7 Ways to Keep Your Supply Chain Team

Retention is worth it!

Hey there, supply chain warriors! We all know that running a successful operation requires a solid team of dedicated employees. But what happens when your star players start to head for the exit door? It's time to tackle the challenge of employee retention head-on. In this blog post, we'll dive into some seven tips and strategies that can help keep your dream team intact.

When it comes to the supply chain, maintaining a talented and experienced workforce is the gift that keeps on giving. Your employees are the backbone of your operations, and their skills, knowledge, and dedication keep your supply chain humming along. High employee turnover can disrupt productivity, increase costs, and leave you scrambling to fill critical positions. Thus, focusing on employee retention is not only a way to boost morale but also a smart business move.

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Here are seven ways to keep your Supply Chain team:

1. Hiring Previews

Realistic job previews help both the employer and the job seekers. For employers, it helps them find the right fit for their team. They want to attract people who are genuinely interested and excited about the job, and who have a realistic understanding of what it entails. For job seekers, realistic job previews are a golden opportunity to learn more about a job before committing to it.

Go past the website videos or social media pages. Create events that insert your future employee into the work that they will be doing. Schedule informal time where job seekers can chat with existing employees. Ask current employees to provide feedback in the hiring process. Ask questions like, will this new hire be a good fit into our culture?

2. Get the right Full Time and Temporary ratio

Having a balance between full-time and temporary employees allows companies to adapt to changing demands. If things get busy, they can bring in more temporary staff to help out. When things slow down, the temporary workforce can be flexed without letting go of their permanent employees. It's like having a secret tool in their toolbox! A temporary to full time employment path can provide a solid pipeline of new employees that have an understanding of current processes. This also gives the business a short track record of performance history.

Keep temporary employee level less than 20% of total of your employee population. Temporary employee percentages greater than this introduces risk and costs into the business. Additional training costs and quality issues increase at higher temp to full time ratios. Also, don't extend temporary employees past 90 days at your business. Long term temps are bad for the culture and aren't fair to folks looking for a full time role.

3. Understand the Local Market

Companies need to keep an eye on the market labor rates to make sure they're offering competitive salaries. If they're not, they might find it harder to keep their best employees happy and motivated. Attend local business events, join industry-specific groups, and connect with fellow professionals in your field. Engaging in conversations with others who have a finger on the pulse of your local market can be invaluable. Believe it or not, your local government might have labor rate data readily available. Check out government websites, especially those related to labor, workforce development, or economic development. Some regions publish reports or statistics that outline average wages for various occupations.

In this digital age, information is just a few clicks away. Harness the power of online research to uncover market labor rates. Start by browsing job boards, freelance platforms, or websites that cater to your industry. Look for job postings, requests for proposals, or even public salary information. While it may take some time, the internet can yield valuable data to help you gauge the going rates in your area. Keep a spreadsheet tracking labor rates in your area to watch trends.

4. Shorten shift options - Micro Shifts

In today's fast-paced world, achieving a healthy work-life balance is often a struggle. Micro shifts support flexible work hours, remote work options, or wellness initiatives. This flexibility helps employees better juggle their personal and professional lives. These options open up new populations of employees that could be a great fit for your team. Move past the traditional thinking that each job needs a 8 or 10 hour shift to be productive. Start with 4 hour scheduling blocks and see the impacts on your business.

5. Establish 30 - 60 - 90 Day check ups

Schedule employee, supervisor and manager check ups at critical intervals. Create a set of Calendar events at the start of a new employee joining your team. A quick 5 to 10 minute review with purpose will help the new teammate feel part of the team and provide an opportunity to talk about any issues that can impact unhappiness with the new job.

6. Treat employee retention as a product

In the fast-paced world of supply chain management, employee turnover can be a significant roadblock to success. Continuously training and onboarding new team members not only drains resources but also disrupts the smooth flow of operations. Additionally, the loss of experienced employees can diminish institutional knowledge, affect productivity and lower customer satisfaction. Create a metric that tracks the quality of your employee retention at critical levels of the organization. Monthly reporting on this metric will provide valuable insight and drive the importance of keeping employees to the organization.

7. Recognition and Rewards

Get past the pizza and doughnuts. Don't underestimate the power of a simple "thank you" or a pat on the back. Recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and achievements can significantly impact employee morale and job satisfaction. Consider implementing an employee recognition program to acknowledge outstanding contributions. Make gratitude a part of your normal operational standards.

Taking the time to get to know your team members on a personal level, remembering their names, asking about their lives, and genuinely listening to their concerns can work wonders. By creating a supportive and inclusive environment, you'll give employees a reason to stick around.

Tips

Print 3x5 cards with with your company logo and a blank space for a handwritten note. Use the 30, 60 and 90 day anniversary dates for new employees as excuses to personalize a note. Use these cards as reminders to show your new employees the appreciation they are there and added value to your team. You can also add in messages or area to focus on in a positive way. Mail these cards to remote workers to show the love from distance.

Please leave us a comment on the questions and issues you are having with your business and supply chain. We will use your feedback to create future posts based on your feedback. Check out how we help solve Supply Chain problems here.