Three Strategies for Reducing Turnover Among Forklift Operators

Today’s warehouses and distribution centers find themselves relying more than ever before on people, despite an increasing focus on automation. Organizations are learning that automated solutions can help their workforce be more productive and efficient, but it still requires a skilled workforce to keep the wheels of progress moving.

Finding new talent to sustain and grow the business is a critical task, placing increasing importance on retaining your skilled employees. Motivation and engagement are key focus areas that can help with retention. Employees who feel valued and find their work rewarding are less likely to look for new opportunities elsewhere.

With this in mind, here are three strategies for helping to reduce turnover among forklift operators.

1. Provide state-of-the-art material handling equipment and technology

Lift trucks built with operator comfort and efficiency in mind can create a more positive environment, helping to improve operator satisfaction and performance. Ergonomic features, such as adjustable seats and armrests, enable operators to adapt their forklifts to their body type. Technology features, like Crown’s QuickPick® Rapid, enable operators working in low-level order picking environments to remotely advance their pallet truck using a Fast Charge Ring without repeatedly stepping on and off the operator platform. This time savings helps order pickers to be more productive, often creating increased earning opportunities while eliminating steps and reducing operator fatigue.

2. Share management data

Equipping your fleet with wireless technology that connects to a centralized fleet management solution like Crown’s InfoLink® system allows you to gather tangible data on operator performance in areas such as safety and productivity. Sharing this performance data with your operators, especially the positive aspects, can enable you to acknowledge and reinforce safe and productive behaviors and encourage teamwork and collaboration between managers and operators.

3. Enable growth through training

The value of increased technology doesn’t stop at the warehouse floor. The integration of videos and e-books into training helps make learning more accessible. Short training sessions can be integrated into the workday seamlessly to help reinforce concepts, processes or procedures. Learning management systems enable personnel to access visual content outside the classroom and help manage the delivery of content to operators based on skill level, work assignments and individual performance. This personalized training helps prepare employees for evaluation by – and feedback from – instructors, creating a cycle of continuous learning and development.

Warehouse and distribution centers that focus on employee retention can reduce turnover and increase the value of their most important asset, people. With the right combination of management tools and employee-focused processes, they can proactively address issues with underachieving employees and reward high performers, while leveraging new training strategies that empower operators to learn new skills and become more proficient.

For more information on forklift features and connected solutions that can help train, manage, motivate and retain employees, visit crown.com.