10 Tips for Choosing the Right Uniform for your Staff

Do you need indoor or outdoor uniforms?

Depending on the type of business you own, and in what type of premises or environment it operates, you may want to consider having a set of uniforms for both the spring/summer months, as well as the autumn/winter time of year, when it’s more likely to be cold and wet.

For standard retail shops that operate indoors all year round, a single uniform type will probably suffice. However, for a business such as a garden centre, where staff will need to be outside for some of the working days, you may want to consider investing in a secondary uniform for the colder months. A winter uniform could include fleeces, jackets or even coats.

Consider the season

If your business requires staff to work outdoors then a change in weather throughout the seasons will inevitably mean a change in uniforms will be required. Shorts and a polo shirt will be sufficient in summer however trousers and a fleece or jacket may be needed in winter.

Some businesses also choose to complement their staff winter uniforms with accessories such as hats, scarves, gloves. They do not need to be expensive products, however, such items will be beneficial to staff morale and productivity, in turn, this will boost a happy team, therefore, a happy business.

The right colours

When it comes to choosing a colour scheme for your staff uniform, it’s important to keep to the colours of your brand. This will not only ensure continuity for customers, but it will also allow you to reinforce your brand.

Staff uniforms offer a great opportunity for free advertising, promoting your brand wherever your staff goes. Because of this, it’s vital to explain the importance of presentation to all staff members, ensuring their uniform is clean and they promote a smart and professional look at all times when in uniform.

Make staff standout

Ensuring staff is visible at all times is not only a great way to promote a good customer experience, but it is also an important safety and security measure. Depending on your business, have staff easily recognisable will allow customers to make inquiries, which will, in turn, lead to more sales.

Staff visibility can also act as a deterrent to shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and other problems that your business may face. If there was an emergency on your business premises it would be important for all staff members to be easily recognised to either assist customers, other staff members or the general public. A staff uniform is also proven to improve morale amongst your team.

Complement the brand

When choosing specific uniform items, keeping your brand in mind is important. They can say a lot about your business and your staff. For example, hardware stores tend to opt for aprons for their staff uniform, this helps to portray an image to customers that staff members are hands-on and can be relied upon to answer specific questions.

Small details such as a polo shirt or shirt, can offer a different image to customers. You should consider what you want your staff uniform to say about your brand and whether it will be suitable for staff to wear in that environment.

Full or part-uniform

If you are a smaller business you may not have a big budget to spend on staff uniforms, in this case, you should consider whether a t-shirt may be sufficient for your brand. When paired with smart black trousers, a customised polo shirt can have just as much of an impact as a full uniform.

If your staff is working outdoors, a head to toe uniform may be impractical and unbeneficial if it will be covered with a coat or jacket. In this case, you could choose to have personalised outdoor jackets or fleeces for your staff, allowing you to have a recognisable workforce in all conditions.

Functionality

Offering your team a uniform does not only benefit your brand, but it can also be used as a practical item of clothing that will enhance and improve the job at hand. Many companies offer pockets for pens and other small items, allowing staff to be prepared for their day to day tasks.

For more specific jobs, lots of brands that employ tradespeople tend to opt for uniforms with specific requirements for each task. They include built in knee pads for working on the ground, waterproof materials for outdoor work and size-specific pockets for small tools to be kept to hand. Employees without sufficient uniforms can lead to dissatisfaction among your team, as details in this survey.

Sizing

When ordering your uniform it’s important to be inclusive of all genders, body shapes, and sizes. Some of your workforces will need more than one size, for example, if they are pregnant then their body shape will change in a relatively small period of time.

If you employ seasonal staff or have a large turnover of employees, you will need to anticipate new staff members. You cannot just order for the staff you already have.

Having a wide selection of various sizes at all times will ensure that your business is being as inclusive as possible to all body shapes.

Rules and regulations

In certain industries uniforms come with regulations to ensure that staff members are safe at all times. This includes rail and road workers, whose uniforms must adhere to certain visibility standards. Different working environments will have different levels of risk – if you want to read more about uniforms, click here.

If you are unsure of any rules or regulations regarding your business’s industry, seek advice before ordering a uniform for your workforce.

Strength of fabric

If your business requires staff to be exposed to the weather on a day to day basis, then they may require a more durable, hard-wearing uniform that can withstand the elements of the British weather.

Alternatively, your workforce may have to undertake certain tasks that require tougher fabrics, such as a store worker who has to enter a freezer storage area a couple of times a day. In this case, you could opt to purchase a heavy-duty coat that can be added and removed when undertaking this specific task.