Reducing Attrition in Automobile Manufacturing Using Catchball (5-Step Method)

 

Automobile manufacturing companies typically face 15–35% attrition in certain functions due to demanding working conditions, repetitive tasks, contract labour dependency, skill mismatch, and limited career progression.
The Catchball process provides a collaborative, cross-functional, bottom-up + top-down dialogue that helps solve such systemic issues efficiently.

STEP 1 — INITIAL THROW (Leader)

How leadership frames the attrition-reduction challenge

The leader (Plant Head / HR Head / BU Head) presents a clear, data-backed problem statement instead of a vague target.

Example for reducing attrition

What must be achieved:
Reduce shop-floor and technician attrition from 22% → 12% within 12 months.

Why it matters:

• High replacement cost per employee (~₹45,000–₹75,000)

• Quality defects increase by 18% when new employees fill experienced roles

• Loss of skill continuity slows production ramp-up

• Contract labour turnover disrupts takt time and line balance

Deadline:
12 months, with quarterly checkpoints.

Constraints:

• Budget limited to ₹1.2 crore for retention initiatives

• No headcount increase

• Production targets cannot be reduced

Baseline data:

• Voluntary attrition: 14%

• Involuntary attrition: 8%

• Top 3 reasons: Salary mismatch, absenteeism, poor supervisor behaviour

This sets a clear and measurable mandate.

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STEP 2 — FIRST CATCH (Teams/Functions)

Teams evaluate, question, and respond

Cross-functional teams: HR, Production, Quality, Maintenance, L&D, EHS, Finance, Union/Worker committees.

Expected responses:

Clarifying Questions

• Is the goal only for permanent workers or contract labour too?

• Can we redesign shifts or rotation policies?

• Which departments have the highest quit rates?

Risks Identified

• Increased overtime may worsen attrition

• Line leaders may resist behavioural training

• Skill development requires downtime

Capacity Constraints

• HR cannot conduct 200+ stay interviews monthly

• L&D bandwidth for technical upskilling is limited

• Supervisors overloaded with targets & reporting tasks

Suggestions

• Introduce micro-upskilling during shift changeover

• Set up “buddy onboarding” for new workers

• Implement supervisor communication workshops

• Explore attendance-linked incentives

• Improve dormitory/transport if applicable

Resource Needs

• Budget for welfare and supervisor training

• Analytics support to track exit patterns

• Additional trainers for onboarding

This stage ensures realistic planning rather than idealistic expectations.

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STEP 3 — NEGOTIATION ROUNDS

This is the heart of Catchball.
Leaders and teams negotiate what is possible vs what is ideal.

Typical negotiation outcomes for attrition reduction:

Options

• Pilot attendance incentive in one shop-floor line

• Introduce skill certification program tied to career growth

• Reduce supervisor-to-worker ratio from 1:38 → 1:25

Revised KPIs

• Supervisor attrition KPI: <10%

• New hire 90-day retention KPI: improve from 62% → 80%

• Engagement score increase by 10 points

Milestones

• Q1: Fix onboarding & supervisor training

• Q2: Launch career path framework

• Q3: Productivity-linked bonus experiment

• Q4: Evaluate and scale whats working

Trade-offs

• Reduce non-essential classroom training hours

• Shift some welfare budget from events → retention drivers

• Delay certain automation upgrades to fund skill development

Pilot Suggestions

• 3-month pilot in Paint or Body Shop (usually high attrition areas)

• Trial supervisor feedback training with 40 team leaders

• Trial micro-improvement teams (Kaizen circles)

Negotiation creates alignment + realism + ownership.

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STEP 4 — FINAL CATCH (Reconciliation)

This finalizes:

1. Ownership

• HR: retention dashboard, hiring quality, stay interviews

• Production: supervisor behaviour, shift allocation fairness

• L&D: technical upskilling & induction

• Finance: incentive modelling

• Administration: transport + canteen + amenities

• Plant Head: overall governance and monthly review

2. KPIs

• 12% total attrition target

• 80% 90-day retention for new hires

• Supervisor behavioural score ≥ 4.2/5

• 30% increase in internal skill certifications

3. Timelines

• Monthly reviews

• Quarterly governance with COO

• Bi-weekly feedback loops from shop-floor teams

4. Resources Allocated

• Budget approval

• Vendor partnerships for training

• HRBP deployed to high-attrition zones

5. Pilot Plan

• 3-month pilot → Evaluate → Scale
  Catchball closes when all teams say “This is doable and owned by us.”

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STEP 5 — SIGNOFF & DEPLOYMENT

Once approved:

• The plan becomes part of the plant’s people strategy

• Dashboards go live

• Monthly reviews begin

• Catchball restarts only if:

  • Production volume changes

  • Budget changes

  • Labour market shifts (e.g., EV plant competition)

Full deployment may include:

• Supervisor leadership academy

• Revamped onboarding

• Attendance-linked incentives

• Transport/dorm/amenity upgrades

• Recognition & reward system overhaul

• Skill matrix-based career progression

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EXPECTED RESULTS WITHIN 12 MONTHS

Automobile manufacturing plants using this structured Catchball method typically achieve:

✔ 30–50% reduction in attrition

✔ Higher productivity (5–8%)

✔ Reduced quality defects (4–7%)

✔ Better morale & supervisor-worker relationship

✔ Higher 90-day retention (often +20 to +40 %)

✔ Lower absenteeism and stable shift availability

Would you like a session to develop the confidence level of your employees?

Reach out at  training@compassclock.in / +917845050100 😊