Employee retention is a key challenge for many organisations, especially in the engineering sector. According to a report by Engineering UK, the engineering industry needs to recruit 203,000 skilled workers each year to meet the demand for new projects. However, the same report also found that 20% of engineering graduates leave the sector within three years of graduation. This means that Engineering & Manufacturing companies are not only struggling to attract new talent, but also to retain their existing talent.
Indeed, LinkedIn’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report indicates that 93% of organisations are concerned about employee retention.
So, how can engineering companies in Scotland prevent losing their best members of staff? Here are three effective strategies that can help:
1. Show Them a Path For Career and Professional Development
The LinkedIn report mentioned above states that “the number one way organisations are working to improve retention is by providing learning opportunities.”
Your staff may have high aspirations for their career, and they may leave you if they spot a better chance to move up the ladder elsewhere. To prevent your ambitious staff from leaving, you need to know who they are and plan a career path that shows their potential. Explain what you expect from them at each level and regularly review their progress.
Covering the full cost of further education courses may be beyond you. However, you could consider paying for subscriptions to LinkedIn Learning or Audible or, alternatively, assist with online courses from the likes of Udemy or Coursera.
2. Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
It may be cheesy, but working with colleagues who share a common goal and vision can make employees more loyal and satisfied. They are less likely to seek other opportunities if they feel part of a team.
Your team culture reflects how engaged and happy your team members are. You need to assess if your team culture is positive, negative, or neutral. Team culture is more than just your core values written on posters throughout the building. It is the combination of actions, beliefs, and attitudes that shape your team members’ behaviour and identity. These influence and guide your team’s actions and give your team a shared vision.
3. Effective Teamwork Begins And Ends With COMMUNICATION
The above quote is attributed to Mike Krzyzewski, a former American College Basketball Coach who created multiple championship-winning teams across a nearly 50-year coaching career.
Employees need to trust and follow their leaders. Effective communication can build this trust and confidence. Employees also want to have a good relationship with their immediate supervisor, who can listen and help them with their problems. This can make them feel valued, satisfied and motivated which enhances their morale, increases their output, and hopefully leads to them stay longer in your organisation.
Nobody needs or wants unnecessary meetings, but you should endeavour to inform and update your employees on important projects or developments and make them feel valued and essential for the growth, success and profitability of each project.
Employee retention is vital for the success of any organisation, especially in the engineering and manufacturing sector where there is a high demand and a low supply of skilled workers. By implementing these three simple strategies, companies in Scotland can stop losing their best members of staff and retain them for the long term.