Are you struggling with employee engagement and retention? You’re not alone. The good news is that you can improve your situation by offering a training program.

Designing a great training program will help you retain employees. You’ll also attract applicants, especially in challenging industries like packaging and logistics.

How Are You Hiring New Employees?

A recent article in packworld​.com highlighted the difficulties faced by packaging businesses. Most surveyed businesses in the industry can’t find enough employees to fill their open positions. “Over half (58%) of respondents say it’s somewhat difficult to find unskilled packaging operators.”

One problem may revolve around the issue of the job description. Hiring managers note that younger candidates want remote work and tech-​based jobs. The remote work option isn’t realistic for packaging operators.

But industry experts point out that the typical position in a packaging business is increasingly automated. New hires will learn how to use machinery. And managers report that the potential to use AI on the job is the next step in automation.

Do Your Job Descriptions Lead to Employee Engagement?

The path to improved employee retention and engagement starts with creating a job description that attracts the right kind of candidate. With a subscription to the TeamTrait platform, managers can change how they hire. The first step is to require existing team members to take a psychometric assessment.

How Assessments Can Help

These assessments result in detailed profiles. This information allows you to identify the common on-​the-​job characteristics shared by successful team members. Incorporating this information into a job description allows you to target the type of candidate you need.

For example, warehouse managers may need people who can lift a specific amount of weight. Depending on the facility, other required work traits might include attention to detail. Some jobs may require successful candidates to understand measurements of packages and items being picked.

Based on the posted job description, candidates understand the type of position they are applying for. Once the applications roll in, it’s critical to have candidates take a psychometric assessment as well.

These assessment results will reveal work motivations and behaviors. These details will give hiring managers good information about which interview questions to ask. They’ll also hint at the employee engagement and retention tactics needed to interest applicants in your organization.

Interview Questions

When you’re able to ask custom questions based on the assessment, you’ll gain a clear picture of the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses. You may want to focus on their willingness to learn new technology such as robotics. And you’ll want to discuss their interest level in training.

Have You Addressed Your Retention Challenge?

Research indicates that warehouse and logistics businesses experience up to 49% turnover rates. This statistic underscores the employee retention and engagement problem in the industry. That kind of churn rate seriously impacts the bottom line. Even worse, a business with high turnover will earn a reputation. They’ll become known as the place where people work for only a few months.

Offering training can improve retention rates. Kahoot! At Work research indicates that 44% of employees in this industry will stay with their employer for up to 10 years. But they want something in return for their loyalty. They expect to receive advanced training.

Training Programs

Whether you’re working with a seasoned employee or a new machine operator, training programs make a difference. Hiring managers admit that employees who are nearing retirement don’t show much interest in learning how to use high-​tech equipment. But new employees, who are typically younger, have a keen interest in technology.

Future Careers

Younger employees also desire a career path. In job postings and during performance feedback, workers need to hear about what could be next for them. In company or team meetings, managers should discuss opportunities in the industry. If an employee aspires to hold a job such as an assembly technician or a product tester, offer training.

The training might require taking offsite courses. In those cases, offering paid tuition and time off to attend classes will boost employee engagement.

To improve employee retention and engagement, managers must establish training programs. With better education comes the “higher output” that managers seek.

Photo by Product School on Pexels.