Talent attraction is a critical workforce need in Northern Kentucky. This blog explores some options for short-term solutions.

At our recent Partner for Success workshop, the NK Workforce Investment Board took a deep dive into the importance of data in workforce development. Learn more about resources available through BE NKY Growth Partnership and KYStats in this blog post.

In today’s tight labor market, retaining workers is of paramount importance. In last week’s Employer Best Practices Focus Area meeting, we heard that frontline workers want more communication with their leaders. Other studies confirm this, including:

A recent survey of 1,000 frontline workers found that 66% were satisfied with the level of communication they have with their employers. However, there was a large discrepancy between managers (74.2%) and non-managers (57.8%). This means that almost half of all frontline workers in non-managerial roles are not happy with the amount of communication they receive. (https://www.workvivo.com/blog/internal-comms-for-frontline-workers-guide/)

It seems like CVG (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport) is always in the news – and rightly so. CVG has a $9.3 billion annual impact on our economy and has spurred billions of dollars of development in and around the airport. Accomplishments include:

• CVG is the largest passenger airport in Kentucky, is one of the largest serving Ohio and Indiana, and is the sixth busiest cargo airport in North America.

• CVG offers non-stop passenger service to more than 55 destinations in North America, Europe and the Caribbean. The airport serves about 9 million passengers per year.

• Just the other week, CVG announced another new flight, offering nonstop service to Melbourne, FL, on Allegiant Air. The flight will commence on November 15.

• The airport is the only dual-cargo hub airport in North America, serving as the second-largest location in the world for DHL Express, its global superhub for the Americas, and the largest single-site operation for Amazon, home to its primary hub for Amazon Air.

• The airport is the largest station in Atlas Air’s global network and serves many other cargo-focused carriers, including ABX Air, Kalitta Air, and others. CVG is the 12th largest cargo airport in the world, based on cargo tonnage.

For NKY Works, CVG is about jobs – good jobs serving a wide array of skill levels. In fact, CVG is responsible for 49,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region with more than 70 employers on their campus. But like all employers, CVG faces workforce challenges, including a lack of workers with needed skill sets, higher turnover in certain positions, and difficulty filling certain shift openings, such as weekends and third shifts. The airport is, after all, a 24/7/365 operation. CVG has been intentional and innovative in addressing these challenges. Here are some examples:

The workforce shortage is top-of-mind for employers of all sizes. Currently, there are four people for every five job openings, giving people the power of choice in the job selection process. Retaining workers has become an increasing challenge with costly consequences for companies with high turnover rates. The challenge is especially daunting with frontline workers who can easily jump from one employer to another.

According to Ben Green of TrailPath Workplace Solutions, 45% of today’s frontline workers feel they are either declining or just surviving in their positions. Green presented data from his company’s 5,000+ employee surveys from companies across the country to NKY Works Focus Area 5 – Employer Best Practices on July 16. He said the turnover rate for frontline workers is 47% and even higher – as high as 400% - in the first 90 days of employment.

“We hear a lot about workplace culture, and it is important. But companies often invest a lot of time and energy to build a good culture. What workers tell us, however, is that what they experience on a daily basis on the job floor does not align with the culture,” he said. “If the culture is great, but the work environment is bad, they will leave.”

Communication is very often the problem. Green has found employees often don’t understand why their company follows certain policies and procedures. Usually there are very good reasons behind the policies, and company leaders can easily explain the “why” behind them. But the explanation is not getting to the frontline staff.

“Across the board, employees tell us they want more interaction with their leaders. They want to see them, they want to be able to ask questions, and they want to feel ‘seen’ by them,” Green said.

Green recommends individual plans to address workplace issues. “With four generations now working side by side and changing attitudes about the role of work in people's lives, it is critical that companies view their workers as individuals who have a lot to offer and a lot of expectations at the same time.”

Green, a long-time Northern Kentucky resident, and his partners started TrailPath Workforce Solutions in January. Green previously spent nearly 20 years in the logistics industry, working for Uber Freight and LeanCor Supply Chain Group. Learn more about TrailPath at https://www.trailpathws.com/

The Employer Best Practices Focus Group next meets remotely on Tuesday, August 20 from 3-4 PM. To join the meeting, email us at NKYWorks@NKADD.org to receive the link.