16 MiMfg Magazine September 2021
what they put in place to keep employees safe , was a very important determining factor in whether or not they wanted to work for them ,” says Dergis . “ If you ’ re a company that did really well handling COVID-19 and communicating with your employees , you should market that .”
At Magna International , a global auto supplier and mobility technology company , maintaining communications with nearly 170,000 employees across the world was a key element to their keeping employees engaged during the pandemic , says Tracy Fuerst , Vice President of Corporate Communications and PR for Magna International .
Anything employers can do to make their employees feel valued and like they are making an impact is really important .
— Mike Dergis Sigred Solutions
“ We used everything in our arsenal to help flip the perception of employees not being safe during COVID-19 . We used internal communications , social media , our employee app ... I think that helped put the minds of a lot of our employees at ease .”
Fuerst oversees Magna International ’ s communications to their 159,000 worldwide employees . She was instrumental in creating Magna ’ s “ Smart Start Playbook ” at the beginning of the pandemic to create policies around safety in the workplace and the retention of employees . She has also been highly involved in reducing the stigma of manufacturing as dirty , back-breaking work .
“ Whenever I write speeches for our leadership , I encourage them to emphasize that manufacturing is a high-tech , highly regulated industry ,” says Fuerst . “ We essentially produce a safety product given to a 16-year-old to drive . It ’ s extremely complex and something for employees to be proud of .”
Upskilling and other workforce development opportunities are also key pieces to long-term employee retention . At The Shyft Group , a company that specializes in assembly of recreation and suite vehicles , they have a more hands-on approach when it comes to training and upskilling .
“ We started a new production line recently and had current employees learn it first ,” says Candace Kettner , Director of Talent at The Shyft Group . “ Then those employees trained the new employees . They really liked this opportunity to move into higher roles , like a team leader role or a production supervisor role . A lot of these people had never been in a leadership role before . What ’ s more , this solution benefited everyone , new and current employees alike .”
Creating these types of opportunities for employees to upskill and learn new things is part of their effort to continually “ re-recruit ” their workers , according to Kettner . These efforts help to reinforce their value and impact to the organization .
“ Continue to re-recruit your current employees ,” says Kettner . “ Demonstrate to your employees your company ’ s importance and value to them . It is our job as the employer to continue to show people why it ’ s important that they stay with us .”
Changing Expectations
COVID-19 has changed the expectations employees have for their employers . Employees want options and , in terms of white-collar manufacturing jobs , that often means working from home when able .
“ In our survey , we found that roughly 25 percent of people were not willing to commute as far as they used to ,” says Dergis .
“ Turnover is happening because people want to work from home . We ’ ve shifted to a ‘ work-fromhome-when-you-can ’ format , and we encourage other manufacturers to do the same ,” says Kettner . “ If you ’ re unsure , start small . Let people work from home one day a week and build up from there .”
Kettner suggests a solution for keeping employees engaged that also considers remote employees .
“ In 2021 , we hosted a virtual ‘ name-the-tune ’ event for employees working from home ,” said Kettner . “ It was interactive and fun , and people logged in from their laptops . All employers should do things to keep people engaged and interacting with each other but offer a remote option for those who do not plan to travel to the office .”
“ We have so many of our employees who are coaches and mentors with community organizations such as Big Brothers , Big Sisters or hockey programs . We encourage involvement in their community . We ’ ve created a culture of opportunity , and we find ways to recognize them for their contributions .
— Paul Harvey Engineered Machined Products
Kristi Stepp , Partner at Sigred Solutions , echoes these comments .
“ Working from home isn ’ t going away anytime soon ,” she says . “ So how are you making sure people are getting direction and feel supported , with some working from home and some from the facility ?”