Retaining Top Manufacturing Employees
Posted December 19th, 2013
A shortage of skilled workers is forcing many manufacturing companies to change their views on employee retention. Keeping your skilled, hard-working employees is of paramount importance, because if you lose one…it will be extremely hard to find someone to replace him or her.
Turnover has always been a huge cost for manufacturing companies – all companies, really. It can decimate profitability. However, the fight today for welders, engineers and other positions, such as maintenance technicians, is especially fierce, and your competition is constantly trying to lure these (and other) workers away.
3 Simple Steps
Retaining top manufacturing employees comes down to 3 simple steps that – if incorporated into every aspect of your business – can help keep the workers you need.
Invest
With advances in technology, it’s often difficult for schools and training programs to keep up. If technology moves forward but corresponding educational programs do not, the skills gap will grow bigger. Therefore, many manufacturers are becoming proactive by building relationships with local tech, trade and high schools. This not only allows them to shape programs to ensure relevant skills are being taught to future workers but also allows them to directly recruit the highest-quality talent.
However, once the talent comes through your door, you need to continue with training and education. This is key. Some employees require additional training or orientations based on the specific position they’re hired into. Others might need additional training to transition into a new role, support rapidly changing technologies or support a new product line. Regardless, technology never stops advancing; neither should your training programs.
Recognize
Employees of all ages want to know that they are meeting expectations and providing value. Saying “thank you” has an astounding effect on employee morale. Employees who feel that they are appreciated are less likely to leave.
Recognition programs do not have to be expensive. Gift cards, t-shirts, a moment of recognition during a facility-wide meeting and even a “thank you” are all small gestures, but can go a long way to make employees feel appreciated.
Communicate
Take time to speak with employees one on one. Share your goals for the company and then solicit information from them. Communicate. Find out what they know or hear about competitors, customers, and vendors. What are their thoughts on how to improve a process, internal communication, customer service levels, etc.? Take their suggestions to heart and allow them to have a voice in the process. This does not mean that you have to do everything that is suggested; it simply means that you are listening, taking their input into account, and then explaining (to whatever degree is appropriate) the reasoning behind certain decisions.
If you do need help locating skilled labor in the San Francisco Bay Area, consider working with Bayside Solutions. Whether you are in precision manufacturing, electronics, tooling or precision machining, we can help you find the workers you need. Contact us today! If you are looking for temp to hire opportunities in California, contact us today.
