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Implementing AI in Workforce Training Techniques

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Implementing AI in Workforce Training Techniques

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Food Safety is considered as one of the most important functional aspects of the food industry; it is estimated that the food industry loses over $110 billion in revenue and productivity due to medical expenses and brand reputation damages caused by food-borne illnesses. However, the industry is also infamous for being one of the most labor-heavy industries in the world, which subsequently leads to the biggest food safety challenge: Food Safety Training. Training all employees within the food industry regardless of management level is essential to allow food safety culture to grow within a business and to ensure that all products manufactured by a facility are safe to consume.

But with all the talk regarding food safety and hygiene training, another important question arises: How does an employer determine what kind of training is important for their employees? The answer is not always straightforward, but it is crucial for employers to keep in mind that basic food safety and hygiene topics should be covered for all employees through on the-job-training or through a classroom set-up; these topics can range from basics like Cross Contamination and Hazard Identification to more advanced topics such as HACCP and ISO 22000:2018 awareness. With the rise of AI or Artificial Intelligence in the Food industry, there are various tools such as Vision AI and Machine Learning which have proven to be effective in improving various processes within a food business, one of the more important ones being food safety and hygiene training.

Before delving into the benefits of AI in the food industry it is prudent to understand: What IS Artificial Intelligence? AI or Artificial Intelligence is an umbrella term used for various kinds of technology which includes but is not limited to: Vision AI, Machine Learning and Text AI. Among the many benefits these diverse sub-divisions of AI can provide food professionals globally, some of them are:

Personalized Training Modules & Integrated Training Experience

When training employees in food safety and hygiene, it is prudent to understand every employee may require different kinds of teaching methodologies to be implemented to ensure maximum effectiveness; but in a company dealing with 1000+ employees, how does one ensure this? The answer to this question is the use of Vision AI: As on-the-job training is the most common form of food safety training today, Vision AI allows employers to create simulations of various real-life scenarios where food safety is at risk and subsequently train employees on how to handle them in real time, with the added benefit of not allowing any customer-facing products to be at risk. If required, this technology also allows employers to create customized scenarios in accordance to the employee skill, thereby allowing said employee to have a fully integrated experience as compared to regular classroom training.

Focused Training Activities & Organized Training Programs

The most common form of food safety and hygiene training is on-the-job training, followed by classroom training; however, one of the greatest challenges faced by any training professional is the creation of a stringent training program and organizing training activities in accordance to topics, all the while ensuring each and every employee, even in large scale companies, is trained. In these instances, the use of AI has created an opportunity for food safety training professionals to create effective training programs that can take into account various factors such as number of employees, management level, training levels and even language. Building on this, creating focused training activities such as on-the-job simulations as described previously, can also be created using Vision AI and Machine Learning capabilities.

Effective Data Collection and Feedback

In an industry that encounters possibly hundreds of food safety risks and/or incidents in a day, collating all the data received on a daily basis into a workable database can prove to be challenging. This is where Text AI comes in: Text AI and other such technologies allow food professionals to store and collate food safety incident data on a real time basis and organize it in such a way that recognizable statistics or data can be extracted from it in a fraction of time. This data extraction, for example, allows food professionals to make accurate predictions in regards to the next big food safety incident to look out for in their food spaces. This kind of data can also be applied to collating customer feedback and generating statistics which may prove helpful in terms of organizing a training program or even help chefs upgrade their menu items.

Building on these aspects, there are various kinds of AI software out in the market that can be used to target food and beverage employees and streamline their training sessions, such as:

Fujitsu’s Computer Vision Model

One of the more difficult aspects of a food safety professional’s job is on-the-job training which needs to be conducted for employees regarding personal hygiene, i.e., handwashing, uniform upkeep, etc.  Predicting these challenges, Japanese IT giant Fujitsu is developing a software designed to observe handwashing techniques of food workers and alert supervisors when an effective handwashing procedure is not being followed. The software also has features such as a physical display monitor demonstrating each step of the handwash procedure as it is being done by a food worker.

 Intenseye

Intenseye is a company that uses Vision AI to ensure that food workers are kept safe from workplace and food safety related accidents; one of the more interesting aspects of this technology is the ability to identify whether a worker is wearing appropriate PPE. This technology can be used to monitor food workers in real time, and by extension, be used as a learning tool to demonstrate to food workers what kind of personal hygiene policy aspects are expected out of them, by using real-life examples of their colleagues in question.

Pathspot

A great example of using AI tools to demonstrate hand washing techniques is Pathspot, an AI technology that recognizes the number of contaminants found on a food worker’s hands. This technology can be used as an additional learning tool when training food workers on essential food safety and hygiene aspects such as handwashing, cleaning and sanitization techniques as well.

Thus, it is obvious that technological advancements are an inevitable part of the food industry; the integration of AI technology to aspects of the food industry such as workforce training can help streamline the process throughout a facility, ensuring that all food workers are trained in food safety and hygiene in an effective manner, thereby subsequently giving rise to a healthy Food Safety culture within the workplace, a task that as all food safety professionals know, is notoriously difficult to accomplish. Taking all these factors into consideration, it is thus imperative that food business owners eventually incorporate AI technology into their facilities in order to step up to the place and ensure business continuity in the long run.

 

SkillsTrader® TA versacold TIVE BDP delivery of advanced education to future port industry leaders through LU’s fully online Master of Science in Port and Terminal Management.
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SkillsTrader® Partners with SkillsUSA to Produce Most Highly Skilled Workforce in the World

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Provides Financial Assistance for SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference

SkillsTrader® and SkillsUSA announced today that the companies have entered a strategic partnership that will support workforce development.

The agreement brings together SkillsTrader®’s all-in one digital platform built specifically for skilled tradespeople, and SkillsUSA’s community of 333,527 students and educators from 53 states, spanning 130 job categories. Through this official partnership, SkillsTrader® will provide financial support for SkillsUSA’s National
Leadership and Skills Conference, specifically, the Advisor’s Call to Action Breakfast, the Business Partner Lounge and SkillsUSA TECHSPO, as well as general mission support.

SkillsTrader® is an online ecosystem where skilled trade professionals can find work faster with trade-specific employment opportunities, find quality training programs, participate in trade-specific collaboration and information sharing, and interact with
thought leaders and industry influencers. Made up of 650 businesses, corporations, trade associations, labour unions, and an increasing number of students, SkillsUSA helps middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students prepare for careers and excel in trade, technical and skilled service occupations.

SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference members and attendees will be introduced to the SkillsTrader® platform as a resource that keeps them connected well after the event ends. To become the digital networking hub for attendees to interact with
one another, and as a resource for educators, employers, and job seekers.

About SkillsTrader®

SkillsTrader® is a digital platform for professionals in the trades to interact with one another, receive trade-specific mentorship, and leverage various educational and employment opportunities. We help people advance their careers, find employment, and identify quality training that increases competitiveness.

We address workforce shortages by highlighting career opportunities, recommending training, and connecting tradespeople to peers and resources. SkillsTrader® also has strategic partnership agreements with Women Building Futures, NAIT School of Skilled Trades, Nike Sports Camp Canada, Sherwin Williams, Axalta, Simplicity Car Care, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, and PPG. For more information: skillstrader.com.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

Hiring Supply Chain Talent: What to Look for In the Perfect Candidate

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If your business is growing, maybe it is the right time to hire new talent. It also means facing the challenge of the dearth of supply chain talent and overcoming it. It is pretty common to find business growth these days with job titles evolving and shifting because of quick changes in supply chain management and the latest technology-oriented needs. With several businesses trying to remain competitive there is more demand for talent. Management of the ways you will use to seek the supply chain talent can make or break your organization. Here are some attributes you need to watch out for.

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Soft skills: Most recruiters normally have a list of around thirty job skills that they are looking out for while reviewing the candidates. It is pretty common for the supply chain industry. Soft skills are the top priority for producing more successful recruitment. Some of them include email marketing skills, fundamental business ethics, communication skills, and problem-solving skills. All of these may be identified via past job experience of the candidates, references, and the responses they provide to some key questions at the time of the job interview. When you are looking to hire globally you can take help from PEO services.

Inventory, finance, and supplier management experience: Watch out for earlier experience in financial, supplier, and inventory management together with direct knowledge. These are the important components of the skill sets required for a hire. If the candidate has financial management training in fields such as investing it is a massive advantage. Maybe this talent did not go through massive numbers every day in his earlier position. But there will be sufficient indications of whether the candidate has the requisite understanding of data utilization for making solid business decisions.

Education and area of interest: You need to look out for candidates that have certifications and university training. Some of the specific things you must look out for include participation in projects that involve a basic understanding of financial matters and problem-solving that is related to them. Sometimes even the way they handle personal finances could show something about their work skills. You need to look for talent that has enthusiasm, passion, and energy for the position he or she is applying for. For instance, they would have researched and displayed knowledge about an organization and how their skills could benefit this business.

Result-oriented track record: Ask the prospective candidates, not just about their earlier job responsibilities. Ask them to correctly quantify the results also. Try and find out people that will produce some examples of the projects they have accomplished with good results in their resumes. It should demonstrate that they had to work with supply chain departments, service providers, and suppliers. You also need to be flexible and open-minded while considering the top talent from other industries and fields. There are many candidates out there that are working in other professions. However, they have transferable skills that can make them the right candidate for your supply chain.

Hire female candidates: Women are under-represented in many industries and it’s imperative that we find ways to bring them into the fold. In order to remain competitive in the future of supply chain management, it is important that you consider hiring female talent for roles usually reserved for males. They can take on roles that men have traditionally held, but with some added perks- they’re better at relationship building and interpersonal skills which will be important for certain jobs. The best way to find a replacement for your position is by interviewing applicants who have the skills you need. This will allow you get more personal insight into their personality, knowledge of procedures, and ability-to-efficiently perform job duties than if they were applying without being interviewed first. You can also look at female workers’ resumes or career paths during mentorship programs that involved working closely with seasoned professionals in similar fields.

Conclusion

There are challenges involved in securing the supply chain talent at the moment, especially for filling out the necessary positions. it is a good idea to change your approach. You need to examine the staffing forecast, be aware of the specific needs and trends from historical data, and develop a talent management program. After doing all this, you need to take a closer look at the candidate pipeline that is capable of fulfilling the continuous hiring requirement. The organizations that perform well are the ones that consider the recruitment department as a value-added and strategic program.

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Archives, Commentary, Global Trade Daily

Does Your Recruiting And Culture Meet The New Candidate’s High Expectations?

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“The Great Resignation” in 2021 created a talent shortage and prompted company leaders to re-evaluate their perspective on hiring and culture. Amid job candidates’ shifting demands and higher expectations, some businesses are learning they’ll need to adapt their recruiting strategies to hire the right workers in 2022.

But while most leaders understand that a positive work culture is critical to successful recruitment and retention, too few know how to build and sustain the human-centric workplaces employees look for from employers today, says Kathleen Quinn Votaw, the author of DARE to CARE IN THE WORKPLACE: A Guide to the New Way We Work.

“The pace of change and challenge over the past few years will continue to define us in 2022, as will the fluctuations of the job market,” says Quinn Votaw, CEO of TalenTrust, a strategic recruiting and human capital consulting firm. “This shared experience of COVID-19 has taught us that what propels growth today is putting employees first and creating cultures around well-being and resilience.

“Employees will refuse to work in any culture that lacks humanity. Far from our history of top-down management practices, we’ve learned that kind, empathetic leaders attract and retain the best talent and achieve the highest levels of success. As we wade into another year of unknowns, 2022 gives us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rethink work.”

Quinn Votaw offers these tips for leaders to consider for their recruiting and retention strategies in 2022:

Know what job candidates want and deliver. “People choose you because you’ve created a powerful candidate or employee experience,” Quinn Votaw  says. “It’s time to untie your culture from the past and focus on what people want from employers today.” She says the employer’s brand and being authentic to it will become more crucial in attracting candidates. “LinkedIn research shows that 75% of job seekers check out your brand and reputation before they apply,” she says.  “People want specifics about how you’re handling change and how flexible your policies are.” Further, the offering of remote work, she says, will show those companies are serious about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and new tech tools will help businesses leverage each stage of recruitment.

Build a sense of community in your culture. Employees today experience their companies in different ways: some onsite, some from home, and others in hybrid situations. It can be a dramatic work-life evolution, and Quinn Votaw says leaders and employees alike can find themselves confused and uncomfortable. “A successful forward path begins with being purposeful about what employees experience working for you,” she says. “Recognize that even small changes to your policies can make a big impact on employees’ day-to-day experience. View every individual holistically; work and personal lives should not be seen as ‘either-or.’ Build a community where everyone feels safe being themselves. Appreciate, celebrate and support your employees as the valuable assets they are.”

Practice hands-off management, hands-on feelings. Quinn Votaw says today’s more demanding candidate desires empathetic leadership that doesn’t micromanage and disrespect them. “Fewer employees will put up with the poor management practices of the past,” she says. “The most effective managers recognize that when they lead with humanity first, they empower others to be more authentic, kind, and attuned to feelings. Coach them rather than boss them. And in the interview process, let candidates know in detail what you’re doing to lead virtually as well as in the office. Overall, leaders need to dare to care for their people.”

“Over the past two years we’ve realized that we all fail or thrive together,” Quinn Votaw says. “In this pivotal moment, we have the opportunity to rethink our recruiting and workplaces and break the status quo that has kept us from reaching our full potential.”

________________________________________________________________

Kathleen Quinn Votaw (www.talentrust.com) is the CEO of TalenTrust, a strategic recruiting and human capital consulting firm. She is the author of DARE to CARE IN THE WORKPLACE: A Guide to the New Way We Work. Regarded as a key disruptor in her industry, Quinn Votaw has helped thousands of companies across multiple industries develop purpose-based, inclusive communities that inspire employees to come to work. Her company has been recognized in the Inc. 5000. Kathleen also speaks nationally on recruitment, culture and leading with empathy in the workplace.

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

Tomorrow’s workforce needs collaborative learning

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Jeremy Tillman had a vision. “I wanted to create a marketplace that made it easy for people to find the corporate training they needed and to develop technology to allow companies to better manage the learning processes of their employees.” And so, in 2004, after an epiphany while working on another firm’s project, he started TrainUp.com.

Eighteen years later more than 60,000 companies, including 92 percent of the Fortune 500, have purchased one or more training courses from TrainUp.com. And Tillman, who grew up in public housing, has from the company’s inception traveled all over the world with training and with technology he says, “helps bring people together.”

His story is a fascinating one. Tillman started an e-commerce company while a computer sciences student at the University of Alabama – Huntsville. He managed the university’s five computer labs and built a training management system to aid in its corporate education programs. There, Tillman got his first taste of working with firms like Boeing, Teledyne, and Raytheon.

Tillman stated that TrainUp.com truly took off by 2006 and has continued its growth and vision. The secret to his firm’s future, he lets on, lies with helping people to learn collaboratively. Traditional corporate training had been focused primarily on conveying job-related information, but adult learning theory teaches that information alone is insufficient to produce real change.

The collaborative approach flips the old narrative of, “what can I gain” to “what can I contribute to the larger whole.”

“We learn things faster when we gain the insights from others and brainstorm to find solutions to on-the-job problems. The end-result is often a richer learning experience that has ongoing impacts for individuals and companies alike,” Tillman noted.

That’s the TrainUp.com view of training, one that multitudes have undertaken.

TrainUp.com is also on the cutting edge of creating custom learning, performance, and talent management solutions for building, tracking, managing, and assessing enterprise-wide initiatives for multiple large, recognizable corporations.

And in 2022, as companies across myriad sectors face the challenges posed by the new paradigm of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Tillman believes his training methods are a perfect fit.

The collaborative approach which TrainUp.com has developed over nearly two decades is particularly geared toward Inclusion. Diversity and Equity are largely hiring decisions, while Inclusion requires a change of culture from the bottom up.

“Building inclusive workplace cultures has to include everyone on the job. The key to successful inclusion training is connecting people together rather than presenting training as divisive – and allowing employees to recognize contributions from those they may have previously discounted. These principles apply across the board, from global corporations to small businesses, and even church organizations. Good training is founded in connectivity, and that requires inclusivity,” he tells me.

Tillman cited a recent four-nation, 1,000-person pilot training session for a multinational corporation. In the pilot, 250 people each from China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States were encouraged to leverage the TrainUp.com platform for training. Prior to the event, over 600 of the participants were engaging together and interacting to address serious discussion questions, actions that surely enhanced the collective learning experience and that of the most active participants.

Plus, says Tillman, TrainUp.com obtained lots of data on how the people engaged both before, during, and after the event. The TrainUp.com platform enables participants in such group trainings to continue their conversations and share their successes and failures. The outcome has been impacts in areas far beyond the scope of the specific training. Once again, the key is creating community out of diverse parts, not just talking diversity.

TrainUp.com’s latest initiative to addressing contemporary adult corporate learning is its Institutes project, due to launch in April 2022. Therein are four planned courses – leadership skills, inclusive leadership skills, essential skills for first-time managers and supervisors, and customer service skills. The company asserts that unlike most online courses, participants do not have to schedule their lives around expensive live webinars and overpriced course libraries. Instead, these institutes are both on-demand and rooted in community.

In the Leadership Institute, the mantra is “you manage things; you lead people.” The program teaches the difference between people management and visionary leadership – which includes learning and putting into practice essential leadership skills including communication, strategic thinking, and empathy. The institute seeks to provide tools for beginning a lifelong journey.

The Inclusive Leadership Institute prepares students for creating and inspiring diverse workplaces. Students learn the basic building blocks like Cognizance of Bias, Collaborative Training, and Cultural Intelligence. Inclusive leaders must be able to tackle the challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion with a confidence founded in practical implementation.

TrainUp.com has learned that jumping from individual contributor to manager is a difficult challenge requiring many skills that all too often are not in the toolboxes of first-time managers. To empower first-timers to achieve the goal of maximum team performance, the curriculum includes such skills as goal setting, time management, giving and receiving feedback, and employee recognition.

The Customer Service Institute teaches participants skills for retaining customers, in recognition that it is much cheaper to keep old customers than to acquire new ones. This institute focuses on elite ‘soft skills’, such as emotional intelligence and communication, and ‘hard skills’ such as time management and support metrics.

Tillman recounts one client company’s focus on customer service as a strategy for retaining top talent. Disaffected salespeople were reassigned to customer satisfaction roles. They had to refocus from short-term sales to helping customers feel value and satisfaction. The result was that the sales force found a new level of pride of accomplishment in satisfying customers that made them better salespeople.

Tillman, who knows something about the power of inclusion and overcoming adversity, says he dedicated his career to empowering growth and shaping the future of learning. His reason? “It is what takes someone from where they are today and get them to where they want to be tomorrow.”

 

And that, he adds, is best done by encouraging everyone in the workplace to maximize their potential and actual contributions to the work at hand – and to their individual futures.

_________________________________________________________________

Duggan Flanakin is a journalist and policy analyst who writes from San Marcos, Texas.

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Archives, Commentary, Global Trade Daily, Software

4 Ways to Use Software Effectively For Logistics Recruitment

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HR managers in the logistics sector have a lot of challenges to overcome. One of the most significant is the lack of a sufficient talent pool. There is a rise in demand for logistical services. 

Many attribute this to the Covid-19 pandemic. More people now resort to online shopping and companies must work hard to satisfy the demand for supply chain logistics. Yet, there are not enough people to fill the job positions. This is mainly due to a widening skills gap. Older workers are opting for retirement while younger demographics are not lining up for jobs within the logistics sector. There is a significant lack of skills, experience, and qualifications. 

And, with such high demand for talent, HR must improve efficiency to attract the right candidates. The right software can provide the most effective solutions. We will explore how to use them in our article.  

Better Quality Candidates with Recruitment Solutions 

HR managers have for a long time depended on legacy systems to fill job positions. These include advertising open positions where they then go through the applications and narrow down on the best candidate. Then comes the interview process, final selection, and onboarding. 

Manual processes can take a lot of time and money. But now, with technological advances, there are recruitment solutions available. They increase efficiency by automating some of the tasks.  

The HR department gets access to:

-Powerful applicant tracking Systems (ATS) to create and manage databases. 

-Better quality job posting and distribution services.

-Advanced search capabilities for the right candidate.

-Data analytics that yields tons of insights for better decision-making.

-Intuitive onboarding for recruits.

-Third-party integrations such as CRM for nurturing relationships.

-Account and customer service management. 

HR recruitment software saves time that would go into manual processes. Automation leads to higher efficiency and streamlined workflows. It frees up the team to concentrate on other tasks.  

The Role of Candidate Relationship Management Systems 

With such a demand for talent within the logistics sector, it is easy to lose employees to competitors. HR has a critical role to play in retaining the existing workforce. That means constant engagement and finding ways to boost employee experiences.  

Investing in candidate relationship management systems can assist with this. The software helps in nurturing and managing candidates, right from the recruitment stage. Here is how it works. 

The company uses applicant tracking systems to develop a repository of potential candidates. And the recruitment CRM provides additional information on the candidate.  

HR can use the data to personalize their communication and engagement with recruits. And that’s not all. The CRM helps send out personalized emails, screening, interview scheduling, and running background checks.  

HR also gets data that can provide insights on the effectiveness of the recruitment strategies. 

Talent Sourcing and Matching Recruitment Solutions 

As stated, it can take a lot of time to go through each application to find the best talent. Recruitment software automates the process, thus increasing speed and efficiency.  

And, online recruitment software can search more platforms for the right talent. They scour job posts, social media platforms, and other online sites to get qualified candidates. 

The algorithms focus on factors like experience level, education, and industry knowledge to narrow down suitable candidates. It helps avoid bias, which is a big problem in recruitment.  

Talent matching software ensures the right person fills the job position. It focuses on the skill in relation to the job. It is expensive to hire someone only to later find out they are not suitable for the job.  

Better Candidate Experience with Recruitment Solutions 

With so much competition for talent in the logistics sector, employers must work hard to improve the candidate experience. Let’s take the example of lengthy recruiting processes. Candidates may view the long wait for feedback as a lack of interest and could move on to the competitors without a second thought. 

That means you lose out on the limited talent due to in-house inefficiencies. Automation can help increase efficiency, thus faster response to potential recruits.  

We have looked at the important role of candidate relationship management systems. Ongoing communication shows the recruits that they are top of mind. HR can keep the candidates up-to-date with what is going on. 

Such a simple step can help build positive brand perception. A good word from such candidates about how well you manage them will make the organization more attractive to others. 

Do you know that up to 69% of employees will share a negative candidate experience? 55% will not pursue a position in your company if they read a bad review. How the organization manages candidates is, therefore, a critical recruiting factor.  

Recruitment solutions with technologies like chatbots can improve the candidate experience. The bots provide quick responses to queries. The candidate does not have to wait a long time for information. Such tools are also fantastic for onboarding.  

HR simply uploads the information they would want to share with new employees. The latter can then, at their convenience, log in to access the information.  

Recruitment software can uncover hidden talent within the organization. It will go through the database to match potential candidates to open positions.  

That means there are chances for existing employees to move into jobs that are more suited to their qualifications. That forklift operator might be a fantastic salesperson. 

Further, the promotion can be a fantastic motivational factor. Finally, it will save the company money and time by not having to go through talent sourcing in the wider market.  

Final Thoughts 

The logistics sector is facing a tough time when it comes to recruitment. There are job opportunities available. But, companies are facing a challenge finding the right talent to fill the positions. That means, there is high competition for the limited pool of candidates. 

Companies that invest in smart recruitment solutions can have an edge over the competition. Applicant tracking systems, for example, help in the creation of databases. It helps save time which would go into placing job postings across various platforms.

Candidate relationship management systems increase engagement. They provide an excellent way to nurture relationships with industry talent. 

The use of recruitment software also enhances the candidate experience. HR keeps up with engagement and provides ongoing feedback. Finally, tools like chatbots provide prompt feedback to queries and can help with onboarding. 

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Archives, Commentary, Global Trade Daily

8 Effective Strategies for Increasing Engagement Among Supply Chain Employees

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Even in heavily automated fields, employees are the lifeblood of any company. Many supply chain optimization strategies focus on new technologies and workflows, but any effective measure must also consider the workforce.

One of the most important factors to address is employee engagement. Without an engaged workforce, no supply chain will operate at its full potential.

Why Is Engagement Important?

Engagement, the degree to which employees feel motivated, interested and passionate, is hard to quantify but essential to success. Studies show that highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable, exhibit 59% less turnover and 41% less absence.

Despite those benefits, many companies fail to engage their employees. As of January 2021, just 39% of U.S. workers reported being engaged at work. While that figure has risen over time, it still indicates that most employees don’t feel motivated in their workplaces.

In a field like supply chain operations, where efficiency is crucial, businesses can’t afford to overlook this data. Employers must keep supply chain workers engaged, and here are eight strategies to do so.

1. Invest in Employees’ Careers

One of the most important steps to take is to emphasize career development. Surveys show that 94% of employees will stay at their company longer if their employer invested in their career. By contrast, if workers feel like they have no opportunities for advancement in their workplace, they’ll become dissatisfied, eventually leaving.

One solution is to provide opportunities for upward mobility within the company, promoting from within. Another is to offer career development classes or training, equipping workers with new skills. Whatever path a company takes, it should emphasize and promote these opportunities.

2. Listen to Employee Feedback

Another effective strategy for increasing engagement is to listen to what employees have to say. Workers will quickly become disinterested and disillusioned if they feel that management doesn’t care about their opinions. Asking for feedback can help assuage those feelings, but it’s important to go a step further, too.

Businesses must respond to employee feedback, not just request it. If common threads emerge between workers’ suggestions or complaints, there’s likely an underlying issue that needs addressing. Management should take all feedback seriously, thanking employees for it first, then investigating it further. If meaningful change comes from this feedback, companies should highlight it.

3. Create Volunteer Opportunities

Engagement often stems from workers’ respect for the company or a feeling like they’re making a difference in their role. One way to lean into that is to coordinate volunteer opportunities for employees to give back to their communities. In a 2017 survey, 74% of employees and workers said that volunteerism improves their sense of purpose.

Management should look for opportunities to partner with local charities or organize volunteer initiatives. It’s also important to encourage participation, partly to involve more workers and partly to show enthusiasm for the project. Hosting projects like this at least once a year can help employees feel they’re part of something bigger, improving morale.

4. Host Social Events

Volunteer opportunities aren’t the only events outside of work that can boost employee engagement. Social events like parties, potlucks and trips can give workers a chance to grow closer to one another and their leaders. As employees build closer, healthier social relationships within the workplace, work will begin to feel more cooperative and engaging.

Listen to employees to gauge what types of outings and events would interest them the most. Hosting various social events throughout the year can help appeal to different workers, ensuring no one feels left out. In nearly all settings, providing food can be effective, so find people-pleasing recipes to bring.

5. Recognize Commendable Performance

One of the primary goals of boosting engagement is to get employees to perform to their full potential. If companies don’t recognize and reward exceptional performance, they can’t expect workers to strive for these goals. Conversely, if management shows their appreciation for commendable work, more workers will feel motivated to perform better.

In some circumstances, simply highlighting a job well done to other employees is enough to motivate workers. Offering tangible rewards for meeting certain performance goals may be even more effective, as it gives something concrete for employees to work toward. These rewards could be cash bonuses, extra paid time off, gift cards or anything else that workers would want.

6. Pay Attention to Worker Health

Another effective employee engagement strategy is to emphasize worker health. Employees will have an easier time engaging with their work if they feel their company cares about their wellbeing. In supply chain operations, this should include measures to prevent injury, but sponsored workout classes or fitness goals are also good ideas.

Considering one in five American adults experience a mental health issue each year, this strategy should include mental health. Businesses should emphasize the importance of looking after emotional wellness and offer related solutions. Counseling services, support groups and other measures can help assure workers their company cares about them.

7. Remove Inefficiencies and Complexity

Some factors affecting employee engagement aren’t as immediately apparent. One impactful yet relatively easy-to-fix obstacle is inefficient or overly complicated workflows. If employees have a hard time understanding what they’re supposed to do or face multiple obstacles doing it, it will be hard to remain engaged.

The solution to this issue involves two main areas of focus: training and workflow adjustments. More comprehensive, involved training can help workers understand their tasks better, removing mental roadblocks to engagement. Removing unnecessary complexity or inefficiencies in a workflow will then help employees focus on value-adding work, maintaining engagement.

8. Lead by Example

Finally, it’s important for supply chain management to embody the company spirit in their own work. Workers won’t likely exhibit much engagement if the leaders they see don’t appear motivated or passionate about their work either. By the same token, if company leaders are enthusiastic, positive and driven, it will inspire others to be the same.

Studies show that 50% of all workers have left a job at some point because of a bad manager. What constitutes a “bad” leader may vary between people, but leaders saying one thing and doing another certainly won’t help. Anyone in a leadership position in supply chains must lead by example.

Engaged Employees Are Productive Employees

Supply chains become far more efficient with engaged employees. If logistics companies can follow one or more of these eight strategies, they can engage their workforce on a deeper level. They can then maximize their human potential, mitigating workforce issues that plague the industry.

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Archives, Commentary, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

Sidestep The Great Resignation: Keep Workers By Helping Their Communities

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From a business perspective, the turbulent year of 2021 will be remembered for “The Great Resignation,” when record numbers of employees left their jobs.

But when it comes to the worldwide problem of talent shortages across many industries, perhaps employers haven’t seen anything yet. New Year’s resolutions of retaining top employees or finding the right talents when recruiting may be even more difficult to achieve, if you believe surveys such as one conducted in the fall of ‘21 by LumApps in collaboration with CMSWire. Seventy-one percent of U.S. participants in the poll say the pandemic made them rethink what they want out of their career, and 63% have considered a new career in the past year.

All that data fuels concerns among many employers that the talent shortage will continue to be a major problem in 2022. Everest Group’s 2022 Key Issues Study shows companies’ No. 1 constraint now is “finding enough talent to run the business.”

This talent crunch, along with the trend for many companies to move from 100% remote work to a hybrid model or back to a fully in-person model, is causing business leaders to reconsider what keeps their teams happy and productive. Many are asking: How can we keep employees invested in and passionate about our brand in this new hybrid environment?

One key to keeping the best employees on board may lie in how well companies give them the opportunity to put their own skills and interests into action in making a difference in the world. In the LumApps/CMS poll regarding “The Great Reflection” among workers, among the reasons cited are heightened demands for flexibility and inclusivity in the workplace, more career growth and companies that walk the talk about corporate social responsibility. Indeed, employees’ special gifts and passions for social issue involvement contribute towards helping their company’s overall impact efforts and also to employees’ fulfillment: 76% in the LumApps/CMS poll are looking for corporate social responsibility and 73% want to choose employers with a reputation for supporting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Just as businesses have unique abilities and resources to solve problems for their communities, their employees have their own set of talents that can add a rich dimension to the company’s social-impact profile. Unleashing those talents can be as simple and informal as assigning appropriate roles to your employees for a volunteer project. If there’s a photographer on the team, for example, have them take photos at the event. Have a group that loves to haul things in their pickup trucks? Put them in charge of collecting the cans from your office locations for your food drive.

Over time, of course, you can become more intentional and strategic about how you use your employees’ skills. We do an employee survey or focus group with our client teams to identify employee interests such as public speaking, strategic planning, committee leadership, budget planning, and more. Effectively leveraging these skills and interests helps extend our client’s impact footprint in the community, even with limited formal staff resources.

Employees, especially the younger workforce, are looking for a deeper meaning in their work and to feel as though they are contributing to something impactful. Millennials are especially vigilant about researching and weighing the values and cultures of companies they want to work for. Gen Z is following suit, looking for authentic commitments from their employer to take action to solve the world’s problems.

This is worth the effort: recent statistics on corporate social responsibility show that 95% of employees believe businesses should benefit all stakeholders, including the communities in which they operate, and 70% say they wouldn’t work for a company without a strong purpose.

Employers are understanding that social impact is a critical component to an effective business strategy. In today’s connected and interdependent world, employees increasingly demand that businesses and their suppliers take part in creating solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. It’s time to fire up those special talents and passions to build engagement and loyalty.

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Maggie Z. Miller and Hannah Nokes are ForbesBooks co-authors of Magnify Your Impact: Powering Profit with Purpose (www.magnify-impact.com). They also are co-founders of Magnify Impact, a company that helps business leaders create effective social impact strategies. Miller has developed social impact solutions with hundreds of company leaders globally. Previously, she founded an international nonprofit organization to provide microcredit loans for thousands of women in Peru. Nokes has led corporate social responsibility for global corporations and founded an impact collaborative of companies in Austin, Texas.

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

A Macroanalysis of the Future of Work and Employment From Its Facilitators

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Recent disruptions have made it clear that the nature of employment is changing. Labor shortages have proved persistent across industries, and employers are realizing that traditional workspaces, trends and workflows may not be ideal.

Perhaps the most notable shift coming from these trends is a broad movement toward remote work. As Nicole Sahin, CEO and founder of Globalization Partners, emphasizes, “companies who can build successful international teams will be ideally placed to succeed in the post-pandemic economy.”

These changes are coming to more than just office workspaces, too. The future of supply chain employment hinges on this shift.

Changing Workforces Today

This shift is already visible across workforces and industries today. While some companies have announced a return to in-person work, many plan to enable remote or hybrid options long term.

According to a Gartner survey, more than 80% of companies plan on enabling remote work at least part-time after the pandemic. Many of these businesses likely didn’t anticipate embracing these policies long-term but changed their minds after witnessing the effects. About 82% of executives reported similar or higher productivity after shifting to remote work.

Another trend impacting the future of supply chain workforces is the growing labor shortage. In a recent survey, 47% of third-party logistics companies cited finding, training and retaining qualified labor as a top challenge.

Amid these shifts, supply chain employment won’t remain the same for long. Here’s a closer look at what’s ahead for the industry.

Why Future Supply Chains Need Remote Work

The most significant change coming for supply chain employment is the same as other industries: remote work. Over the next few years, leading supply chain organizations will embrace off-site and hybrid jobs. Those that don’t will fall behind.

Remote work will be a necessity for future supply chains. Here’s why.

Higher Productivity

One of the biggest reasons supply chains will need remote work is because of its productivity benefits. Sahin emphasizes the benefits of remote work on productivity in a recent blog post. “Those who spend at least 60%-80% of their time working remotely were more likely to be engaged.”

Engaged workers tend to meet higher productivity standards, which supply chains need. Widespread disruptions will likely continue into the future, and logistics organizations must adapt to mitigate them and prevent future delays. Higher productivity is a crucial step in that direction.

If supply chains can boost employee productivity through remote work, they can meet growing logistics needs.

Acquiring Top Talent

Another critical advantage of flexible work environments is how they give companies access to global talent leaders. As Sahin explains in a LinkedIn post, “by spreading the net wide, you can tap into highly qualified talent pools, many of which are found in emerging economies … remote work can bring the best companies and the brightest people together.”

As the supply chain space grows more competitive, acquiring top talent will be increasingly valuable. Companies that can gain the expertise of worldwide leaders in management and technology can speed ahead of the competition. Since these people will come from all regions of the globe, working with them requires remote collaboration.

Mitigating Labor Shortages

Remote work will also help supply chains overcome the ongoing labor shortage. In the face of unfilled positions, logistics companies must look outside their immediate area, and traditional avenues in that area are declining.

Sahin explains: “While some companies depend on immigration programs to relocate talent, those avenues are facing increasing restriction. All the while, the skills gap widens.” The solution is to enable remote work to pull talent from around the globe.

If supply chains can access distant talent pools, local labor shortages won’t be as impactful. As the current “Great Resignation” continues, that will become all the more central to ongoing success.

How Remote Work Could Grow in Supply Chains

While it’s clear that supply chain workforces must go remote, the path to that goal is less evident. Unlike in office jobs, where much of the work-from-home revolution is happening, logistics involves a lot of hands-on, physical labor.

Despite these challenges, the supply chain industry can still capitalize on remote work. However, doing so will require significant change over the next few years. Here’s what that could look like.

Hybrid Offices

The first step the industry will take toward remote work is on the management side of operations. While truck drivers and many warehouse workers must be in-person to perform their duties, that’s not true of office employees. These jobs also potentially have the most to gain from remote work.

In an interview with Tealfeed, Sahin touched on how traditional office jobs are becoming a thing of the past: “it seems likely that the office-based environment that has remained a foundation of modern business could see permanent change.” When modern technologies make these jobs easily accessible remotely and working from home improves productivity, there’s little reason to keep them in a physical office.

Supply chain management is ideal for remote collaboration given its distributed, often international nature. If management teams need to collaborate across multiple countries anyway, it’s only natural that they should fully embrace work-from-home tools.

Industry 4.0 Technologies

The next step in the shifting future of supply chain employment is to bring hybrid work to the warehouse. Traditionally, these jobs were impossible to translate into the work-from-home model. Industry 4.0 technologies like 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) offer a solutions.

Some companies have already started testing remote-controlled forklifts, enabling off-site employees to accomplish in-warehouse tasks. As faster, more reliable networks become widespread through 5G, similar technologies could apply to multiple workflows. Companies that invest in these methods earlier could drive the workforce shifts of the future.

This transition will take time, largely due to limited infrastructure. As Sahin points out, “As of October 2020, only 59% of the world’s population had internet access … [and] many communities with internet infrastructure don’t have the resources to access it.” Internet access will have to become more widely available and reliable for this shift to take full effect.

Employment Is Changing, Even for Supply Chains

After the disruptions of the past few years, it’s clear that supply chains must adapt. Part of that evolution is a shifting workforce, especially in embracing remote work.

The road to remote work for supply chain organizations is long, but the benefits are too promising to ignore. As current trends continue, logistics employment will shift to become more flexible, unlocking new possibilities.

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Archives, Commentary, Global Trade Daily

5 Ways Leaders Can Use Empathy to Increase Employee Job Satisfaction

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As many workplaces struggle to retain and hire employees during the “Great Resignation,” leaders don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves. But it may be time for more of them to feel empathy toward their workers.

Ernst & Young’s 2021 Empathy in Business Survey showed around 50% of employees quit a previous job because their boss wasn’t empathetic to their struggles at work or in their personal lives. On the other hand, nearly 90% of workers who were queried believe empathetic leadership creates loyalty, and 85% say that it increases productivity.

Empathetic leadership is a must in today’s COVID-affected workplace, as employees struggle with burnout, working from home and other issues, according to research by Catalyst, a nonprofit that works to advance women in leadership positions. But until more business owners, executives and managers put a priority on listening to their employees and showing them they care, workers will look for companies that are more tuned in to their concerns, says Kathleen Quinn Votaw, the author of DARE to CARE IN THE WORKPLACE: A Guide to the New Way We Work.

“Most people do not know how to truly understand someone else’s point of view without letting their own thoughts, opinions, and emotions get in the way,” Quinn Votaw says. “Leaders often sit in their own place of judgment rather than using empathy as the bridge to understanding and connection.”

Quinn Votaw says that while empathy has gained importance in the work culture in recent years, many managers aren’t prepared for that role.

“Leading with empathy means understanding and accepting that people are not always operating at their very best,” she says. “Issues from home affect work lives. Working within and around that reality is the best way to create a place where people want to come to work.”

Quinn Votaw offers these tips on how leaders can lead with empathy and enhance the employee experience:

Be authentic. “Like actors in a Shakespearian play, we play roles versus showing up authentically,” Quinn Votaw says. “We have been taught to hide our true selves and display a false sense of bravado. To lead with empathy, get beyond the facade we all walk around with. Go the extra step – with your willingness to dig deep in terms of caring and asking questions that convey your interest in them as people.”

Communicate with a personal touch. A leader who consistently communicates with a personal touch for a variety of reasons – praise for the employee, concern and support for them – builds morale and increases retention, Quinn Votaw says. “The more personal they are, the more appreciated they are by the employees.”

Make space for connection. Quinn Votaw says leaders need to respect how their employees need personal connections with each other, and also says leaders should personally connect with employees once or twice a week outside of regular meetings. “Make time for more social and genuine connections in virtual meetings,” she says. “Have fun with virtual coffee chats, happy hours, trivia contests, or scavenger hunts.”

Provide remote workers with the tech support they need. ”There’s a growing economic inequality crisis with remote workers not having money for or access to technology,” Quinn Votaw says. “No one wants to lose out on high-quality talent because they lack funds for high-speed internet or a computer. Create a program to provide office equipment for your employees so they can have a functional setup in their personal space.”

Respect the boundaries of work and home life. Working in a remote environment has thrown off a lot of employees. “It was easy to have barriers and work/life balance when we commuted,” Quinn Votaw says. “Leaders can help  employees create a home space where they can turn work on and off, which boosts productivity, enhances connection and creates a healthier work/life balance.”

“Empathy is not about you, the leader,” she says. “It’s about taking time to listen, putting yourself in someone else’s place, and providing what they need in that moment.”

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Kathleen Quinn Votaw (www.talentrust.com) is the CEO of TalenTrust, a strategic recruiting and human capital consulting firm. She is the author of DARE to CARE IN THE WORKPLACE: A Guide to the New Way We Work. Regarded as a key disruptor in her industry, Quinn Votaw has helped thousands of companies across multiple industries develop purpose-based, inclusive communities that inspire employees to come to work. Her company has been recognized in the Inc. 5000.