Following along with Forbes’ layoff tracker this year has been like watching a horrible sports game. It’s not just small businesses that are reducing workforces; the big brand names are facing the same labor challenges as the rest of us. Names like FedEx, Tyson Foods, Ford, Anheuser-Busch, and Walgreens all laid off manufacturing and logistics employees this summer.
According to SupplyChainBrain, preparing for shifts in labor needs doesn’t mean you have to cut staff. Sure, that’s an easy cost-cutting tactic, but layoffs can impose immediate and long-term consequences on company culture, making it difficult to retain those who weren’t forced out and settle the dust as tasks get reprioritized.
Instead of assuming that you have to cut workers, consider:
- How can you leverage technology and AI for menial tasks while reassigning employees to jobs that require special human attention?
- How can you shape training and development to focus on key strategic skills, promoting knowledge transfer and succession planning?
- How can you encourage and build mentorship in the workplace to boost morale and peer-to-peer performance improvement?
- How can I use technology to supplement my existing workforce and incentivize them for higher productivity?
The Right Tech for the Right Solution
Replacing all laborers with robots and automated technology isn’t feasible or necessarily responsible, but you can give workers the tools they need to perform better, faster, and smarter, making them into more valuable assets to your organization in the long run.
Intuitive technology like voice recognition and assistants can help warehouse workers do their job as efficiently as possible without bulky handheld devices getting in the way.
Voice-enabling processes in the warehouse can lift poorly performing employees into a higher level of productivity and make them more likely to stay and work harder going forward. Employees that are already high performers will shave more seconds off their pick rates using voice technology, making them more engaged in their role. When you prioritize job satisfaction and development opportunities for those hard workers, you ensure their retention and perhaps future advancement in the organization, too.
Already using employee-centered technology in your DC? Work with supply chain experts like the team at Mountain Leverage to identify additional workflows to automate or areas in existing processes that could be compressed and optimized further. In this day and age, every second and penny saved adds up and can be the difference between breaking even and increasing your margins.
Don’t Wait – Your Workers Won’t
Staying on top of headcount while still running at maximum productivity is the key to success. Get in touch with Mountain Leverage to learn how our voice workflow optimization solutions can support your current employees and help you plan for future hires, giving you the competitive edge over your competitors who are still struggling with labor attraction and retention. Contact us today!