Employee turnover costs the US manufacturing sector billions annually - millions per company in some cases. Additionally, frequent turnover negatively impacts operations and creates a constant workload for HR. The baby boom generation is rapidly entering retirement creating increasing labor demand. Younger generations and those new to manufacturing often find manufacturing environments unsettling - even terrifying - due to the noise and activity. Those of us familiar with the manufacturing world take these environmental factors for granted and may even be surprised or confused to see its impact on those who are unfamiliar. Someone who does not know what to expect is taken off-guard by the often loud and relatively abrasive environment. The shift is jarring and there is no gradual on-ramp to acclimate comfortably. The ubiquitous lack of modernization in onboarding processes across the sector is undeniable. Old-school practices are simply failing to yield positive results in a modern, digitalized, virtual-friendly society.
Managers and HR personnel are spread thin. New hires don't always get the quality onboarding experience we know they deserve - and that the company depends on them receiving.
The quality of onboarding rests largely on the mood, attitude, and teaching capability of whichever hourly laborer the task training is assigned to. The typical hourly laborer is not an expert in education or professional communication and likely not attuned to adapting communication styles to younger generations or empathizing with the needs of people totally new to manufacturing. First impressions of the culture make or break the desire and willingness to grow and thrive.
The new recruits are set loose. They lack a clear understanding of the value they are expected to contribute. They feel out-of-place in the culture. They are expected to use tools and equipment they don't fully understand but told the trainer they did simply to escape the uncomfortable one-on-one which the trainer clearly wanted no part in. Their sense of being a nuissance "newbie" to their coworkers combines with the feeling that they were not sufficiently setup for success. This stews into resentment toward the company. Their attitude sours and depending on their personal situation they eventually resign in frustration or become another disgruntled trainer in a perpetual chain of low-quality onboarding experiences leading to increased turnover and low morale.
Ops Upload™ assesses your operations needs, interviews managers and laborers for feedback, then builds a custom program for your operation which includes:
Now your new recruits enter the work environment for the first time with confidence. They fully understand their role and the equipment they will be using. They have a solid sense of purpose. They are excited to prove themselves and begin building relationships with their new coworkers. They are emotionally invested in the job as a result of the learning experience they already completed. Your new hire now has a positive first impression of the job and company. The workplace is safer because new employees enter the field already having a mental model of plant layout and flow of operations.