People and Productivity: A New Approach to Manufacturing

The ability to attract, engage, develop, and retain employees is critical to business success. Highly engaged teams are the foundation of your company’s competitive advantage, but traditional HR programs don’t always consider the role of intrinsic motivation or the satisfaction inherent in performing a job well. They focus instead on external reinforcers, including bonuses, raises, quotas, and annual evaluations. Today’s HR managers are exploring new ways to drive employee engagement and motivation, and this starts with prioritizing people as the core of your company’s success.

For many years, manufacturers operated by making small, continuous changes to established processes only when they became necessary. In today’s chaotic business world, there is a fundamental shift in how companies think about operating and competing. As with most sectors, manufacturing is now viewed as an area of constant change. Modern manufacturers must be able to understand, interpret, and respond quickly to changing customer and employee expectations. Developing this agility can be a challenge, especially in the context of Industry 4.0, the latest industrial revolution and its heavy focus on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data.

People power

At its heart, despite all the digital processes and innovative technology available, manufacturing success is about people. Even the most agile, connected supply chain cannot succeed without serving the needs of its customers and employees. A people-focused business model enables a manufacturer to deliver on and with technology while keeping human beings at the forefront of their mission. For example, understanding how employees interact with the tools they use to complete their work allows companies to improve production efficiency and product quality. Without a people-centered approach, the information to bring about necessary change may never come to light.

Developing a people-focused approach, and using technology to connect and support employees, offers manufacturers a way forward in an unpredictable and shifting market. To succeed, organizations need to prioritize a positive, healthy, and engaged workforce.

Creating a workplace dynamic centered on people allows your business to adapt to change with resilience. In addition, you can expect increased productivity, enhanced efficiency, higher safety compliance numbers, increased customer and employee retention, fewer errors, higher profit margins, and reduced costs.

Refocusing your business

Is it time to recenter your business on the people who make it tick? While every organization has different needs, these best practices are common to successful people-focused initiatives:

• All members of the team — including leaders, managers, and employees — have frequent communication focused on the matters most important to their success and that of the organization.
• Managers can access information and are empowered to make decisions.
• Feedback is expected and welcomed at all levels, and employees are comfortable communicating both ideas and concerns.
• Programs are designed to be oriented toward growth and scalability in the company’s future.
• Employees take an active role in the organization’s movement and decision-making.
• Leaders and managers break down substantial changes into smaller, more attainable goals to set participants up for success as they progress.
• Continuous improvement is a core element of a dynamic company culture and a focus for decision-making.

A business approach focused on the people who make it happen shifts HR’s emphasis from administration and compliance to employee development and experience for the benefit of your whole organization.

For more information and guidance on changing your business approach to enhance the employee experience, contact TERRA Staffing Group today.