I might be unusual. I can't wait to go to work. And I've felt this way for 17 years.
I love what I do and I have a great deal of respect for my colleagues. Every day I learn new things and I hope my articles help others run their businesses better.
I realize how lucky I am as many people are now leaving their jobs to find better ones.
Looking at this issue, this summer, The Manufacturing Institute’s Center for Manufacturing Research, in partnership with the American Psychological Association, released a report, Manufacturing Engagement and Retention Study, looking at best practices in worker retention.
”As the study shows, not all employees are motivated by the same factors. It’s important to understand key differences among employee groups so that we can continue to foster the most engaging, productive and inclusive workplaces possible, said Carolyn Lee, The Manufacturing Institute's executive director.
Key findings include the following:
- Eight in 10 workers said they stay with their employer because they enjoy the work.
- Employees under age 25 said they stay with their current employer because of training and development (69%) and career opportunities (65%).
- Employees who feel valued were more than four times as likely to report high levels of work engagement (59% vs. 13%) and less likely to say they feel stressed out on a typical workday (16% vs. 66%) or that they plan to leave the company within the next year (2% vs. 12%).
- More than 9 in 10 senior leaders are satisfied with training and development, compared to two-thirds of frontline workers.
- While competitive pay and benefits are important, designing work in a way that increases positive experiences on the job can be an effective approach to improving retention.
- The most sophisticated retention efforts employed by manufacturing leaders include ensuring every individual understands how their efforts are linked to overall company success and equipping frontline managers to support workers.
Common areas to address to improve retention cited by manufacturing leaders:
- Employee recognition programs
- Internal communication
- Clear career paths
- Better management training (especially “soft skills”)