Bakeries should take a systems approach to the labor challenge

Labor is the conundrum facing the baking industry that refuses to go away. And just like egg replacement or sugar reduction, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every bakery is different, and every labor force is different based on geography and background, so each bakery must find the right system of strategies to attract and retain a reliable workforce. That’s a lot to figure out in a country that has experienced decades of eroding interest in manufacturing and a labor force uninterested in long hours and a bakery environment.  

Yet labor challenges pervade every issue of Baking & Snack, and in this issue, multiple features reference it: tortilla and flatbread processing, snack packaging and even the American Bakers Association (ABA)’s strategic plan, which was announced last month and is being presented at ABA’s convention this month. One of the three pillars of ABA’s five-year plan is to make the baking industry a destination workplace. As ABA President and Chief Executive Officer Eric Dell pointed out on the association’s most recent episode of its podcast Bake to the Future, millennials and Generation Z are looking for good pay and career advancement but also meaningful work where they believe they are making a difference. The baking industry is poised to fill that need as every day the industry is produces nutritious bread, delightful donuts and everything in between. 

What does it take to become a destination workplace? It’s a place where people want to spend 40 hours a week and feel like they are appreciated. For baking companies, becoming a destination workplace is two-fold: the physical workplace and schedule and then the people side. We’ve seen more bakers in the past few years willing to invest in automation to eliminate repetitive tasks so that they can offer value-add jobs that require more engagement from employees. Investments in improved working conditions, like air conditioning, air management systems and improved oven insulation have become must-haves to entice employees onto the production room floor. Baking companies are also getting creative when developing their schedules that offer their employees more consistency and work-life balance, but that takes some serious out-of-the-box thinking. 

Then there’s the people piece. At the American Society of Baking’s BakingTech conference earlier this year, Bill Benjamin, a performance and leadership expert, spoke on the importance of emotional intelligence in today’s workforce. He noted that high-performance teams are built on connection and courage. Those two principles denote a team that is highly connected to each other, and team members feel secure enough to speak their minds, bringing new ideas or constructive criticism to the table. This requires managers to self-regulate during intense moments so they can remain calm, curious and prioritize listening to their employees, which lays the groundwork for a team that people want to show up for and bring their best. Not only does the employee benefit but the company also reaps the rewards of an engaged and committed employee doing their best work nine times out of 10. 

The destination workplace is one that believes its workforce is the company’s most valuable asset and acts accordingly.