Dive Brief:

• Manufacturing Business Technology reports that due to the rapid digitization of the manufacturing workplace, combined with the rise of Gen Z, the manufacturing industry must create onboarding programs that produce long-lasting productivity.  
• A positive onboarding experience contributes to long term retention. A study conducted by The Center for Generational Kinetics demonstrates that 33% of new hires know whether they want to stay with an organization after one week, and 63% after a month. 
• Maintaining corporate training information that's contributed to by all employees and stored in a central location that's accessible for new hires can help support long-term learning, knowledge transfer, and retention. 

Dive Insight:

Manufacturing certainly faces big challenges as it transforms into a more computerized environment that requires a whole new set of skills. Humans are increasingly working in environments alongside automated tools, robotics, and artificial intelligence. If onboarding programs don't get employees up to speed quickly while also providing all the right tools to ease them into the job, they won't help employers in the long term, either.

Millennials and Gen Z want a positive onboarding experience and clear opportunities for career advancement, otherwise they will leave quickly. It's up to employers to consider all of these factors when developing onboarding programs. A focus on collaboration seems to be especially important in the modern workplace.