FEATURE RECRUITING & RETAINING EMPLOYEES AUGMENTING MAN AND MACHINE


With the emergence of ever more intelligent machines and robotics, Rob Sinfield, VP Business Cloud Enterprise Management, Sage, says manufacturers must rethink their ‘war for talent’ strategies


I


n today’s globalised world, every business is a combatant in the war for


talent. Process manufacturing is no exception; indeed, the specialised skills needed mean that it is especially vulnerable to competition for scarce talent. For example, Deloitte predicts that over the next ten years, US manufacturers will likely need to add 4.6 million manufacturing jobs to meet demand — 2.4 million of which may go unfilled. The prevalence of technology and


computer-controlled machinery in the industry means that factories consisting of assembly lines employing single-skilled workers are fast becoming ‘old school’. Augmenting human skills and using machines to complete mundane, repetitive or dangerous tasks isn’t new, but Industry 4.0 is giving rise to an era of intelligent machines and robotics. There’s a temptation to think – and,


among workers, a fear – that automation will replace humans in many areas of the factory. Smart manufacturers, however, understand that humans will always play a role; this is about augmenting man and machine, creating roles rather than replacing people. Rather than undertaking repetitive processes, people will be needed to manage intelligent machines, interpret data and identify opportunities that new technologies afford. Advanced skills are in short supply. To


find out how prepared process manufacturers are in the war for talent, we interviewed 900 senior decision makers at process manufacturing businesses in the US, UK and Canada.


It isn’t just technical skills that process


manufacturers will need to succeed in the future. In the US and Canada, two in five respondents said that creativity was more important than technical ability, reflecting the importance of vision and problem- solving abilities to developing new products and entering new markets. The scarcity of these advanced skills is


compounded by the impact of regulation on the war for talent. Uncertainty surrounding immigration regulations – for example, as a result of Brexit or the current US administration’s policy – further increases the potential difficulty of acquiring the required talent needed. In the UK, over a quarter (27%) say that their business will be “highly impacted” by regulations affecting immigration, while the figure for the US is even higher at 30%. Overall in the three countries, between 79% and 83% of businesses say that will be affected in some way. If process manufacturers can find the


skills they need or develop them in-house, they are then faced with the challenge of remodelling organisational design and processes so that they play to the strengths of people and machines. This will become key to advanced problem solving, as Hazel Copeland, CFO at Woldmarsh, explains in Sage’s report, “there is continuing importance of humans in manufacturing despite the hype around robots, AI and automation - and this won’t change. What’s important is that manufacturers audit their processes and identify which low-skill, manual, and repetitive tasks can be handled by these


AUTOMATION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT


As automation in the Manufacturing sector boosts production, staff are embracing the benefits - with more independence and efficiency their requirements are changing, according to the latest Employee Engagement Benchmark report from TTi Research. Flexibility and new challenges are becoming increasingly important to staff in the UK's Manufacturing


sector, although the sector scores lowest of the 11 surveyed (jointly with Automotive) for employee engagement (7.8/10), and lowest overall for job satisfaction (7.4/10). TTi Research's latest data shows that the main driver for high job satisfaction and engagement in the


sector remains unchanged since the start of the study: ‘Understanding what is required from you' consistently scored as the top engagement factor in the sector, with its latest score being 8.5/10. However, as the benchmarking has progressed, other trends in Manufacturing employee engagement


priorities have emerged. A surge in ‘Being encouraged to take on new challenges', and ‘Being empowered to make decisions', which now scores highest in the Manufacturing sector (8.6/10), both hint at how automation technology is impacting the sector. Glyn Luckett, commercial director at TTi Research, said: “Automation allows employees to work


increasingly independently, and smarter, in less time, while also supporting cost effectiveness and providing a boost to production. The impact of new technologies on the manufacturing workforce can also be linked to a high score given to ‘Flexibility in your role' (8.2), as well as the increase in engagement score given to ‘Training to do your job well' (8.0).” TTi Research


www.tti-global-research.co.uk/benchmark-reports-and-sector-bulletins 38 OCTOBER 2019 | PROCESS & CONTROL


Rob Sinfield, VP Business Cloud Enterprise Management, Sage says: “The ongoing push and shove between ethics and productivity is an age-old concern, that if not addressed by industry, will be managed through legislation”


technologies, enabling them to establish what tasks should be left to humans.” What’s more, there are differences


between how manufacturers in these three markets view the balance between technical and creative skills. In the UK, only 28% of process manufacturers believe that creative skills are more important to meet the demands of the future, compared to 39% in the US and 42% in Canada. Wherever the balance truly lies,


manufacturers, like all other businesses, have a moral imperative to invest in the workforce and boost skills among employees. Furthermore, they have a duty to their shareholders and customers to develop innovative products and services – something that no machine can learn. A declining international talent pool


requires a fundamental change in process manufacturers’ recruitment strategies. To combat restrictions on skilled immigrant workers, they may need to look more closely to home, or invest more in upskilling existing employees. Creative thinking may also be needed.


Manufacturers might, for example, need to broaden their recruitment practices and consider groups they might not have previously, such as veterans, parents returning to work, and younger workers. Many manufacturers are already


beginning to do this. According to recent research by ManpowerGroup, a third of companies are already recruiting from outside traditional talent pools, while 36% are adjusting their education or training requirements to overcome talent shortfall. Businesses need to reimagine what they


can provide in terms of a fulfilling career and what constitutes the best employment benefits. While pay will always be important, other initiatives like flexible working will also be key to finding and retaining talent.


Sage www.sage.com


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