NIST Baldrige “Job Quality Toolkit” For Rhode Island Manufacturers

Spend Less on Recruiting – Get More/Better Quality Candidates – Enjoy Lower Turnover & Increased Profitability

Manufacturers surveyed by Polaris MEP and other organizations have spoken: attracting and retaining a diverse and engaged workforce is both their recipe for success and their #1 challenge. Rhode Island manufacturing companies that prioritize job quality become employers of choice.

What strategies and actions help small to medium-sized manufacturers achieve this? The “Job Quality Toolkit” is an actionable tool that Polaris MEP has begun leveraging to help RI manufacturers reach their workforce goals.

Click on the yellow arrows below to learn more.

What is the Job Quality Toolkit?

Polaris MEP is part of a national network of Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers (MEPs). We seek out tools and best practices from across the country and bring them to the Ocean State. The Job Quality Toolkit is a new tool is rooted the US Department of Commerce’s Baldrige Excellence Framework. That framework has proven over the last 30+ years to help organizations improve results and become more competitive.

The Job Quality Toolkit works by identifying and improving the 8 drivers most valued by workers can significantly increase their satisfaction and engagement. This, in turn, will benefit your company’s ability to compete for talent and achieve success in the marketplace.

> START THE SELF-ASSESSMENT

How Can Polaris MEP Help Your Company Leverage the Job Quality Toolkit?

Our experienced manufacturing advisors and workforce specialists can use this proven tool to help you find solutions to your unique challenges.

It’s an easy, three-step approach:

gray circle with number 1FIRST, click here to see how your company scores on an online Job Quality Assessment.

This assessment takes only minutes! You’ll evaluate how your company stacks up on the 8 drivers of Job Quality.

NEXT, spend a half an hour reviewing your results with our workforce specialists … for FREE!

 

light blue circle with number 3LATER, agree on priority areas that can yield immediate “wins” for your recruiting and retention efforts.

Make a plan for tackling longer-term / deep-seated challenges that might be holding you back from profitability. Our project managers will guide you to resources needed as you set out on a path to becoming an employer of choice.

 

> SEE HOW YOUR COMPANY SCORES WITH TALENT

Why Become an "Employer of Choice"?

Manufacturers who are employers of choice

  1. Spend less on recruiting while getting more/better quality candidates
  2. Start competing with other employers on factors other than salary
  3. Enjoy lower turnover
  4. Have more proactive, productive employees
  5. Spend less time managing “people” problems
  6. Enjoy increased profitability

 

What are the 8 Drivers of Job Quality?

The Job Quality Toolkit is organized around eight drivers of high-quality jobs: Recruitment & Hiring, Benefits, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEIA), Empowerment & Representation, Job Security & Working Conditions, Organizational Culture, Pay, and Skill & Career Advancement. 

Graphic showing 8 job quality drivers, per NIST Baldridge

> SEE IF YOUR COMPANY CAN IMPROVE ON THE 8 DRIVERS

How Are the 8 Drivers Applied to Manufacturing?

This infographic from the MEP National Network illustrates how the “eight drivers” that are the foundation of the Job Quality Toolkit have been applied to challenges faced by manufacturers. The mini-case studies demonstrate the flexibility and benefits of the toolkit.


Polaris MEP is committed to offering the best business improvement programs to Rhode Island Manufacturers.

In order to achieve that goal and to justify continued U.S. Department of Commerce funding for these services, participants are asked to provide impact data and assessment. You’ll be asked for feedback through a short online survey within 1-3 days of this program and possibly again through an impartial third-party survey firm, 6-12 months after the course ends.