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Organizations that employ production, maintenance, service, and trade workers continue to have significant challenges with recruiting and retaining qualified workers. These organizations operate in a dynamic, competitive industry that relies on workers to drive productivity and innovation. Turnover continues to be a pressing issue, with organizations experiencing significant employee separation rates. While employee turnover has been a widespread challenge, companies employing production, maintenance, service, and trade workers have felt the impact even more acutely. Similar to last year, these companies have reported losing one in three employees (MRA 2024 Turnover Survey).
Successfully recruiting and retaining these workers requires a multifaceted approach. Organizations should offer competitive compensation and invest in onboarding and training programs to help ensure that new hires are properly acclimated to the organization's culture to enhance job satisfaction and reduce turnover. Furthermore, emphasizing the development of soft skills—such as communication, problem-solving, work ethics, and reliability—can create a more adaptable and cohesive workforce.
Shift differentials can also play a pivotal role in this sector. Many manufacturing operations run multiple shifts to maintain continuous production, which can present challenges and opportunities. Offering shift differentials can attract and retain employees willing to work nonstandard hours, thus helping to ensure that goals are met without compromising employee satisfaction.
