Protecting worker safety should be a top priority, and if you’re an experienced manager or business owner, you understand how small investments in worker protection can pay off in big ways. Even something as simple as a handrail installation can let employees know that you care about their well- being, and can yield big increases in worker loyalty, commitment, productivity, and retention, not to mention countless savings on injury claims and expensive lawsuits.

But while you value the safety of your entire workforce, keep in mind that new recruits and inexperienced employees represent your most vulnerable population. These are the workers who are most prone to mistakes, misunderstandings, and avoidable mishaps. So these workers require closer managerial attention and stronger protections. Keep these tips in mind.

Supervision Matters

Even if your newer employees know exactly what they’re doing and they’ve performed a certain operation a thousand times during their careers, don’t let them work alone immediately after they’re hired. There may be dangerous aspects of the job that seasoned employees and managers take for granted, and your newer employees may not be prepared to handle these dangers without the presence of watchful eyes. Threats can include improper use of protective gear, neglecting standard cleaning and sanitization methods, and entering dangerous or injury-prone areas without recognizing threats (like overhead equipment, sudden temperature changes, or unexpected loud noises).

Use the Buddy System

Even if they don’t need direct training or managerial supervision, pair new employees with seasoned workers during every task they face throughout the day. Short-term partnerships can provide new employees with protection and mentoring, and current employees with opportunities to practice their leadership and training skills.

Don’t Just Hand Them a Manual

Of course new hires will require a printed (and online accessible) version of an employee handbook, a copy of all company policies that are relevant to their job description. This manual can and should include safety information that can protect new employees from dangerous equipment and workplace areas. But don’t assume that every piece of information in the handbook or manual will be read and memorized. Take responsibility for delivering this information in other formats, especially if it deals directly with issues related to safety. “Didn’t you read the manual?” isn’t a helpful question after a new employee has accidentally placed himself/herself or others in danger.

Make Use of All Teachable Moments

If a new employee makes a small mistake, don’t just forgive and ignore the error assuming that the employee meant well or didn’t know any better. The first few weeks on the job are critical in terms of early training and initiation, and now is the time to point out errors and correct them before they become dangerous habits.

For more on how to protect new workers (and protect others from their potential mistakes), reach out to the hiring, staffing and training experts at Lift Temp.

Computer assisted machine tooling, or CNC machining and machine tooling, involves the use of computer programs to automate a procedure or process that bends, cuts or shapes metal in the form of sheets, die, or wires. CNC programming and CNC machining are promising fields of employment for a variety of reasons, though some experts predict that a current spike in demand for these positions won’t last beyond the next decade. While open positions are rapidly increasing in this area, salaries are holding steady and vary widely according to the geographic locations of employers. If employees are willing to relocate to pursue these open positions, their prospects and salaries can improve. Job seekers also face better prospects if they continue to expand their knowledge base and keep their skill sets broad and flexible.

What’s New in CNC Machining?

Metal fabrication technology is currently moving through a state of rapid evolution. CNC wire bending machines, for example, have dramatically decreased in size and increased in versatility and capability during the past decade. At this point, highly sophisticated bending machines can receive input from a USB or desktop computer, allowing the machinist to control the bending process from a desk and requiring minimal interaction with the wire. Complex designs consisting of a set of vector lines can be applied to a wire feed, and a system of rollers can twist and shape the wire into a two-dimensional or three-dimensional set of bends and circular curves.

CNC Machining Job Outlook

Knowledgeable employees who can program and operate wire bending devices and wire feeds using CNC platforms are sought after by a growing population of employers with very specific needs. Salaries for these positions average between 40,000 and 41,000 dollars per year, or 19 to 20 dollars per hour. Many hiring managers for these roles don’t require applicants to hold a college degree, but becoming a certified CNC machinist will require job-specific training. This training can sometimes be gained on the job, depending on the nature of the company and the position.

Contact the staffing team at Lift Temp to learn more about apprenticeship programs, vocational training opportunities, and job openings in the this field.

Are your turnover rates affecting your bottom line more than you realize? Before you dismiss turnover as a standard cost of business or a natural and unavoidable aspect of the manufacturing industry, think twice. A few small changes to your workplace or your management style can keep employees on the team for longer tenures, and turning short term relationships into long-term partnerships can dramatically cut costs and bolster your stability. Here’s how.

Longer Tenures Mean Higher Levels of Institutional Knowledge

If you look around your manufacturing workplace and see mostly new faces, you probably see enthusiasm, high energy levels, a general sense of ambition, and an eagerness to please and impress managers and supervisors. But here’s what you don’t see: ingrained positive habits, an in-depth understanding of company goals, respect for the status quo, lower error rates, and a willingness to teach and lead as well as learn and follow. To move from the first to the second, you’ll need to raise the average tenure on your shop floor.

Longer Tenures Boost Your Reputation

If your employees enjoy working here and are happy to stay, this positivity will have a ripple effect that extends beyond the walls of the company. Your brand and your reputation will extend to friends, family, and wide social and professional networks. As a result, you’ll hear from more and better applicants when you post an open position.

Short Tenures Mean High Risk and Training Investments

If an employee comes on board and stays for less than one calendar year, you may see this as a benefit – especially if the employee seems mistake-prone or has a minor attitude problem. But look closer. If the hiring cost for the position approaches or exceeds the employee’s annual salary, this practice isn’t sustainable. Consider coaching and working with an imperfect employee instead of letting them walk out the door … taking your training investment with them.

Minor Changes Improve Employee Satisfaction

A few small changes that make your workplace feel safer, cleaner, more respectful, or more positive can encourage burned-out or ambitious employees to stay, instead of seeking work elsewhere. When you compare the cost of these improvements with the cost of hiring and staffing during the same year, the difference may surprise you. Even if these improvements include regular salary increases or expanded benefits, the numbers are likely to work in your favor.

For more information on how to improve your workplace, boost your reputation, improve your management style and reduce your overall turnover, contact the expert staffing pros at Lift Temp.

As a candidate in the manufacturing industry, you probably have a few things working in your favor: You’ve probably accumulated a few years of experience, you’ve completed some relevant training courses (or a formal degree), and you have the ambition and work ethic required for success in a challenging field. But unfortunately, just about every other candidate in the pool will hold these three credentials as well. So what can you do to set yourself apart? How can you bring you resume to the top of the stack and grab the attention of your reviewers? Try these simple moves.

Stay Concrete

Instead of stocking your resume with abstract, generic phrases like “I’m a hard worker” or “I’m driven to succeed”, try being a little more specific. When you say you “work hard”, does that mean you have an unbroken attendance record? Does it mean you’re willing to put in overtime hours? Does it mean your productivity quotas are above average? And if so, then by how much?

Use Numbers

While you’re making an effort to keep your claims specific, attach numbers to as many as you can. How many units do you typically process per hour? Have you held a leadership position, and if so, how many people were on your team? What does your safety record look like? Can you attach numbers to your previous annual performance reviews, the grades you’ve earned, or the revenue you raised for your former employers? Adding numbers, timelines and quantities to your claims will make them more interesting to read and easier to remember.

Find a Hook

You have plenty of traits and qualifications that line up perfectly with the traits and qualifications of every other candidate and every other resume. But you also have something else, something none of these other candidates can offer. What might that special skill or credential be? Here’s a hint: Usually your truly unique skill sets and abilities lie in an overlap between two generic ones (or more). For example, plenty of candidates in the pool probably know how to speak Spanish. And plenty of them probably know how to code in HTML. But how many of them know how to do both? How many of them have had leadership training AND know how to drive a forklift? How many are CPR certified AND have CNC experience? Magnify your special abilities by pairing them.

Keep your Cover Letter Sharp

Your resume may be great…but it still won’t get you very far unless it’s paired with a concise, relevant, beautifully written cover letter. Get some editing help and make sure your cover letter provides your resume with the support it needs.

For more on how to create a resume that grabs the spotlight, reach out to the job search experts at Lift Temp.