Are you a human resources manager looking to train staff in factory line jobs that have a high turnover rate? Manufacturing and factory line jobs rely on skilled workers for their frontline business. Historically, these jobs are some of the lowest paid and have one of the highest turnover rates when it comes to losing staff. So, as a human resource manager, how do you combat this? What could you do to entice workers to remain loyal to your company? We’ve found a few of the best practices to help attract and retain employees at your manufacturing business.

Solutions to Help Prevent High Employee Turnover

Support Professional Development

This first one is crucial for employee satisfaction and retention. As HR managers, you want to ensure all employees feel a sense of satisfaction with their jobs, and one big way you can do this is by providing education, training, and development opportunities so your employees can continue to grow and nurture their skills. By offering a mix of targeted training and educational programs, your employees won’t feel like they’re in a dead-end job with zero possibility of advancing. Some of these programs can include:

Management and leadership training, such as the Certificate IV in Leadership Management

Certifications including the Diploma of Quality Auditing or the Diploma of Project Management

Technical skills training

Recognising prior learning

Providing Recognition When a Job Is Well Done

If employees don’t feel valued in the workplace, they will take their skills elsewhere. Employees who don’t feel as if their contribution is appreciated will also be less engaged and less motivated in their work. This can lead to what is now known as ‘quiet quitting,’ where an employee will do the bare minimum until they can find another job where they will be appreciated. One way of providing recognition is through reward programs that provide formal awards and informal praise. Programs like these will help boost employee morale while strengthening their loyalty to the company.

Competitive Wages and Benefits

If you want to attract highly skilled workers to your business, you need to offer competitive wages and benefits for the manufacturing industry. You’ll find that employees who earn a solid wage will be far more likely to stay in a company that provides proper compensation, as well as benefits like a generous superannuation and annual leave loading.

Provide Industry-Standard Safety Practices

This last one is probably the most important. The number one priority in any business should be the safety of all employees, but this is particularly key in a heavily automated industry like manufacturing, where heavy machinery is often used. All employees deserve to work in a safe environment. If your company fails to follow safety protocols to the letter and puts its employees in harm's way, you may as well send your employees away. They’ll be out the door and working somewhere else ASAP.