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94 SMT Magazine • October 2016 identification, ESD protection and Kanban sys- tems; and seven modules of IPC-A-610 certifica- tion courses. Toward the end of that period, they are also introduced to the ERP system and taught to perform the transactions necessary for their job functions. Mentoring has become a more formal pro- cess. Instead of a model that assumes lead peo- ple or supervisors would do double duty as mentors, operation "experts" with good com- munications skills were handpicked to act as mentors. Mentors receive increased compensa- tion for performing these duties, since they do their normal work plus are involved with new employee mentoring on an as needed basis. A Mentor training guide defines the correct ways to deliver and reinforce OJT training to ensure that the mentoring process is as consistent as the classroom portion of the training. The company's holistic approach to Lean manufacturing principles requires a cross- trained workforce capable of moving among production areas as demand changes. This adds an additional level of intensity to training activ- ities, since trainees are learning to perform mul- tiple production operations. To eliminate the issues previously encountered when trainees were assigned to all shifts, trainees now stay on first shift until they have completed their training pe- riod, rotating through mentors as they learn the production floor. Relationship building activities to reinforce engagement and a sense of belonging with the team don't stop at the end of training. When an employee completes training, the blue smock is exchanged for a burgundy smock during a produc- tion floor communication meet- ing. This creates a sense of earning the burgundy smock, which adds another layer of engagement with the team. The Grand Rapids results speak for themselves. Turnover dropped from over 6% to less than 2% per month while the headcount has grown from less than 50 to a total of 200 employees at the facility. Enhancing Employee Quality of Life in Juarez The labor market in Juarez, Mexico is differ- ent from that of Grand Rapids. Manufacturing has grown significantly over the last few decades and there is an experienced pool of workers skilled in electronics assembly, plus a continu- ing flow of workers from other parts of Mexi- co to this region. Turnover can be a problem in Mexico as companies compete to hire the best workers. As with Grand Rapids, the portion of the workforce most likely to leave are employ- ees with less than six months on the job. Some of the improvements made to the Grand Rapids program were a result of analyzing the engage- ment techniques used by the Juarez facility's HR and training teams, and cross-pollinating best practices that worked well in both locations. In Juarez, the onboarding and training pro- cess has also been tailored to the needs of the market. However, the employee engagement process includes a series of socialization activi- ties. In Mexico, employees like to feel that they are part of a family at work. Companies that do a good job of addressing this through in-plant and after work activities tend to have much RECRUITING AND MAINTAINING A HIGH-QUALITY MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE