Why a successful modern manufacturing carrier goes for connected worker models

summary

The threat of a continuous labor shortage depends on the manufacturing industry, and experts predict a shortage of 1.9 million workers by 2033 if the talent deficit continues. But as the industry moves more and more towards AI-enabled digitalization, connected workers are intervening in plates to combine human expertise with technological advances.

To see how this development affects manufacturers, let’s explore how connected worker technology will increase four key stages of the career lifecycle: recruitment, retention, retraining and retirement. The benefits are huge, they are more resilient and create a dynamic workforce.

1. Find talent that fits the factory fabric while recruiting

Recruitment is the first stage in the lifecycle model, as it not only sets the tone of long-term retention, but also sets job satisfaction. At this stage it is equally important to find appropriate qualified candidates as well as identifying motivated individuals to suit the company’s values and culture. But how can you test this?

Set employee expectations from Get-go
During the screening process that spans the first week of work, businesses can leverage connected worker skills to set realistic job expectations and demonstrate their commitment to employee development. For example, a digital work procedure can outline classic examples of expected tasks and introduce candidates to factory safety protocols.

The use of technology focused on the key frontlines will demonstrate an investment in the company’s workforce and helps ensure candidates are evaluated and supported in potential roles. These factors are particularly important in today’s competitive labor market. The ability to position itself as an advanced, employee-centric company is a key differentiator there.

2. From day one to long-term fit – from important retention stages

Once hired, focus shifts to employee onboarding and retention. This is important in the current skill environment. The purpose of the retention phase is to allow new employees to feel supported from day one and develop the knowledge and skills needed to meet performance expectations.

As new starters grasp the task, digital work procedures can provide a digital record of task completion and interaction, helping supervisors see where employees are struggling and require additional training. However, this approach does not overlook the importance of worker autonomy.

The connected worker platform provides employees with pull-based learning tools, finding answers for themselves and reaching out for help if necessary. If employees encounter problems such as machine malfunctions, they can record the problems and request assistance from the company’s collective knowledge base across different shifts and departments. Unlike traditional settings where employees experiencing problems may need to ask for help until the next day, they can instead troubleshoot in real time and benefit from a broader pool of expertise that they otherwise cannot access at the moment they need. This “lifeline” ensures that workers are ready when they come out on the ground floor with less isolation and intimidation.

Discover Unsung’s workplace heroes
But what about top-performing employees? A recent survey shows that if 71% of employees are recognized, they are more likely to stay with the company. So how is this possible with connected workers? Digital Work Instructions can track skills and certifications and enable managers to easily identify reward opportunities such as pay rises and shift upgrades for excellent employees on factory floors. This approach allows for a more customized, continuous development process, improving employee engagement and lower turnover.

3. Help employees refresh their skills and stay at the top of the game

As industry evolves and technology advances, it is essential that all employees remain up to date with their skills regardless of tenure. The retraining phase does not merely meet baseline expectations. This is to maintain and improve operational efficiencies by ensuring continuous improvement across the workforce. This can be difficult to accept when experienced workers feel that they already “know everything.” This requires a strategic approach to learn new methods and engage workers in the process of adopting new technologies.

Collective action causes change in workers
Resistance is often a challenge during the retraining phase, but this is where the connected worker platforms come out. Instead of pushing new information into the workforce, connected worker solutions allow experienced employees to share opinions, feedback, and suggestions for discussion about standard operating procedures and continuous improvement initiatives.

The Kaizen event is one such example of a structured, team-led initiative focused on improving a particular production area. This involves gathering diverse perspectives from engineers, operators and even sales to analyze problems and brainstorm the best possible solution. When new procedures are agreed and formalized, new work orders and associated skill certifications can be issued throughout the workforce to ensure that everyone receives consistent information, and supervisors can ensure that all team members are not only aware of the new standards but are trained.

These company-wide discussions allow employees to feel important and directly involved in the factory process, but they also help to gather valuable insights from people with extensive experience. Furthermore, the collaborative nature of connected worker solutions helps to build consensus around new standards, allowing for easy change without resistance.

4. Capture valuable knowledge before leaving the door

During the retirement phase, employees accumulate years of experience and expertise, making them extremely valuable assets due to knowledge transfer. Instead of letting employees get through the door the lessons they learned insights and lessons they learned when they retire, it’s up to the organization’s collective knowledge base to inform future recruitment and training efforts.

Insights, Growth – Encouraging the art of continuous learning
Connected Worker Platforms can play a key role in helping companies acquire and maintain knowledge of leaving employees. Interviews or knowledge sharing sessions with these valuable employees can ensure that insights are recorded and integrated into training materials. Connected Worker Solutions can also take this step forward by asking employees nearing retirement to document best practices, insights and personal experiences. This not only helps to maintain valuable knowledge, but also strengthens the workforce at every stage of the connected worker’s lifecycle.

Career progression is not a straight line – learn to adapt at every stage
The life cycle of connected workers may be described in sequential stages – recruit, retain, retrain, retirement – in reality, it is far from a linear process. Instead, it forms a continuous loop supported by connected worker technologies that ensure constant growth, development and improvement of employees.

Workers can simultaneously find themselves at different stages of their lifecycle, depending on the specific requirements of their skills, tasks, or roles. For example, the operator may be in the re-stage stage of a new process, but in the retention stage due to expertise using another machine. This dynamic flow between these stages highlights the flexibility needed for true, continuous improvement in the workplace.

Connected worker solutions are uniquely suited to accommodate this nonlinear progression, allowing workers to seamlessly access the resources they need, no matter where they are in their lifecycle. They also allow workers to control their learning, but organizations benefit from a more agile, informed, connected workforce.

The power of labor connections

Digital-first manufacturing organizations that put workers at the heart of their career development and support connected worker technology at every lifecycle stage can turn the tide into today’s skill shortage. In particular, when it comes to boost recruitment efforts, increasing retention, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and maintaining valuable knowledge from retirees, manufacturers spend time connecting learning milestones will strengthen their workforce and ensure a more resilient future than their competitors.