Reframing Work-Life Balance and Development Opportunities
Factors other than compensation can be the difference between keeping and losing a current or potential employee.
by Carli Kistler-Miller
Director of Programs & Marketing, PMPA
Published March 31, 2025
The battle for a skilled workforce continues. You need an edge. You can’t afford to lose current or potential employees. A study by Randstad revealed that 57% of workers would reject a job offer if work-life balance was an issue. The study also revealed that, “For the first time in Workmonitor’s history, work-life balance is deemed more important than pay (83% vs. 82%).”
Reframing Work-Life Balance
As PMPA’s Miles Free loves to remind me, our shops do not sell parts, they sell time on machines. Here’s the reframe: Your employees are selling their time to you. You are paying them to be away from family and friends and away from activities that they love. You are paying them to commute, get up early and deal with job stress. Compensation may not be the only factor driving their decision as to where to work.
Think about how you decide if you are going to quote a part. Amongst other factors, you have to consider if you have the machine to make it, the tolerances needed, the availability and machinability of the material, the lot size and the deadline. It’s not just about how much money the shop will profit. There are other considerations. Employees or potential employees have the same issue. It’s not just the compensation offered.
Culture also plays a big part in work-life balance. Have you ever worked at a place that gives you vacation time, but silently punishes you for taking it? Or gives you the side-eye if you use PTO because your child has a doctor’s appointment? Or questions if you are really sick or not? Be sure to offer a balance in a culture that can be upheld and appreciated by both employer and employee. Otherwise, your employees may decide to sell their time elsewhere.
Upskilling Opportunities
It’s not just about work-life balance. The Ranstad study showed that 29% of employees surveyed said they would quit if they didn’t have professional development opportunities. Fortunately for PMPA members, upskilling opportunities can be found at Management Update and our National Technical Conference. This year’s National Technical Conference will be held at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The conference boasts 41 sessions focused on precision machining and six networking opportunities. Some attendees say that the people they meet and the discussions they have are as valuable as the takeaways from the sessions. It’s a huge opportunity for professional development and the perfect chance to show your employees that you value them.
On the surface, it may look like employees are being paid to make parts, run the shop or make sure your quality is upheld — after all, that is why you hired them. But why did they accept the job? Pay? Opportunities? Culture? Make sure you are addressing all the factors employees think of while considering if they want to sell you their time.
Author
Carli Kistler-Miller, MBA has over 25 years of experience with operations, event/meeting planning, marketing, writing and communications.
Email: gro.apmp@rellimc — Website: pmpa.org.