December 2024: Out with the Old Year, in with the New

By: Connie King , Workforce Development Director, Precision Metalforming Association

?

Out with the Old Year, in with the New. Here’s to Our Employees, They’re One Fantastic Crew!

Ah, winter! That “magical” (and I use the term loosely, as I am NOT a fan of driving in the snow) time of year when your toes are as cold as your ex's heart, and your car has more ice than your cocktail. But hey, it's also the season where we wrap up the year, and not just because we're bundling up against the freezing temperatures. As December rolls in, we're all in a mad dash for the holidays. It's like everyone suddenly remembers they have families, friends, and, oh yeah, employees! Let’s talk about those unsung heroes who've somehow kept things running despite the office heater giving up. This year, give a massive, snowball-sized thank you to your team. Forget the generic fruitcake no one eats; how about celebrating with a "Survive the Winter" party? Picture this: have some fun awards like the "Squirrel Award" (for the greatest stash of stuff in their desk) or "The Laser Focus Award" (for the one always zeroed in on the task). And for the pièce de résistance, how about the "Single File Award" (for the most likely to keep everyone in line)? As we stumble into the new year, there will no doubt be resolutions we'll break by January 5. But this year, let's make one that sticks—appreciating our colleagues. After all, they're the ones who've seen you in your winter hat that looks like it was knitted by a confused octopus. Raise a glass of hot cocoa (with marshmallows, because who are we kidding?), and toast your employees to closing the chapter on another wild year. Let’s say... “Here's to the old year, it's finally through. Cheers to you, our colleagues, for all that you do! From the end of December to January's new, we couldn't have made it without our great crew!” Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and here's to not slipping on ice while trying to look cool in front of your colleagues. Cheers!

Struggling to Hire? Your Dream Team Might Already Be on Your Payroll!

The silver tsunami of retiring experienced workers is hitting hard. Combine that with the struggle to hire new people and we have a terrible (NOT perfect) storm.

As experienced, skilled people retire, filling their shoes from the outside is getting increasingly difficult. What is your plan to replace your experienced shop leaders, technicians, operators, admins and more as they move on to the next phase of their lives? And even worse, take all their learned knowledge with them? Well, why look out the front door when what you’re looking for may already be inside?

Let’s take a lesson from Walmart. I know, big company, big money, but hear me out. When Walmart realized it would need to fill 100,000 “higher-paying and in-demand” roles within the next three years, it decided to focus on developing its existing employees. Walmart created career paths for its current associates that spelled out a way to move forward. And what is continually a top interest in what Gen Zs look for in an employer? Career development.

How can you improve your attraction, retention, upskilling and career development? Read more.

Feeling Stressed? Try This Time-tested Brain Dump Technique

A busy life, a busy work schedule and the holidays all add up to what can be a stressful time of the year. If you’re like me, you have a “To Do List, But Probably Won’t” list as long as your arm. It always seems that when you try just to get one thing done, your mind interrupts your progress to remind you of all the other things you wonder if you could or should be doing instead? Under the pressure of time and productivity, your mind often makes you feel tired, overwhelmed and as if you aren’t making any progress. Well...it’s time for a Brain Dump!

A what? A Brain Dump is a focused and structured process to “download your brain” and get all those pesky swirling thoughts out of your way and down onto paper so you can think more clearly. Before you set aside time to do a Brain Dump, you may want to know how it can help alleviate your mental stress. 1) It will help free you from the Zeigarnik Effect, 2) It will help you avoid multitasking, and 3) It will help you eliminate mentally draining Open Loops.?

Sounds great? Then let’s get started! Read How-to Here!?

8 HR Tools to Make Your Job Easier

As HR leaders you constantly have multiple balls juggling up in the air. The Brain Dump in the previous article is one way to alleviate the stress associated with this daily trick, but according to Software Advice, there are also eight HR tools that can help!

• Best Applicant Tracking: Rippling and WizeHire
• Best Employee Engagement: 7Shifts and Connecteam
• Best Remote Working: Splashtop Business Access and Toggl Track
• Best Surveying: SmartSurvey and Startquestion

Want to learn more? Download the report.

2025: Rethinking Leadership Development – What Frontline Managers Really Need

Training industry studies show that 1 in 4 people in the workforce have a managerial role. Yet, in the study, “Companies Have Been Neglecting Their Leadership, And It Shows,” 75% of organizations do not believe their internal leadership-development programs deliver high value to the company.

But since frontline managers make up one-half of a company and are responsible for 80% of the workforce, ongoing leadership development for frontline managers is a must. However, the reality is in fields like manufacturing where life is a busy operation, most leaders are promoted into management roles with little or no formal training. The stress of keeping the line running, compounded with a new set of duties and lack of training, causes more than 40% of frontline managers to feel burnout on a daily basis. This is a problem. Frontline managers are the most important people in your organization: They are the connection between headquarters, where strategy is developed, and the frontline workforce, where the strategy is brought to life.

One very effective way to help your frontline workforce is to send them to the PMA Management Development Academy. More than 350 graduates of this program can attest to its effectiveness! Additional ways can be found here.

It’s time to rethink leadership development and make sure your managers don’t have to sacrifice themselves for the sake of operations.

3 Keys to Driving Performance in Today’s Workplace

Download this e-book to discover how you can build a high-performing organization that embraces change, empowers employee growth and allows creativity and innovation to flourish.?

10 Free SOP Templates

To get the most out of ClickUp, there is a subscription-based website, but they also offer some great free features! One of them is a set of 10 free SOP templates (standard operating procedure, which provides a set of mid-to-high level instructions that document how an organization or team should accomplish specific tasks). Having a thorough, accessible and digestible SOP is more than an employee handbook or lengthy document defining the company’s “rules.” Get there here.

METALFORM EDU Course of the Month: Die Setter Training

The automotive industry depends heavily on skilled tool, die, mold, jig and fixture workers to innovate and maintain production lines. However, there's a looming crisis on the horizon. The average age of a tool and die maker now exceeds 50 years, signaling a workforce that's aging out. With up to 75% of the current tool and die workers at some firms potentially retiring within the next 5-7 years, and considering it takes over a decade to train a master tool and die maker, the industry faces a significant challenge.

To address this, we, as an industry, must urgently attract younger individuals into these skilled trades. PMA is proactively responding by developing a Tool and Die Technician apprenticeship program. This initiative aims to provide members with the resources needed to cultivate the next generation of tool and die experts. Stay tuned for more details in 2025 on how this program will unfold.

In the interim, companies should look internally to identify potential candidates who can transition into these roles. A blend of online learning and on-the-job training can bridge the skills gap. METALFORM EDU offers 12 comprehensive Die Setter Training courses that can kickstart this process. For as little as $59 per month per person, you can invest in upskilling your workforce, preparing them for a critical role in your operations.

Contact PMA's Workforce Development (WFD) team at [email protected] today for a demonstration of METALFORM EDU. You'll be amazed at the breadth of training options available, from basic to advanced levels, all designed to transform your employee development strategy. This platform not only educates but also tracks the progress of your team, centralizing your training efforts for maximum efficiency.?

The time to act is now. Let's secure the future of the tool and die trade in the automotive industry, ensuring continuity, innovation and excellence through strategic investment in our human resources.

Have questions or topics you want to learn more about? Contact a member of PMA’s workforce development team: Connie King , Mary Onders Pramik , Dean Phillips , DTM SME? or Scott Rieg , or email them at [email protected].