EEF tackles workforce productivity gaps
19 Apr 2016
EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has unveiled two free guides to help industrial companies improve productivity through better staff management.
According to the EEF, a recent study of senior decision-makers revealed that 64% of UK manufacturers had chalked up productivity gains over the past two years. However, only 57% expected to see further gains in the next two years.
As companies drive ahead with their plans for productivity growth, the EEF has been exploring new ways to help them match working patterns to the demands of their business.
“For many, this will be unfamiliar territory, which is why we’re offering these free guides to provide them with some straightforward information and advice,” said Leigh Freeman, senior HR consultant at EEF.
The first guide covers workforce planning, which the EEF describes as a “logical next step for companies looking to realise cost and efficiency gains”.
For many, this will be unfamiliar territory, which is why we’re offering these free guides to provide them with some straightforward information and advice
Leigh Freeman, EEF HR consultant
By identifying typical problems, the guide aims to show how workforce planning can provide simple and effective solutions, it said.
This can mean taking a step beyond traditional HR metrics by drilling down into workforce analytics to guide board-level decisions around resource allocation.
The EEF said the guide provided examples to illustrate this, as well as a case study demonstrating how one business unlocked a £95,000 annual saving through a mix of changing working patterns, reducing agency staff and upskilling certain team members.
The second guide examines the use of Interim HR services to help deliver complex change-oriented projects, the EEF said.
