By Lindsey Munson, editor, Plastics Business
Over the last year, a common theme has been present, whether it’s through a conference breakout session, an association training, a plant tour or a conversation on the phone – companies must focus on their workforce, not just production. The plastics industry has faced numerous challenges, including an aging labor pool, a growing need for skilled tradespeople, high turnover rates and others. However, on the horizon stand positive influences, including job availability, training and upskilling workers, technological advancements and diverse career paths.
Attracting and retaining talent has never been more critical or more challenging, which is why listening to those who have the experience and willingness to offer a few simple and effective strategies is an excellent place to start. It provides stakeholders with insights and actionable steps toward rethinking how their companies hire, engage and grow their workforce. Modernizing recruitment and retention plans fosters a people-centered approach, utilizing strategies to secure a workforce that is “built to last.”
At the 2024 Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference, Plastics Business was on-site to listen in and share the insights from a breakout session panel of three leaders who discussed their experiences and the strategies they use in their companies to retain and recruit talent. The panel included:
- Crystal Capps, vice president of finance and materials at Par 4 Plastics, Inc., Marion, Kentucky, a women-owned custom plastics injection molder.
- John Harriman, HR manager at Engineered Profiles LLC (EP), Columbus, Ohio, a custom profile extruder for OEMs.
- Heidi Weiner, vice president, at DEMGY Chicago, a division of DEMGY, a custom injection molder and mold builder that is dedicated to providing metal-to-plastic solutions to aerospace, medical and industrial applications.
How does a company find top talent that is not only skilled but also a good cultural fit?
Weiner: At DEMGY, every employee, including temp workers, takes a collaborative and well-rounded survey to fit the job to the person. Through the interview process, build a set of questions for each interview – so in the first interview, questions could be about getting to know the candidate personally and professionally: What do you like about your prior experience in the position you’re applying for? What don’t you like about your prior experience in the position? What are your strengths? The second interview would include potential team members based on the candidate’s job placement. It is essential that interviewers, including team members, acknowledge their gut feelings and seek reasons that support those feelings (whether positive or negative) during the interview. Lastly, if there’s a specific skill needed for the candidate’s job – the interview becomes practical, and a simulation of that “skill” should be performed by the candidate.
How should a company manage new hire orientations?
Capps: A few years ago, Par 4 Plastics revamped its orientation process and developed a complete checklist. Originally, the company didn’t follow an organized schedule with the same attending departments. Hence, the human resources and leadership team met with all departments to organize and facilitate a new, improved orientation process. This process included an integrated hands-on approach, taking time to get to know the new hire (“Get to Know Me Sheet”), a certified trainer who worked with new hires for the first five days (longer if needed) and a visual approach on the floor to familiarize new hires with the injection molding manufacturing operation. In the last year, Par 4 built a complete workstation model that now is used in the new hire orientation process to provide real, hands-on training. It has been a great improvement for the entire team.
Weiner: Every employee starts with Safety Orientation on their first day – including day-labor temps.
How does a company balance training for leaders and supervisors?
Weiner: Supervisors who started as technicians receive supervisor training, including a four-week course that covers HR basics. We also have one supervisor who is on a career path to an upper management role, participating in a leadership course with an individual development plan (employee meets monthly with peers from other companies and one-on-one coaching). It’s worth the investment for the company to develop its workforce professionally.
How are the company’s training metrics designed for onboarding new employees and upskilling existing employees?
Harriman: Engineered Profiles (EP) uses a “point-based system,” where every job completion correlates to an assigned point value. Operators accumulate job completions, progressing them through our training program, which is presented in full on the first day of their new hire orientation. The program, often referred to as the “Training Matrix,” provides a clear and defined path associates can follow to progress through their careers and ascend in pay brackets. Additionally, each position, from a newly hired production associate to a highly skilled operator V, has a corresponding “time in position” value, which is closely monitored. As associates approach the threshold, it triggers a report that is sent to management, who then can move into a proactive approach, working directly with associate to help them graduate to the next level. This process and training style were designed around turnover data that showed we were losing associates in the 180-day to one-year timeframe. Since its implementation in 2023, EP has seen a 15% increase in retention during the employee’s first year.
Weiner: A training plan is created for every new employee and every employee undergoing upskilling, based on our Training Matrix, which includes job skills (as outlined in the job description) for every position at Demgy Chicago. This training plan is shared with the new employee on the first day, and meetings are scheduled to review training progress every few weeks until the employee is considered fully trained. Entry-level operators receive a 3-Level Training Plan that maps out each task or skill an operator must learn before advancing to the next level, with built-in raises as the training goals are achieved. Once an operator has been fully trained as a Level 3 operator, they are encouraged to start cross-training in more skilled positions. DEMGY’s training assessments are based on a list of skills, which we evaluate at four levels of competence: 1. Has Been Taught, 2. Does with Coaching, 3. Does Independently and 4. Able to Train Others.
Capps: Training metrics at Par 4 Plastics are based on class and skill levels, along with technical training for team members coupled with a promotion plan – expectations to meet specific levels with employee reviews every 60 and 90 metric marks. It utilizes a specific training plan, “Training Today,” through Federated Insurance, which was implemented about a year ago. The retention rates have improved!
How is employee satisfaction measured?
Harriman: It’s more than being at the water cooler and asking, “How was your day?” For Engineered Profiles, data collection and benchmarks are key to understanding internal and external movements on recruitment and retention. It’s key to have software that provides companies with real-time information and data points through various communication avenues. Engineered Profiles utilizes a communication platform called Beekeeper to collect quantitative employee feedback for associates at three-, eight- and 24-week intervals. This data collection is an automated workflow that gathers information from employees and then matches it against turnover data. Using this quantitative data, we can identify trends in turnover data that allow us to react proactively with associates. For example, one trend showed that associates who were not attaining an operator job title within eight weeks were 40% more likely to turn over. EP modified its training matrix to help ensure that new associates reach this level more quickly. As such, EP recognized nearly a 25% increase in retention within those first eight weeks.
Additionally, EP created an employee advocate role that places an employee as a champion with new hires throughout their career life cycles. The champion and new hire may connect at regular weekly intervals all the way up to the employee’s first year of employment. The employee advocate captures invaluable qualitative data from new hires and works closely with human resources and management to ensure the company is doing everything possible to support its workforce.
What specifically is leadership doing daily on retention?
Weiner: Leadership at DEMGY maintains an open-door policy and always is available. A company must foster a culture where employees feel important, valued and invested in their work. DEMGY communicates in weekly meetings on KPIs as well as what’s on the suggestion board, and with employees on what’s moving forward, what’s not and why.
Capps: Par 4 Plastics leadership is present and on the shop floor, talking with employees. The company hired a full-time trainer who provides one-on-one training sessions with teams and offers both online and live training. The company averages five to six employees per month who utilize these training courses. Every other month, a women’s group from Par 4 Plastics enjoys time together – to learn more about each other and offer support. Par 4 takes pride in providing a leadership library and training off-site, which in return, develops and grows employees who bring back lessons learned that are shared across the facility.
Building a practical framework for attracting, engaging and retaining candidates is key to a company’s operational workflow between departments, raising a skilled workforce and fostering a positive culture. In manufacturing, it is a balance between aligning this framework with a company’s short- and long-term goals to secure future success.
Thank you to Dave Syzmanski with Federated Insurance for moderating the 2024 Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference breakout session panel on Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders: Strategies for Hiring, Retaining and Developing Top Talent.
More information: www.par4plastics.com, www.engineeredprofiles.com and www.demgy.com