The future of British manufacturing depends on its people. Skilled, motivated teams are the backbone of progress, yet with an ageing workforce, the sector faces a critical challenge: attracting top talent.
What’s next for manufacturers isn’t just about machinery or margins – it’s about creating workplaces where people feel valued, supported, and ready to perform at their best.
Attracting and retaining the right talent
With a significant portion of the manufacturing workforce over-40, now is the time to invest in strategies that bring in fresh talent and develop existing teams.
Winning the race for talent requires a number of interventions:
- Faster hiring: Digital recruitment tools that cut time-to-hire and reduce costs
- Smarter onboarding: Automated workflows and on-demand training that make onboarding seamless
- Flexible career paths: Cross-training that enables employees to fulfil more rolls on any given shift
Simplifying workforce management
Employers, particularly those in the food manufacturing sector, often require a unique mix of full-time, part-time, shift-based, and seasonal staff. Managing this complexity manually is time-consuming and prone to errors.
Workforce management software makes it simple. It tracks daily demand fluctuations and automatically creates optimised rotas that match your production needs, ensuring that the right people are always in the right place, at the right time.
Creating a flexible work environment
Offering flexible working is a powerful way to boost engagement and retention. Here’s how HR teams can put this into practice in manufacturing:
- Offer varied shift options, including evening and weekend shifts, to accommodate personal circumstances, such as parental responsibilities
- Introduce digital scheduling tools that allow employees to share preferences, swap shifts, and view their schedules in real-time
- Provide clear guidance and support for scheduling tools. Make adoption easy with simple instructions and quick-access TOresources so employees feel confident using the technology.
Transitioning to digital ways of working
Manufacturing and production equipment is a significant investment, often designed to last for many years. Because of this long lifespan and extended depreciation periods, organisations may go long stretches without making new technology investments.
While this approach makes sense on the factory floor, it can leave HR processes lagging behind. When technology updates are infrequent, HR teams may rely on outdated, manual systems that can’t keep up with changing workforce needs, resulting in slower productivity and missed opportunities.
Modern HR and workforce management technology helps prevent this by simplifying complex processes, providing valuable data-driven insights, and enhancing operational efficiencies.
While it requires an initial investment – the benefits are clear:
- Accurate and timely payroll
- Robust built-in compliance
- Greater insights, visibility and proactive data-based decision making
- Improved productivity
- Smarter scheduling
- Clear communication that keeps dispersed and shift-based teams connected
Conclusion
By embracing digital tools, manufacturers can create workplaces that attract talent, boost engagement, and drive productivity. The future of manufacturing depends on your people – and with the right strategies, you can help unlock their full potential.
AI-enabled HR, Workforce Management, and Pay for modern manufacturing
Fluctuating demand, complex shift allowances, and tight margins make manufacturing one of the toughest environments for people management. Discover how Zellis helps manufacturers stay ahead.
