A commonly discussed topic in manufacturing today is the perceived skills gap. The younger workforce is overlooking a career in manufacturing while experienced workers are leaving the industry to retire. This is creating a gap that the industry as a whole must work towards closing.
As this happens, hiring and retaining the right candidates is critical in order to overcome the gap. Once employees come on board, you don’t want to lose them. Here are 5 ways to build and maintain an awesome manufacturing team:
Keep Employees Engaged
Access to the best manufacturing technology, tools, and other resources is important, but ultimately a plant’s success comes down to the people using those tools. Employees need to be engaged and motivated in their positions or they will be tempted to look elsewhere for employment.
One important way to keep employees engaged is to provide ongoing training and advancement opportunities. Train and nurture current staff members so that they can grow into roles as opposed to going through the hiring process of finding an external candidate when there is a need for a new position.
The employee will appreciate the opportunity to grow and be promoted and you don’t have to deal with the headaches associated with the hiring and onboarding process. Instead of holding yearly reviews, have conversations on a regular basis and ask employees for their input on upcoming projects. This conveys that their opinions are valued.
Create Goal Sets
Many professionals today are goal oriented. Establish realistic goals together as a team and work towards achieving them. Talk about these goals and review them on a regular basis. In manufacturing, specifically in regulated industries, a lot can change in a very small amount of time. It is a good idea to constantly create goals, both for the short term and the long term. Talk to employees about what they aspire to and provide them with the resources they need to achieve these goals.
Recognize Employees
Employees appreciate recognition for their contributions. Financial recognition is always welcomed, but it’s not the only way to show appreciation. Never undervalue verbal recognition and praise for a job well done. When employees are recognized for their achievements it serves as encouragement to continue to work hard.
Provide Clarity and Consistency
Never keep employees in the dark. At the onset of a project, everyone involved should be included in meetings and understand what the project entails, what the timeline is, and all other necessary information. Having a plan and sticking to it ensures that everyone is on the same page, creates trust in the employer, and limits delays in production.
Encourage experimentation
In order to be successful today, manufacturers must innovate and understand that the current way of doing something might not be the best way. Encouraging a culture of experimentation allows employees to be creative.
Building and maintaining an awesome manufacturing team is essential today. In order to attract and retain talent, it’s necessary to build a positive culture that encourages employee growth and innovation.