In the first blog of this series, we looked at the economic impact of the Great Resignation. Achievers predicted that 52% of the world’s workforce planned to look for a new job in 2021. Employers were already scrambling to hire people in the wake of the pandemic—stimulus payments, fear of illness, and the huge toll of deaths caused by COVID reduced the number of people looking for work, and those that were looking had specific requirements around flexibility of location, work hours, assignments and every other aspect of traditional work.

Now in 2022, companies are still feeling the impacts. The result is that companies, particularly manufacturers who were facing a worker shortage to begin with, are hard-pressed to fill openings. Here’s a look at some of the techniques manufacturers can use to retain existing employees and attract new hires.

Flexible Policies and Adaptations

Remote work has opened a lot of opportunities to employees, especially those who work in an office. With location no longer a barrier to the ability to complete a task, many employees are reluctant to ever return to the office. They point to improved work-life balance and lingering health concerns as the reason behind their aversion to working in a traditional office.

Some employers mandated a return to traditional office structures and discovered that employees simply resigned rather than returning to what they now considered untenable working conditions. Some had changed residences and now lived outside a comfortable commuting range; others had health concerns related to themselves or family members; and some found that they thrived when they had more control of the structure of their day.

Companies must continue to allow employees to work remotely on a schedule that works for them if they are to have any hope of retaining their best workers. This means forgoing arbitrary schedules such as every Tuesday or x-number of days a week in the office.

The point of working remotely, in an employee’s eyes, is to provide autonomy and to enable the employee to balance the demands of work and family. That could mean working split shifts or late night hours or starting late so they can escort children to school. The point is—it will vary for every employee, and companies will need to find a way to make it work.

Achievers research also shows that 51% of employees believe that their manager is questioning their productivity when they work from home and they work longer hours to overcome this perception. This negates the potential for better work-life balance and creates stress and tension for the employee.

In addition to offering employees the option to continue working from home on a schedule that suits them, companies must train managers that face-time does not necessarily equal productivity. Managers must learn to seek out remote employees on a regular basis to touch base and sync up expectations or concerns.

This is very different from the traditional “management by walking around” method that arose from the Japanese Gemba walk technique. Many managers were trained to believe that random observations and chance meetings with employees as they went about their work was the best way to keep a handle on productivity and stay connected. However, it’s important that “touching base” isn’t perceived as “checking up on” by the employee, or employees may be even more inclined to resign.

New Benefits

The most desirable workplaces have a rich mix of employee benefits that help attract the best and the brightest, but with employees working from home, free lunches and on-site gyms aren’t the attractions they once were. Online cocktail parties and team meetings feel more like obligations than benefits, and they don’t create the retention companies are hoping for.

Employers need to think outside the box to understand exactly what employees need to retain them in the post-pandemic world.

Instead of onsite gyms or memberships to nearby fitness centers, employers could consider assisting with the cost of online fitness programs such as Peloton or iFit, or internet yoga classes.

Defining Career Paths

Millennials and GenZers are extremely interested in advancing their careers, and they are at a point where their skills are fresh and in high demand. They will not be satisfied with vague promises of future promotions or salary increases. They are looking for detailed career paths, with milestones and timelines.

HR departments should start now to lay out the career paths for all roles—especially those held by key employees—to ensure that people understand the timing and direction of their future, and what goals they need to achieve to make it happen.

Upskilling and Reskilling

Companies often offer in-house training to hone employee skills, but they usually run them after hours or during lunch breaks. Then they wonder why enrollment is so low. Companies need to meet employees at least halfway in this area. Offer training during working hours and pay employees for their time. 

Consider starting a strong mentorship program. Older employees with the necessary skills may enjoy passing on their hard-won wisdom. Assign new employees without the necessary skills to these existing employees for at least part of every shift. Set goals and objectives for both mentors and mentees to hold them accountable. Offer rewards to both when the mentee demonstrates proficiency. You’ll retail both employees for longer periods, and when the older employee retires, you’ll have a well-trained replacement already in place.

Community Outreach

Manufacturing isn’t perceived as a desirable career by young people, but management can take steps to change this. Start by visiting local schools and community colleges on career days. Open the plant to tours on a periodic basis and allow your most skilled employees to lead the tours and talk about why they love—or at least like—their jobs.

Also, work with local education departments and community colleges to ensure the curriculum covers the skills you need in a future employee. Don’t assume the curriculum already includes what you need. Meet with the education leadership and help them understand why the skills you need are important for the students to learn. If students learn the necessary skills in school, you will have a ready pool of willing applicants when needed.