Every factory has the challenge of finding good people to work.  “Help Wanted” signs are hanging at almost every factory location.  And yet many companies have a revolving door of “happy” employees. Why?  What is happening that helps explain why supposedly, happy satisfied employees are really leaving good factory jobs and what can you do about it.

There is the concept of employee engagement that many factories are focusing on today as they look for ways to stay competitive and hire & retain top talent.  There are 7 factors that drive employee engagement:

1. Values, Meaningful Purpose, and Mission Statement

2. Communication and Transparency

3. Well-defined Roles

4. Relationship with Teams and Colleagues

5. Cultivating Positivity, Recognition and Incentives

6. Hands-on Management

7. Personal Growth and Development

Shop floor control software doesn’t fix it all, really no one factor covers all seven areas, but shop floor control solutions can help you influence 4 out of 7 factors that drive employee engagement.

What exactly does it mean when an employee is engaged?  Rather than just a transaction focused relationship - company gives employee work, employee does the work, company pays employee; an engaged employee is the employee that goes the extra mile knowing that if they put in more effort, the company will respect their work ethic and reward that effort.  That the work the employee does matters to their teammates and to management.

Andre Lavoie said, “ A good leader values employee happiness.  A great leader values the employee engagement that results from that happiness.”

Employees want to be able to have regular communication on how they are performing.  They want to know the key metrics that are being measured and see how they are doing against the goals.  Employees often enjoy ways of tracking their progress towards a fun incentive. And our clients have said their employees respond when they feel like their management team understands what they are going through on a daily basis. Having management understand that equipment or process could be part of what’s slowing a factory line down not just a ‘willful employee’ that doesn’t want to work.  And the answer to how to make this possible in your factory, lies in using the tools we have available today, one of which is shop floor control software.

We know you take the responsibility of establishing your factory culture seriously.  It’s frustrating when you've provided training to your team only to have them leave and go work for your competitors?  And it’s not just you. In a recent Gallup poll( 1) by Amy Adams, it was reported that in the manufacturing industry, only 23% of employees feel engaged.  The cost of that disengagement between rework and lost training days alone is in the billions across the industry.  Some of our clients have said it can take up to 6 months to train a good sewing operator. And to see that expertise walk right out the door is expensive and disheartening.

Communication, transparency, positivity, recognition, management, growth and development should be at the core of your shop floor control solution.  After all, these factors are proven to help develop an engaged workforce and isn’t that what we all want?  

¹Majority of U.S. Employees Not Engaged Despite Gains in 2014, Amy Adams, Gallup Poll