Josh Cardoz is the Chief Creative and Learning Officer of Sponge Learning, A global enterprise learning company, focused on enabling the workforces of the world. They recently released a whitepaper entitled ‘Mobilizing Generation Numb’, which tackles global upheaval, economic instability, the insidious after-effects of the pandemic, and the digital saturation creating a workforce generation that is numb, and making employee retention incredibly difficult. This episode of the manufacturing insiders podcast offer insights into many of these topics including economic instability, ai uncertainty, digital overstimulation and the role each plays in creating a numb workforce. You will not want to miss this incredible conversation!

Nate Wheeler is the owner of weCreate, a nationally recognized marketing agency that helps manufacturers grow, save money, and become more efficient. Reach out to us below.

Watch the full interview on YouTube!

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Change in Manufacturing
• 01:30 What is “Generation Numb”
• 07:07 Reigniting Purpose and Community
• 13:34 Shifting Focus from Knowledge to Behavior
• 19:09 Commercial Acumen and Transparency
• 24:25 Data Collection and AI Implementation
• 30:38 Cultural Shifts in the Workplace
• 35:03 Creating Effective Training Programs
• 44:33 Investing in Employee Learning
• 50:07 The Importance of Onboarding

Manufacturing Insights

Employee retention tip 1: technology adoption starts with people, not technology

Manufacturers are constantly being told that they need to adopt the next technology. But employees can become overwhelmed when every new tool is presented as another major transformation. That affects employee retention. Josh describes this as a form of sustained “numbness” caused by the sheer volume of change workers are experiencing. The manufacturing lesson is that more technology doesn’t automatically create more capability. Companies have to help their workforce understand what the technology actually changes.

Employee retention tip 2: don’t train people on technology before understanding the problem

One of best tips for employee retention and overall satisfaction, is Josh’s recommendation to take AI out of the conversation initially. There is a lot of rational fear surrounding the topic of AI. So, instead of asking “Why aren’t you on board with AI implementation?” Start by asking:

• What is difficult about your job?
• What takes too long?
• What do you hate doing?
• Where are the biggest problems?
• What are competitors doing better?
• Where could you perform better?

Then you can ask whether AI or another technology can actually solve one of those problems.

Employee retention tip 3: Training should focus on behaviors, not just information

Josh challenges what he calls the “myth of the rational learner”: the assumption that if you give someone enough information, they’ll understand it and change their behavior to accommodate that information. For manufacturers, that’s particularly important. A 200-page manual doesn’t necessarily teach an operator how to perform a task. Training needs to answer: What do you need this person to actually do? That shift from knowledge to behavior is probably one of the strongest concepts in the entire episode.

Employee retention tip 4: Don’t give everyone the same training

There’s a particularly good manufacturing example in the conversation: a safety training session might contain information relevant to office employees and machine operators, but those employees don’t face the same risks or perform the same work. When training becomes irrelevant, people mentally check out. The better approach is to reduce cognitive load and give employees the information that matters to their particular role and situation.

Employee retention tip 5: Better onboarding can reduce the cost of turnover

There’s also a strong workforce-development argument here. Josh describes onboarding as one of the best opportunities to establish productivity, belonging, and psychological safety. He reminds us that you only get one shot at a first impression. A well-designed onboarding system is one of the best investments a company can make and should follow a specific plan. Obviously it is reusable when another employee is hired. So manufacturers shouldn’t think about training solely as an expense associated with an individual employee. Good training becomes infrastructure.

Employee retention tip 6: Automation should augment employees, not replace them

The conversation directly addresses the fear surrounding automation. Instead of presenting robotic systems as something that will eliminate someone’s job, manufacturers can position technology as something that removes repetitive work and allows employees to spend more time on valuable activities. That doesn’t mean pretending automation will never eliminate jobs. It means giving employees a clear understanding of what role they will play in the new system.

Employee retention tip 7: Understanding and Implementing the 5 moments of need

This might be another particularly useful takeaway. Josh discusses the Five Moments of Need, pointing out that companies tend to focus heavily on initial learning while neglecting situations where employees:

• encounter something for the first time
• need new information
• encounter a change
• forget something
• encounter a problem

That’s why something as simple as a checklist can be powerful. Employees don’t have to memorize everything if the right information is available at the moment they need it. That’s extremely applicable to manufacturing.

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