As manufacturing specialists visits facilities throughout the U.S. each week, one consistent theme continues to come into focus: the knowledge and skill-level 
that is exiting organizations through retirement is becoming increasingly difficult to replace with today’s applicant pool. In fact, it’s the buzz in manufacturing media almost daily now.
Want to make someone fresh out of college cry? Welcome them aboard, show them to their Unix box in the corner and show them an app being served up by terminal emulation . . . NO cut/paste, NO multiple windows, NO mouse — need I say more? They’d run away. Reminds me of when my kid saw grandma’s rotary phone last year and asked, “what is that?”
In most of our customer visits, decisive action is being taken, evident through the fact that they are deploying (or have deployed) modern, state-of-the-art, mobile enabled ERP technology and process improvement. In some prospect visits, that’s not always the case. In order to kick start your organization toward the goal of attracting the next generation, I’d like to offer five steps to get you on the path:
1. Inexpensive Perks, BIG Impact
Get the creative juices flowing in HR. Many companies gain tremendous reputations for having great benefits when in reality, it adds minimal cost to their bottom line. How about a $50 gym membership allowance for your employees to promote your commitment to health & wellness? It may seem nominal, but try it and see. Healthy employees tend to be happier as well.
Another idea is to show how the company cares by offering travel incentives. It could be as simple as offering $10 cash for overnight trips. Employees can go to the movies or have a Frappuccino and not bother with a receipt — because they’re on the road, away from their routine or family.
These small perks can have a big impact.
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