6 Sure-Fire Ways of Motivating Your Unskilled Welders

Lack of skilled welders can hurt welding business. One of effective solutions is to motivate and better unskilled welders so that they can, in a long run, become the backbone of the operation. 

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Amid skill shortages, you find it hard to look out the experienced and skilled workers. You are truly in need of workforce, that is why you take the plunge to hire the novice welders with enthusiasm and eagerness to learning skills. Whatever they are already motivated to learning and working or not, you should put fire in their heart and mind so that they can accomplish their training and do greatly their jobs. Below gives in-sights into how to uplift unskilled welders, and how to motivate welders to continue developing their skills. Hope they help out a lot!

What are considered skilled and unskilled welders?

Skilled welders seize how to read blueprints and comply with particular technical directions. They also grasp physical and chemical characteristics of different metals, how about their bonding in heat and their properties when cooling. Some skilled welders can use computer controlled welding machines, or even robotics.

Meanwhile unskilled welders understand welding essentials. They know how to fuse metals, but have a limited understanding of the science behind this process. Unskilled and semi-skilled welders are hired in many fields, commonly in an environment in need of the repetitively same weld. Unskilled welders often work in construction sites, manufacturing facilities and shipyards.

How to motivate skilled welders

You can set their hearts on fire with factors of responsibility, personal growth, career advancement, appraisal and recognition, work-life balance, targets being achieved, safety needs, bonuses and other fringe benefits. Once they are satisfied with those factors, they will be utterly motivated.

How to motivate unskilled welders

Skilled welders seek responsibility, are more self-directive, expect safety working environment and work advancement. They look for self-actualization, esteems, love and belonging. Meanwhile, unskilled welders tend to be content about:

1. Pay

Whatever welders are skilled or unskilled welders, a large majority would prefer a workplace with secure pay. With sustainable wages, welders will be more satisfied with their work and do a lot for the company. Simply, they often weld for money. They have to care about cost of living, fend for themselves and family. The reasonable pay will, of course, push them up with their hard work.

The pay often varies by level of skills though, you have better to pay your unskilled welders above the minimum wage. While the minimum wage just allows those welders to handle their minimum expenses, those paid higher can afford more and have more peace of mind striving for work productivity, skill-up and a worthy pay rise. Specially, the unskilled welders that show good work attitude and improved work performance deserve such a pay.

Another way is to investigate other companies’ pays in the same industry and the company size, and consider a competitive pay. 

2. Essential physiological/ survival needs 

As per Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the unskilled will be satisfied with physiological or survival needs aside from safety needs. This applies to welding workforce, too. The unskilled welders are often content if their basic needs are meet – for example, water, food.

3. Safety needs

Safety needs should be addressed; also, create a working environment in which they are comfortable.

4. Work-life balance

They are human; that’s why they need make friends and socialize. You can require their diligence, targets met and minimized defects. At the same time, facilitate their socialization. For example, sometimes hold a party with involvement of your employees to cement their relationship and refresh them after tedious work time. Overtime is necessary. Just about every workshop takes overtime hours. Whether it’s voluntary to work overtime or not, unskilled welders often choose to work more normal working hours for added earnings besides keeping their work. Commonly, they are afraid that the employer thinks them as being idle without accepting overtime work or the like, and ends up firing them.

5. Workforce benefits and privileges

Ensure basic benefits for the unskilled

Such benefits as health insurance, holidays should be ensured. A working environment with good benefit offer will sure motivate unskilled welders. They would be truly appreciated and move on with their hard work.

6. Quality of supervision

Quality of supervision contributes to unskilled welder's motivation

As they are unskilled, they need good supervision for their work quality guarantee. That way will avoid redoing welds and their being reprimanded and even losing the job. To say nothing about the fact that a close supervision will help them with skill improvement and, accordingly, better pay.

All in all, unskilled welders would be satisfied and motivated at work if hygiene factors are ensured at workplace. Those are, company policies, quality of supervision, personal life, relations with others, rate of pay, job security and working conditions. Make sure you address those factors, and your workforce motivation will work out a lot.