The labor shortage is not only getting worse, but it’s hitting at a time when demand for workers who will do physical labor is very high due to explosive growth in e-commerce and construction. The bad news is that the shortage is likely here to stay. According to a Conference Board report released last year, the labor shortage will continue through at least 2030 especially in blue-collar jobs.
For the report, human resource (HR) managers at 200-plus companies were surveyed about things they were doing to help deal with the labor shortage. Their solutions ranged from increasing wages and implementing employee referral programs to ramping up social media to attract new hires. The report also identified some opportunities that companies were missing to help alleviate their labor problems, such as doing more to retain mature workers in some capacity either full-time or part-time.
The idea of doing more to retain mature workers is one worth taking a second look at because these are the workers with the most knowledge and ability to train others. The following are some strategies that companies are taking to retain workers and improve workplace conditions.
Automation is an obvious but important tool for reducing the physical demands of blue-collar production work in the pallet industry. Automation can take many forms. This includes expensive new machines as well as more low-cost solutions, such as conveyors, stackers and redesigned work stations with ergonomic benefits. Automation makes jobs easier and more enjoyable for workers, while at the same time making the jobs more technically challenging. But most importantly, it allows you to maintain or even improve production with fewer workers.
Offering more flexibility is another way to stretch your workforce by retaining workers who may want to keep working but no longer want a full-time schedule. Flexibility can also help you attract new workers, especially Millennials seeking a good work-life balance and women raising children. You may need to think outside of the box to come up with creative ways to add flexibility.
Job sharing, for instance, a practice which began in the 60s primarily to give women the flexibility to hold down office jobs while raising families, can easily be adapted to fit into blue-collar work settings. In job sharing, two persons basically share one full-time job which could also be performed by one employee. Job sharing is commonplace in many countries in Europe as well as other parts of the world but not as well utilized in the United States.
The main benefit of job sharing for employees is the flexibility it gives both workers sharing a job, allowing each more time to handle personal responsibilities and life changes. There are advantages for the employer too. For one thing, you have two people instead of one who understands how to do a specific job. That means they can cover for each other when one needs time off. You might even give the two workers the flexibility to work with each other to set their own schedules if they ensure all the time on their shift is covered. Offering job sharing can not only help you attract workers looking for less than full-time employment, it can help you retain workers who need to scale back hours for personal reasons. In addition, it can be a good way to try out new employees who want to later transition to full-time position.
Upskilling, a fairly new term, is another way manufacturers are motivating blue-collar workers and improving retention. It’s when you reward your best workers with opportunities for additional training or higher education to learn advanced or technical skills so they can eventually train others or segue into higher-paying supervisory roles. Having such opportunities in place can help you keep good workers, and it can also boost morale for other workers who see they may also be able to advance at your company in the future.
