Now, anticipating fierce competition for talent with the arrival of Tesla, Kia is looking to ensure its employees continue to choose its company. “In this industry there is a lot of competition for talent… Tesla attracts a lot of attention and perhaps there are those who will want to go there, but that is where all these initiatives that we are seeing come in,” says Víctor Alemán, Senior Manager of Institutional Relations and Public Relations of the Kia plant.
How to retain talent?
One of the key strategies of the Human Resources area to retain its talent is to provide a wide spectrum of services and benefits that go beyond the work environment. The workers, mostly young people between 24 and 26 years old, have access to psychological care, legal assistance, nutritional advice and help to address pending processes or initiatives.
Employees can spend 10 to 15 minutes receiving help solving personal or family problems at a module installed on the side of the production line, instead of having to travel outside their workplace or home.
Additionally, the company has seen a significant change in its workforce over the years. The Kia plant opened with young employees, and has seen an increase in the number of mothers among its workers. “The first Mother’s Day celebrations were with about 20 people but now there are about 250 or more,” says Alemán.
Soon, Kia will open a daycare center for working mothers, which seeks to facilitate their participation in the labor market.
Family visits to the plant are also an important part of the South Korean manufacturer’s culture. Employees invite their families to see where they work, creating an emotional bond between them and the company.
Although in the beginning the plant faced high staff turnover rates, close to 10%, thanks to recent initiatives focused on employee well-being, the company has managed to significantly reduce this turnover to around 2% or 3%.
“Starting up a plant is very difficult, and colleagues who are already established here, at Kia, will have to decide whether to stay or venture into another operation,” says Alemán.