With technology having already had, and continuing to have, a huge impact on the manufacturing industry, it’s important for workers in the sector to engage in lifelong learning so they always have new skills and knowledge to fall back on.
As an employer, it’s actually in your best interests to help develop your team, because doing so ensures you have leaders for the future, can more easily create a succession plan, and will end up with a committed, engaged, loyal, and appreciative workforce. Read on for some key ways you can go about grooming your employees to become your company’s future leaders.
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Invest in Training and Education
Because it is often tricky in the manufacturing industry to find the perfect, qualified, people for various job types, a good way to ensure your firm has the leaders it needs in the future is to take responsibility for training them in the first place.
Not only will investing in the education of your top team members ensure you end up with highly skilled workers, but it will also show you’re keen to keep them for the long run, and boost employee morale and loyalty as a result.
The way in which you educate employees will depend on what areas you need to train people in. For example, though, you might want to consider paying for some or all of the costs involved in sending your most promising team members to complete a higher degree, such as online Master of Engineering or Master of Business Administration.
Alternatively, consider setting up training programs in-house (this can be particularly helpful if you want people to be trained in specific programs or systems); bring in speakers to motivate, inspire, and teach employees; and/or send staff members to conferences, trade shows, and other key industry events.
Enable Workers to Move Around
With manufacturing becoming increasingly competitive, businesses in the industry must continually look for ways to gain a competitive advantage. Knowledge is one of the key aspects involved in getting ahead and dealing with constant change, so it pays to find ways to move your top workers, especially those you’re grooming for key leadership positions, around your business, to different departments and locations. This enables them to share knowledge with each other and to see business practices and problems in a new light.
When employees rotate through numerous divisions and job titles over the years, they have the chance to see how various functions are completed, and the different markets around the country or world where the firm does business. This, in turn, makes it easier for them to get fresh ideas, be inspired, and obtain a big-picture understanding of the organization.
Leaders who have knowledge of the ins and outs of a business through “cross pollination,” can see potential threats and issues before they arise, and find ways to solve problems before they become so costly. They can also more easily notice potential opportunities and trends, as well as differences in corporate culture in different locations.
Create Mentoring Programs
To turn employees into future leaders for your manufacturing firm, it is also worthwhile creating mentoring programs. While assigning new hires a mentor to show them the ropes and help them learn how to do things the way your company specifically likes it is always beneficial, don’t forget that longer-term employees can also benefit from being paired with more experienced mentors.
A huge part of being an excellent leader is about having the necessary personal skills to lead a team. It’s not enough to just have manufacturing knowledge and an understanding of the inner workings of a particular company; top leaders need to have effective communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, delegation, problem-solving, and time-management skills, to name a few. Mentoring programs can be used to help people hone these traits, by watching others and practicing the skills.
Recognize and Reward Employees
For many manufacturing firms, one of the biggest HR challenges year in and year out is retaining top talent. If you want to ensure you have a committed, engaged workforce then, with key employees who can take over leadership positions in the future, it is important to have a focus on recognizing and rewarding workers.
There are numerous ways to go about doing this. For starters, keep in mind that simple “thank-you’s” can go a long way in making people feel valued and noticed. As well, consider handing out regular awards (for both efforts and results); providing employees with perks and rewards; promoting from within wherever possible; and publicly acknowledging people’s achievements via team get-togethers, social media posts, and newsletters.
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