The Challenge

  • Slaughterhouse environment with chronic labor shortages — consistently 300+ workers short per week
  • Negative market perception; exhausted much of the available talent pool in the geography
  • 9 staffing suppliers with no accountability, low engagement, and conflicts of interest
  • Thousands of workers on a “DNU / Do Not Hire” list — assigned without proper criteria or oversight
  • Disconnect between frontline supervisors and workers, leading to disengagement and high attrition
  • Orientation process misaligned with workforce needs — 12 people, one day a week, inefficient intake
  • Workers excluded from company perks, holiday events, and on-site stores — treated as outsiders

The Solution

  • Installed On-Site Manager and Team Leads in Quality Control to bridge the gap between workers and management
  • Created POD-based line structures — small support teams so workers felt supported, not managed
  • Led the charge to consolidate suppliers and own the workforce relationship
  • Partnered with program office to completely redesign the intake and orientation process for efficiency
  • Audited and reformed the DNU list
  • Launched supervisor incentive program tied to employee retention and workforce stability
  • Advocated for treating contingent workers as part of the National Food Production team — access, inclusion, respect