The head of a consulting service for Wisconsin manufacturers is advocating for a tech-savvy, generational approach to employee recruitment, development and retention.
Chris Baichoo, executive director and CEO of Madison-based WMEP Manufacturing Solutions, spoke during the 2023 Wisconsin Economic Summit. The two-day event was hosted this week in Appleton by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
His presentation highlighted various strategies being used by Wisconsin companies, including connecting with local schools to stoke enthusiasm for the manufacturing industry among students and parents, and paying for technical college degrees in exchange for the student working for them for several years.
But even with these and other initiatives in place, “and a lot of money being spent, we still have a challenge. So there’s more that needs to be done to address the workforce challenge,” he said.
He noted older, more experienced workers are easier to reach through traditional messaging such as newspaper ads, billboards and signs placed outside the business looking to hire. Younger workers, though, are more likely to find work through online job boards and social media.
“So if you’re looking to get the most out of your recruitment efforts, you have to look at the generational needs and be able to have a multi-point approach,” he said. “Through each one of these key steps, you have to take a different approach than you have in the past.”
He urged employers to adopt a “marketing mindset” in the competitive labor market, treating potential hires more like customers.
“You’ve got to give them what they want so they come on board … Your employee value proposition has to be apparent on social media, it has to be apparent on your website,” he said. “You’ve also got to think about using your existing employees to help post positive reviews on Indeed and Glassdoor.”
For companies looking to hire from the local area, he suggested investing in community engagement efforts as a way to build brand awareness among nearby residents.
On the employee development side, Baichoo noted many WMEP customers are establishing “internal universities” with curriculum for on-the-job training that’s catered to their operation. For many small companies in Wisconsin, that specialized expertise is held by a select few employees that have been with them for decades, he said.
He argued these businesses “have to start trapping that knowledge” so that when long-time workers retire, all that experience doesn’t leave with them.
“It can be catastrophic, I’ve actually experienced that in one of my jobs,” he said. “It completely ruined the company, because they weren’t paying attention to what was going to happen three to five years out.”
To avoid that outcome, he said employers can coordinate mentorships between recent or soon-to-be retirees and younger talent, adding that can help improve retention as well.
Other factors driving high retention rates include attractive benefits packages, flexible work schedules, rewards and recognition, as well as inclusive workplace culture “with good values and behaviors,” he said.
Watch the video of his remarks here: https://wiseye.org/2023/10/23/2023-wisconsin-economic-summit-session-4/
–By Alex Moe
