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How Is the Manufacturing Industry Coping with Changing Workforce Dynamics Clarity in communication in the form of visits and discussions is crucial to productivity

By Kavita Nigam

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The erstwhile manufacturing industry witnessed a plethora of changes in the recent years- from increasing technological involvement to hiring more diverse staff to meet a multitude of needs. It can be safely said that modern manufacturing looks more upbeat than it did 10 or 20 years ago.

Part of the challenge was to create awareness amongst people outside of the industry, to increase interest. This required an evolution of dynamics, revamping the system to a great extent.

The New Hat in Manufacturing Workforce

For many years, manufacturing jobs were considered to fall under a basic category, but with the progress of time came advancement of mentality. Presently, more women are realising their career goals by joining the manufacturing sector, making up to nearly 30 percent of the manufacturing workforce. As the industry moves to create a more inclusive environment, women are even taking on high-level executive positions for manufacturing companies while participating in physically demanding operations.

The industry is also opening up its eyes to the younger strata. To match up to the new dynamic atmosphere, employers are grooming millennials to help build up a staff that still have the zeal to learn and apply. A fair amount of latitude is given to recruiting drives for culling out potential workers, sending out a strong statement that there is a place for everyone in modern manufacturing.

Alongside this, new advances in the equipment and technologies are significantly creating space for brand new roles. There is a rise in roles that today's scientist, engineers and workers have to cater, leading to an increase in employment. Most importantly, an employee-centric perspective is harboured within the fabric of the workforce.

In order to create stronger relationships, as a means to boost employee involvement, here are a few things that the industry is imbibing:

Communicate

Understanding company goals and ensuring that it is properly disseminated, is crucial to productivity. Clarity in communication is something that can help here. Good communication also provides further customer engagement through activities such as visits and discussions.

Allow for More Control of Work

In manufacturing, much of the work is predetermined, based on the nature of the day-to-day processes. Here, workers need to align their work with their capabilities, in order to deliver the best. Leaders have figured out the amount of control they can give back to the employees, providing them with a choice of procedures.

Create Accountability

A sense of accountability is being established, by working with employees to create a mutually conducive atmosphere. When optimized correctly, accountability creates higher engagement by providing workers with an ownership of their action. It is important to make sure all employees and managers are held accountable, even in situations where management structures may falter.

Make Sure People Feel like They Matter

The most important task for a modern-day team, in order to maximise on engagement is in making every associate feel like they matter when they arrive at work every day. This includes making sure every employee understands how they fit into the company infrastructure and provide outlets for them to apply their faculties in achieving the best- both in terms of company goals and personal growth.

Conclusion

The manufacturing industry has evolved into a domain where people from nearly any background can find a career of their dreams. The field is rapidly expanding, creating the need for more jobs that need to be filled. A boom in manufacturing is the saviour of the day and in current years we shall see further advancements to mark the developing ecosystem.

Kavita Nigam

General Manager, HR, Publicity and Promotion, KARAM Industries

Kavita Nigam has an experience of more than 15 years in KARAM,  and is responsible for Publicity and HR in the company. 

With a degree in Medicine, and an exposure to the manufacturing Operations, Nigam has developed an indepth understanding of the technical aspects of the products.

Her strong association with the Creative team in the company provides a distinct edge in converting this knowledge into a language that is beneficial to the end customer. 

Nigam's role as the HR Head in the company has also worked as a symbiotic advantage for both the development of the team and her personal growth.

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