Managing a multi-generation fab shop

When I think about the different generations of workers in metal fabrication, I recall two conversations, one with a job shop owner in his late 50s and another of a project engineer in his late 30s.

The shop owner was having issues with a robot welding cell. A young worker had recently fixtured a part incorrectly, resulting in a series of bad parts and damage to the robot cell itself. The action seemed careless. Why didn’t the operator pay attention? What on earth was he thinking? Our conversation turned to common complaints of the millennial generation. They feel entitled. They have no work ethic.

The project engineer in his 30s worked with punch press operators who are nearing retirement. The tooling in the department wasn’t very organized, and the operation hadn’t made big changes to its tooling strategy in years. Why? He told me that the punch press operators were extremely knowledgeable, they knew how to keep the machines running, and they kept producing good parts.

Moreover, they had been running the punching operation the same way for decades. They weren’t comfortable with change. Why rock the boat? Company leaders decided to postpone any big changes until after these older people retired.

When I talk to people about the skilled labor crisis—or, more aptly, the “we can’t find good people” crisis—the conversation usually focuses on the youth. When I ask about continuous improvement or, for that matter, any recent change on the shop floor or front office, I often hear about the challenge dealing with experienced, skilled workers who seem to be stuck in their ways.

I’ve also talked to companies who have overcome these challenges. They’ve found that young people can become engaged; it’s just a different industry now. People don’t have the luxury of long apprenticeships, and metal fabrication today is often a lot more complex and exacting than it was 30 years ago. (You want that bend angle within 0.010 in.!?) Automation reduces the need for hands-on skill, but the jobs themselves require a lot more preparation, including process documentation and work instructions concise enough to be learned quickly, and clear enough so they’re understood by everyone.

With this training structure in place, some millennials may be ready to learn and, in an environment of continuous improvement—where everyone has a voice—really thrive.

For sure, this isn’t always the case. With everyone pushing the perception that you absolutely need a four-year degree (and not a solid two-year technical degree) to have a good life, many of the best and brightest don’t consider manufacturing as a career. Sometimes available talent just isn’t there.(Though according to some, including Diane Thielfoldt of The Learning Café, the generation just now entering the work force has a different view on college, one that may bode well for the manufacturing labor pool. We’ll have more on this in an upcoming issue of The FABRICATOR® magazine.)

As for older workers just nearing retirement, many successful managers have told me that they don’t take these “technology gurus” for granted. Their knowledge shouldn’t go untapped. I’ve visited shops where youth shadow the veterans, and where the sharing of knowledge never stops. The arrangement creates a familial atmosphere, and it’s easy to see as soon as I step onto the shop floor.

Finding good people remains the No. 1 challenge in metal fabrication and, for that matter, all of manufacturing. But it’s certainly not insurmountable.