' inevitably become thick pals. Those who don’t may be viewed as spine-less or sold-outs. Blue teams have value codes and quality benchmarks all their own. They don’t care too much about HR policies. And they reject the White Collar model pretty much altogether.

You can deep-dive into SISU here:

Yes, it is possible to break into the ‘Blue Club’. And turn your company into a ‘Great Place To Work (Up Some Sweat)’. Start speaking their language. Literally - do vernacular. Give them recognition years of apathy have denied. Make them a part of your boardroom exchanges. Let them share dais with your White Collar employees. Bring them under the umbrella of the digital revolution. Help them earn better with Coaching Tuesdays and Skilling Fridays (okay, we can re-look the clicheyed branding there). Give them a feel of financial inclusion and Fintech Freedom. Most importantly, let them know they belong in your 'inner circle'. Let them hang around your corner suites once in a while. Little wind in the hair, you know. They dig that bit.

Blue Collar Workers tend to be fiercely possessive of their ‘hive’. But wipe away the opacity, show the transparency, make them feel you genuinely appreciate what they do for you, and they will let you in. With the warmest hugs.

I know someone who has the Blue Revolution firmly in his crosshairs. Manoj Agarwal and his team at xoxoday. With swish tech products that let you motivate, engage and incentivize the economy's 'Forgotten Heroes'. Surprising them. Surprising you. Buzz Manoj at [email protected] if you want to chat blue.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. And meant for decision honchos, HR leaders and founders who, I hope, will now be tickled to explore what's swimming under the water's surface. As a marketer, of course, you just have to storify it all. A lot of it in vernacular. Why not start by writing a book that shakes up everybody's mindset.

You can call it 'Blue For Beginners'. 

#bluecollar #growth #strategy #productivity #engagement #HR #culture