# 164: How to Cut Turnover in Half by Leveraging Data and Empowering Frontline Leaders with Mike White, Founder & President of Secchi

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2023-12-19
- Length: 1h 08m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-12-19-164-how-to-cut-turnover-in-half-by-leveraging-data-and-empowering-frontline-lead
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Mike White, Founder and President of Secchi, explains how his company uses data-driven employee relationship management to cut manufacturing turnover in half. Drawing on his experience at Johns Manville and Caterpillar, White details the origin of Secchi as a tool to document performance and remove bad actors, which evolved into a platform for recognition and retention. He argues that the 'age of the frontline worker' is here, with skilled trades becoming more valuable than traditional degrees, and discusses how Secchi empowers supervisors with transparent data to make fair, defensible decisions.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-12-19-164-how-to-cut-turnover-in-half-by-leveraging-data-and-empowering-frontline-lead#t=0) Introduction and Secchi Origin Story
- [12:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-12-19-164-how-to-cut-turnover-in-half-by-leveraging-data-and-empowering-frontline-lead#t=735) White's Early Career and HR Philosophy
- [28:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-12-19-164-how-to-cut-turnover-in-half-by-leveraging-data-and-empowering-frontline-lead#t=1688) Leading Through the 2008 Downturn
- [31:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-12-19-164-how-to-cut-turnover-in-half-by-leveraging-data-and-empowering-frontline-lead#t=1895) Scaling HR at Caterpillar
- [38:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-12-19-164-how-to-cut-turnover-in-half-by-leveraging-data-and-empowering-frontline-lead#t=2308) Building Secchi from an Access Database
- [54:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-12-19-164-how-to-cut-turnover-in-half-by-leveraging-data-and-empowering-frontline-lead#t=3293) The Age of the Frontline Worker

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Secchi (product)
- Johns Manville (company)
- Caterpillar (company)
- Masterlock (company)
- Pete's Pub (other)
- Traction (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How to Retain Your Manufacturing Workforce w/ Dan Johnston](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-04-11-how-to-retain-your-manufacturing-workforce-w-dan-johnston) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Empowering Workers and Improving Workflow Through Video Data](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-06-07-empowering-workers-and-improving-workflow-through-video-data) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [The Connected Factory Floor: L2L and Data Management](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2025-01-09-the-connected-factory-floor-l2l-and-data-management) (Over the Air)
- [Create a Dashboard Effect: Drive Your Work With Data w/ Jon Thompson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2020-10-20-create-a-dashboard-effect-drive-your-work-with-data-w-jon-thompson) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [The Role of IIoT Tech in Employee Training and Retention w/ Arjun Chandar](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-31-the-role-of-iiot-tech-in-employee-training-and-retention-w-arjun-chandar) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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