Attracting next-gen workers

By using mobile communication, front-line workers can take charge of their work needs, like managing their own schedules and requesting their own personal protective equipment as needed. Photo courtesy of Beekeeper.

While the manufacturing industry is still grappling with unstable supply chains caused by the COVID-19 crisis, another challenge continues to plague the industry: a diminishing labour force made worse by a widening skills gap.

In Canada 1.7 million people work in the manufacturing industry . But there are more than 522,000 job vacancies that employers are having trouble filling.

The surge in job openings is caused in part by:

• 20 per cent of the manufacturing workforce that will be retiring in the next 10 years
• Younger generations that are less likely to pursue manufacturing careers
• Employees that are changing careers more often than ever before

Industry 4.0 has complicated the situation even more by shifting the nature of front-line manufacturing jobs. Smart factories require a new set of skills to complement the modern, machine-driven manufacturing environment.

According to a Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters paper, “Building a Strong and Skilled Workforce for Growth,” 63 per cent of companies surveyed said a lack of skilled front-line production workers is their most urgent employment issue. The forecast for five years from now is that 75 per cent of companies will face that challenge.

As the world emerges from the grip of a global pandemic, the manufacturing industry must focus on attracting skilled talent and building an engaged, productive workforce. Whether manufacturers have a small job shop or a large-scale factory, they can tackle this challenge by digitizing their internal operations and communications.

Here is how bringing operational communication online can help build a stronger, more skilledworkforce.

Attract a Diverse, Next-gen Workforce

The discrepancy between open jobs and candidates to fill them calls for a new approach to sourcing talent. It’s the perfect opportunity to reinvent the industry’s demographics and fill positions to keep up with demand.

The next generation of workers are looking for more than a paycheck. They are looking for values-driven organizations and companies with outstanding culture. These future employees want a digitally progressive workplace, autonomy, flexibility, and an inclusive company culture.

By digitizing the employee experience for front-line manufacturing workers, hiring managers will attract a wider range of qualified candidates.

Here’s how:

• Set up a mobile communication and operations platform to create an inclusive environment that connects people, creates a community, and promotes autonomy.
• Increase diversity in the workplace with technology. Digitization allows employees to instantly translate internal communications into their preferred language.
• Use a digital tool to flatten the communication hierarchy in a company through employee-driven communication. This gives employees more representation in the workplace and increases their autonomy.
• Use more advanced workplace tech to help rebrand an industry that is often viewed as slow adopters of new IT. Digitization infuses the industry with a wave of new workers who have the skills needed for these high-tech jobs.

Without adequate workforce numbers, manufacturers have to scale back production, which will hinder their growth potential. Digital enablement connects people and creates a single source of truth. This can help drive diversity, collaboration, and innovation and result in 19 per cent higher revenues, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.

Bridge the Knowledge Gap

Manufacturing jobs are different than they were a generation ago. With artificial intelligence, cobots, smart machines, and augmented reality, the nature of front-line manufacturing jobs has changed.

On top of the overall labour shortage, there is also a widening skills gap. First, the industrial internet of things and smart factories need workers with different technical skill sets like IT, engineering, and R&D. Another contributing factor is the high turnover rates combined with a retiring workforce. These two factors can lead to breakdowns in the knowledge chain, leaving gaps in the collective organizational experience. This loss of institutional knowledge can disrupt operational work flows and slow down production.

Digital enablement supports business continuity in several ways:

1. A secure, cloud-based digital workplace acts as a communication reservoir, a place that can store information in a searchable document library. New team members can find safety information, operational check lists, and any other pertinent information through their mobile device. Think of it as a digital apprentice.
2. A workplace platform establishes a network for employees to communicate directly through one portal for a fluid enterprise-wide network and open communication channels to pass insights between colleagues.
3. A single system eliminates data silos that create a fragmented flow of information and integrates different internal processes to streamline operations for a unified experience.

By bridging the knowledge gap, business continuity tools can help operations run smoother as companies build up their employee base and usher in the next wave of workers.

Boost Retention

Attracting talent and building a workforce is just the first step. It’s essential to create an employee experience that maximizes the entire employee life cycle and reduces turnover by empowering workers.

A study by the Harvard Business Review found that 86 per cent of companies believe front-line workers need technology to become independent decision- makers. Another 87 per cent of companies feel that empowering workers in this way would contribute to the overall success of the company.

Digitizing a workforce provides workers with real-time information to become decision-makers and problem-solvers in the mission-critical manufacturing environment. For example, with mobile access to communication, front-line workers can take charge of their work needs, like managing their own schedules and requesting their own personal protective equipment as needed.

Leaders also can leverage digitization for job training and professional growth through company-sponsored webinars and video training sessions. When employees know there is room for them to grow within the organization, they are more likely to stay with the company. Make good on this training and hire up from your front-line ranks when upper-level positions open up.

As business leaders, it’s up to you to embrace change and begin the digital transformation that will support, grow, and retain the next generation of manufacturing workers. A robust, digitally enabled workforce will boost productivity, streamline your operations, keep your employees safer, and increase your bottom line.

Cristian Grossmann is CEO of Beekeeper, 80 Grand Ave., Suite 400, Oakland, Calif. 94612, 844-423-3533, www.beekeeper.io.