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. 

You may also want to have a look at:

How to Retain Your Experienced Welders

Developing Effective Welding Workforce: Learn from a Successful Model

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.

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19 Important Skills for Welding Occupation (Part 2)

With those skills, welders can be confident with their job achievement and employability!

Welding is a hard work; it requires the following skills to perfect the end products, accomplishing the job and earning handsome pays as a result. The employers will figure they are having a talent among their hires when they find out those skills that welder obtains:

11. Knowledge of Welding Tools and Equipment: An experienced welder with various welding tools and equipment will know how to use the tool most effectively for quickly having the job done in a safe fashion.

12. Manual Dexterity:  A great welder is always proud of their amazing manual dexterity and good hand-eye coordination for performing complicated physical tasks required of a welding career.

13. Comprehensive Knowledge of Different Welding Techniques:  A great welder would work to show you what a comprehensive knowledge of various techniques they have accumulated – for example, metal art, flux core arc, oxy fuel, and gas tungsten arc welding.

14. Writing: As an all-around welder, he should be good at writing reports or invoices from employers about his tasks completed, materials used, hours worked and how much to cost customers; writing safety guidelines to describe how to operate company equipment properly; to name some.

15. Reading: Good reading skills allow welders to grasp company policies, procedures like time-off request, understand codes and specifications for well leading up to welding projects. They also can read equipment and safety manuals that demonstrate safe operation procedures; read and follow specific welding procedures that governing bodies develop.

16. Document use: An ability of document use facilitates examining lines and colors of pipes at workplace to decide their contents – for instance, the type of gas they contain. Welders also use checklists to learn, follow appropriate work procedures, safety guidelines. Document use will help them with comparing color coding on metals to the color code chart for identifying its grade and alloy. Not all, they would review notes on the blueprints from the engineering department about materials, procedures; understand diagrams, tables on the blueprints for determining engineering requirements.

17. Computer use: The computer use skill helps out operating plasma cutting machines, orbital welders and other computer controlled equipment.

18.  Eye for the arc: This is the skill of bead placement, torch/electrode angles, and the ‘tricks of the trade’ that is needed to make an x-ray quality weld in any arc welding process.

19. Positive attitude and work ethic: As reported by many employers, ‘can-do’ attitude is becoming rare in the workforce those days. Some workers fail to learn the work ethic towards becoming a skilled welder. That way may result in a negative attitude about welding. Necessarily, positive working ethic and attitude are addressed early in the training centers because it is simply as important as the welding skills.

To add it up, welding is not as simple as thought. To earn a buck, the welders should ensure they grasp those skills, both technical and behavioral. Not few welders have complained about their pays. They have heard of this job’s very attractive wages, but it turns out to otherwise when they are working as a welder. This may be reasoned that they are not addressing some key skills among above listed, or pursuit an easy-to-do weld type occupation. After all, with the zeal for welding, hard work, commitment, and persistent improvement, they sure enjoy happy ending with this occupation. 

Also have a look at other important skills for welding occupation:

19 Important Skills for Welding Occupation (Part 1)

Read More

19 Important Skills for Welding Occupation (Part 1)

With those skills, welders can be confident with their job achievement and employability!

Welding is a hard work; it requires the following skills to perfect the end products, accomplishing the job and earning handsome pays as a result. The employers will figure they are having a talent among their hires when they find out those skills that welder obtains:

1. Ability to Read Blueprints: What makes a great welder is the ability to quickly and easily read blueprints and grasp how the information presented is associated with a project.

2. Awareness of Safety Standards:  A great welder has a good grip of safety standards in the industry for protecting themselves and others.

3. Concentration: A successful welder definitely is immersed into their job. Rather, they pay full attention to a project in a long period of time. They are able to be wholeheartedly dedicated to their work, and make sure all aspects are correctly completed.

4. Problem-solving: Just like other workers in the skilled trades, welders are required to be great problem solvers who care for details. They have to discover flaws with designs and materials, deal with broken areas, and know how to repair worn part or/ and equipment.

5. Math and science: Similarly to plumbers and other tradespersons, welders persistently apply their knowledge of basic science and math while working. They would estimate costs, make calculations, decide which metals to use with what chemicals and/ or fuels, track their own hours, etc.

6. Interpersonal: Welders usually spend lots of time on their own though, they often have to interact with employers, clients, other tradespeople. In construction, the welders, from time to time, work with other welders and tradespersons to guarantee projects are finished seamlessly.

7. Customer Service Skills: They can cater to clients’ needs and work effectively with other staff.

8. Detail Orientation:  A great welding worker will be very detail oriented. They are meticulous and thorough in the work.

9. Good Eyesight: While a historian need a photographic memory, an actor will shine out with exceptional acting skills and good looking face, a great welder with sharp vision will be able to see very complicated details in the work area.

10. Metallurgical Knowledge:  A great welder is simply familiar with different type of metals, their properties and how to work with them.

Find more of important welding skills here:

19 Important Skills for Welding Occupation (Part 2)

Read More