MyWorkChoice

I don’t need to see your turnover data to know where the problem is—it’s at the entry-level. And if you’re using temp pools? It’s even worse. So, let’s stop dancing around it and attack the real pain point in your company: entry-level roles. We’re not going to overhaul your entire company overnight. Instead, we’ll start small, incubate change, and learn from it. The key? Flexibility—right where it matters most. This is your bloodline, where your future supervisors and next-generation leaders come from. Get it right here, and it sets the tone for everything else. Here’s how we do it: stop selling the same tired job descriptions—“40 mandatory hours, 3 days off in four months.” What if you offered something real? Something that actually pulls people in. Imagine a job where workers can take a half-shift off to go to the doctor, fix their car, or make it to their kid’s soccer game—things white-collar workers do all the time. So why not offer that same flexibility? Let’s make it happen. Allow workers to take half-shifts, offer an extra unpaid day off—paid, if you can make it work. But here’s the truth (we use this phrase a LOT): it’s not about paid vs. unpaid—it’s about the freedom to handle life’s unexpected moments. People want more than just a paycheck. They want the flexibility to manage their lives, and when you offer that, they’ll come to you. And not just more candidates, but better ones. The kind of people who want to stick around.

The biggest barrier to reducing turnover is often our own reluctance to try something new. “No Todd, you have to hire the right people and train them. That’s the problem!”    Yeah, that worked when people were lined up for your jobs and were willing to do what you asked. When recruiting at under $20 an hour for entry level positions, you are not selecting as much as hoping you are selected. People have so many choices now, and they are saying NO to the old thinking.   They don’t want to be forced to work OT. They don’t want to be threatened with a Point System. And they sure as hell don’t want the “privilege” of working at your facility for 30 years.   But outside of those recruiting, has the rest of the company caught up to this reality?   And sorry, the world isn’t going back to the way it was.   The other problem… Nobody is ultimately accountable for turnover. Every time someone leaves, HR gets yelled at: “You’re just not hiring the right people.” And Ops gets blamed for "Being too tough on the new workers"   The reality is that when new hires come through the door, it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure their success.   If the almighty production goal really matters, then shouldn’t keeping a reliable workforce be a priority? The only way to hit those numbers and prevent jobs from moving to Mexico is to Innovate.    So… Are companies sticking their head in the sand and hoping things will return to the good ole days?  Is it fear of change? Or is it jealousy "Why should they get more time off and an easier schedule than I had?”   I’ve seen all 3. But I’ve also seen plenty of companies realize that they have to try SOMETHING to fix what’s going on BUT they still battle implementation with resistance from the "old guard."

Happy #ManufacturingDay! And while we're celebrating the incredible work this industry has accomplished, I can’t help but rant about the lack of innovation we've put into creating a better work-life for production workers.    How are we still in a place where some of the biggest manufacturers are firing 80% of their workers if they take off more than three days in three months?   How are we still forcing 12-hour shifts with mandatory overtime?   How are we still managing our workers the same way we did a century ago?    We’ve innovated everything else within manufacturing. The processes, the materials, the technology. All upgraded and efficient.    So why are we stuck in the past when it comes to how we treat our people?   So my hope for Manufacturing Day is this - let’s stop doing the same things over and over, expecting different results.   Let's put some effort into creating a better quality of life for hourly workers.    Let workers take unpaid time off. Let them adjust their schedules. Give them the same kind of breathing room the rest of us take for granted. It’s not just about pay—it’s about creating a better quality of life.   Let’s make these jobs something people love, something they want to keep doing—something that drives U.S. manufacturing forward.

What’s the biggest problem with hourly workers? They’re walking out the back door or we’re firing them faster than they are coming in.   Why? Because we’re not giving them a reason to stay. Here’s how we fix that. Give them flexibility and consistency. I know that sounds stupid. But it’s the #1 thing workers want.   So what am I describing… What if you offered the ability to shift swap? Workers could drop their Thursday shift and pick up Saturday to keep their hours whole. Or give them a bank of unpaid hours, allow them to take flex time when they need it. You can still have guardrails. You can still require minimum hours and penalties for showing up late, but stop with the crazy point systems that don’t work. This does one crucial thing—it keeps your workers from leaving. By offering more time off in a traditional full-time job, allowing shift swaps, and letting them choose overtime,you’ll create something these workers haven’t seen before in this kind of role. And when they have no excuse to leave, they’ll stay. Here’s why it matters: 38% of hourly workers today are juggling gig jobs—DoorDash, Instacart, Uber—to make ends meet. Why? Because those jobs offer flexibility. But you know what they don’t offer? Consistency. Gig workers want both: the flexibility to work when they need to and the consistency to know they’ll actually make money. They’re tired of picking up gig shifts, only to make a few bucks for the night. Change the game. Offer jobs that give workers the best of both worlds: flexibility to handle life and consistency to earn real money.

It’s almost Q4, and you know what that means... time to jump back into the temp game. But let’s be honest—are you really going to go through another fourth quarter where you order 50 temps, and only 20 last past three weeks? The temp model isn’t working and you know it.    How about something that works instead: Build a seasonal workforce that actually fits how people want to work—and for your facility.   Even for those folks just looking to make some extra cash for the holidays—guess what? They still want time off. They’re not looking to grind through your 40-hour + mandatory overtime job. They’re not looking for a 401(k) plan. They’re just trying to make money for the holidays and still have a life.   So why are we still telling these seasonal workers they have to work 40+ hours, and they’ll be fired for missing a single day? Because we don’t know how else to manage it.   So let's try something different. The flexibility route.    Take that workforce and stop putting them under your company’s rigid attendance and point system. Let’s manage them differently. Let’s give them the flexibility they want.   Here’s how I approach it: we hire different types of workers. Workers who want full-time? Great, but maybe that means 32 hours, not 40—and that’s okay. We’ll also hire folks who just want to pick up one or two days a week.    Both groups are valuable. Why? Because that’s how you build your new 40-hour worker. We’ll take a 32-hour worker, a 16-hour worker, and piece them together to give you the full workforce you need.   Am I saying not to give them any rules or guardrails? Absolutely not. Track their attendance, identify the reliable ones, and keep them!    Got thoughts on this? Let's chat.