Gone are the days of blue collar workers lugging their metal lunch pails to the job site, clocking in on an ancient machine, and heading out for eight solid hours before clocking back out again.
Manufacturing is quickly becoming as integrated with technology as any other industry, and needs to attract the skilled labor that will help it continue to make strides into the next decade. Unfortunately, there is a huge skilled labor gap in our economy, mostly due to the fact that the millennial generation is gravitating away from jobs in manufacturing and construction and toward careers that are more on the cutting edge.
If the manufacturing industry wants to ensure they continue to attract the best and brightest, CEOs and HR managers must undergo changes that first start with their mindset. A renewed focus on engagement and development tools, including a push to include mobile options for employees, will help the industry remain relevant in the 21st century.
How the Manufacturing Industry Needs to Change to Attract Skilled Labor
Millennials are quickly dominating the workforce and they have a distinctly different way of working than older generations. Millennials are used to a fast-paced environment with flexibility, and quickly get bored or frustrated with anything that seems tedious or outdated. The manufacturing industry must pay attention to these differences and capitalize on them in the following ways:
Offer Flexible Scheduling Tools
The younger skilled work force does not want to fill out long scheduling sheets or come into a home office to make changes to when they can work. Flexible scheduling tools that can be accessed directly from their smart devices allow them to set their schedules, request leave, conduct absence management, and keep track of when they are scheduled with just a few taps or swipes.
Invest in Employee Engagement
Making employees come into the office to turn in schedules or request leave seems like a waste of time to the new generation. To encourage millennials to stay engaged with their jobs, you need to provide instant access to schedules and facilitate communication with managers who are not on the job site. In addition, younger workers are more likely to be engaged when they know exactly what their paycheck will look like and feel confident that no payroll errors have been made. Mobile workforce software allows HR managers to treat their workers like they want to be treated.
Embrace Mobile Workforce Software Tools
Imagine telling your new millennial workers that “you can clock in from your tablet or laptop” when you are training them on their new jobs. The right software allows for just that, as well as a host of other benefits that younger employees will find appealing. Whether they are working remotely or just prefer to manage their schedules on their smart devices rather than in the HR office, your skilled laborers will appreciate the increased flexibility these tools provide.
Provide Easy to Use Mobile Access
When you tell workers that “you can clock in from your tablet or laptop,” they are less likely to mismanage their schedules or miss shifts. Millennials are used to using their smart devices for everything from communication to getting their daily news and will be able to seamlessly incorporate schedule management into their routine.
How the Manufacturing Companies Benefit
Utilizing workforce management tools is not just beneficial for the younger employees you’re likely to attract to your company; it is also hugely beneficial for the company as a whole. Here are just a few benefits you will see when you adopt a flexible, mobile solution.
Easy Tracking of Employees
Want to know when and where your employees are working? A mobile software program can provide you instant access to employee information to help you better manage schedules, communicate with employees, and perform absence management tasks.
Improved Efficiency
Going through hundreds of written schedules or attempting to field numerous emails, calls, and texts requesting a shift change or vacation can suck up hours of your HR team’s time. It can also create communication gaps that lead to missed shifts, unnecessary overtime, and other problems. A streamlined mobile solution means that everyone is communicating on one platform. This leads to fewer mistakes, increased convenience, and lower costs.
Seamless Scheduling
If your HR team is managing a number of employees who need to be scheduled according to skill level, pay rates, and location, it can seem like putting together an intricate puzzle. Save them time and energy with a seamless scheduling tool that does the majority of the work for them.
To attract younger skilled workers and stay relevant in the new, technology-based workplace, manufacturing CEOs and HR managers need to adopt new methods of keeping employees engaged and providing them easy and flexible ways to manage their schedules and communicate. A mobile workforce management system will allow you to attract and retain the skilled workers you need, by providing the tools to keep them engaged and productive.
