How to retain employees at your manufacturing company

ne of the largest costs for any business is the recruiting, hiring, and training of their employees. This is a cost that should be kept as low as possible. One of the best ways to lower the cost of staffing is to make sure that you retain your employees. Manufacturing companies are largely employee driven businesses so they should especially focus on keeping their human resource cost as low as possible. Best of all, when you are able to retain your employees for long periods of time you are not only able to lower these associated costs but the productivity and profitability of your company improves from the use of long term employees. The good news is that there are many ways that you can do this. Here is what you need to know about how o retain employees at your manufacturing company-

- Hire the right person for the right job-Too often employers skip some of the essential steps of hiring. Because they are in a hurry to hire they often choose the first person they come across to fill a position without regard to their qualifications or experience. In addition, if you hire an employee who is not really qualified or even interested in the job (but needs one), you are far more likely to see them move onto another job which only forces you to start the hiring process all over again. Taking the time to make sure that you have hired the right person for the right job will pay off in hiring an employee who wants to work for you for the long term.
- Offer benefits-Many smaller manufacturing companies feel that they cannot afford to offer benefits. The bottom line is that you cannot afford to hire benefits if you want to retain your employees for the long term. Today, most job seekers are looking for work that will provide them with some kind of benefits. If you cannot afford to offer a full benefits package at this time then you should be upfront with your job applicants about when you think you will. In addition, even if you don't offer insurance and other benefits, you may be able to offer sick days, vacation time or other paid time off. Whatever you can offer will go a long way toward attracting employees who want to work for you for a long time to come.
- Give lots of training-Studies show that employees who receive frequent and comprehensive training in their jobs are far more likely to stay with their job. When you are teaching your employees about better ways to do their work they are far more likely to be happier and stay with your company. You want to make sure that from the first day that someone comes to work for you that they are involved with your training. This is the best way to retain employees who want to be challenged to do their best work. Best of all, there is no need to subject employees to boring training meetings. You can use training time as a chance to not only educate your employees but build teamwork and loyalty among the staff.
- Ask for feedback from your employees-Studies have also shown that when employees feel valued and appreciated they are much more likely to stay with their job. Your employees are the ones who are on the front lines of your manufacturing company and they can provide you with valuable feedback about anything that is going on. Make sure that you take the time to ask for feedback from your employees and let them know that you value their contribution to your manufacturing business.