According to a recent survey, Welsh medium-sized businesses in the food and drink sector are performing above national and global average 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. It looked 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” as Welsh businesses achieved an engagement score of 73%, surpassing the industry average of 71%. For the purpose of the research, engagement was defined as the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work, with engaged and happy employees being more productive and profitable.

Additionally, 81% of respondents agreed that living in Wales “enhanced their quality of life and work-life balance”, with the “ease of accessing nature outside of work hours” scoring highly as one of the factors for this.

Identifying improvement areas

Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, said the survey findings were “very encouraging” and showed 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.”

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.”

Osian Deiniol of Llanrwst-based Blas ar Fwyd, who took part in the survey, 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.”