What makes companies really attractive to skilled workers? The start of the webinar series shows why employer attractiveness does not begin in recruiting, but in everyday working life – and which factors are decisive here.
On May 6, 2026, the new webinar series “Future-proof working environments in mechanical engineering – attracting and retaining skilled workers” kicked off with a digital launch. The event was organized by ProduktionNRW in cooperation with VDMA Nord and brought together numerous participants from the industry.
The focus was on the current challenges of securing skilled workers – and, above all, the question of what role the daily reality of work plays in employer attractiveness and employee retention.
Employer attractiveness begins in everyday life – not in recruiting
Sabine and Jørn Rings from NEU Gesellschaft für Innovation mbH provided the content-related impetus.
Their central point:
Employer attractiveness is not only created in the recruiting process, but in day-to-day interaction within the company
This shifts the focus away from traditional recruiting measures towards factors such as
- Work culture and leadership
- Cooperation within the team
- Working environment and general conditions
- Practiced processes and structures
These aspects can make a significant contribution to whether employees stay, commit or leave the company.
Securing skilled workers in mechanical engineering: figures and developments
The importance of the topic became clear based on current developments:
Around one million people are employed in the German mechanical and plant engineering sector, while a significant proportion of the workforce will retire in the coming years. In addition, there are increasing challenges such as long vacancy periods for open positions, high costs due to fluctuation and declining employee loyalty.
Against this backdrop, it is clear:
Attractive working environments are an important lever for competitiveness, innovation and knowledge retention.
Culture beats benefits: what really retains employees
Employees rarely decide for or against a company because of individual benefits – but rather on the basis of their daily experiences. Particularly relevant here are
- appreciative leadership
- Recognition in everyday working life
- Clear communication
Studies show that a lack of appreciation, poor leadership or a lack of development prospects are among the most common reasons for resignations.
Working environment as an underestimated success factor
In addition to the corporate culture, the physical working environment was also highlighted as a decisive factor. Aspects such as lighting conditions, noise, cleanliness and the design of common areas have a direct influence on employee satisfaction, motivation and health. The working environment also sends out daily signals – about how appreciative and future-oriented a company is.
Interactive exchange in the webinar
The exchange of experiences showed that this topic is of concern to many companies – and that there is a great need for examples of best practice and concrete approaches.
Start of a six-part webinar series
The event on May 6 marked the start of a multi-part webinar series highlighting key aspects of sustainable working environments. The next event will take place on 08.07.2026: Participatory support for transformation processes
The aim is to provide companies in the mechanical engineering sector with practical ideas for securing skilled workers and to further strengthen the exchange within the industry.
Conclusion: Future viability arises in everyday working life
The central message of the launch is clear: if you want to attract and retain skilled workers, you have to focus on everyday working life. It is not individual measures, but the interplay between culture, leadership, working environment and processes that determines attractiveness and loyalty in the long term.
Organizer
The event is organized by ProduktionNRW and the Landesverband Nord. ProduktionNRW is the cluster for mechanical engineering and production technology in North Rhine-Westphalia and is organized by VDMA NRW. ProduktionNRW sees itself as a platform for networking, informing and marketing companies, institutions and networks with each other and along the value chain. Significant parts of the services provided by ProduktionNRW are funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.