Imagine this: in just one year, more than 10 highly qualified CNC setters leave your machine shop. Suddenly, there is a severe shortage of skilled machinists. Productivity drops, morale suffers, and the workload becomes unsustainable.
How Would You Solve This Challenge?
As a Supervisor and Manager, I see this not only as a hiring challenge but as a leadership challenge. Recruitment alone will not solve the problem — we must address why people are leaving in the first place.
My Approach
Step 1 – Identify the root cause
Exit interviews, anonymous surveys, and direct conversations with staff to find out what drives people away. In many cases, the reasons are clear: toxic atmosphere, poor leadership behaviour, and unrealistic workload (for example, one person running five machines at once without fair recognition).
Step 2 – Restore a healthy culture
Toxicity destroys motivation faster than any machine breakdown. As a leader, I would set the tone: respect, inclusion, and open communication are non‑negotiable. Regular team talks, recognition of individual effort, and zero tolerance for bullying or neglect are key.
Step 3 – Balance workload and maintain efficiency
Efficiency does not mean overloading people — it means smart distribution of work. Introducing realistic shift planning, better cross‑training, and lean tools helps ensure no single employee is overwhelmed, while keeping output high.
Step 4 – Improve recruitment and retention
When hiring, I look not only at technical skills but also at cultural fit, growth mindset, and teamwork. Retention comes from giving employees a future: clear career paths, skill development opportunities, and recognition of achievements.
Step 5 – Lead by example
True leadership is visible. Walking the shop floor, engaging with machinists, showing that I value their contribution — this is how trust is built. A team that trusts its leader will stay, grow, and perform.
The result:
- Skilled employees feel valued and motivated;
- The atmosphere shifts from toxic to collaborative;
- Productivity rises in a sustainable way;
- Employee retention becomes a strength, not a weakness.
👉 For me, leadership is not just about filling positions.
It’s about creating an environment where skilled professionals want to stay, grow,
and succeed together.
What would you do if your machine shop faced this challenge?
