The 66% Failure Rate (And Why It's Not a Skills Gap)
Is this hate mail or great mail?
Subject line: "Totally Disagree"
A manufacturer from the Midwest sent me this:
"We take in just about anybody that want to fill out an application. We then give them 3 months with hands on training. 2/3 can't figure it out. 1/2 quit before the 3 months. I'm paying above average wages... I can't keep anyone under 48 years of age. The one's I do still suck at their job."
"I don't know what bridge you are hiding under but I assure you that we have a skills gap in my area."
I'm calling this great mail.
Why?
Because he just proved my entire thesis while trying to disprove it.
66% failure rate after three months of "hands-on training."
50% quit before they hit 90 days.
Zero retention of anyone under 48.
And the ones who stay? "Still suck at their job."
Tell me again how this is a skills gap.
Let's Do the Math
If 2 out of 3 people fail after THREE MONTHS of training, one of two things is true:
Either: You have the worst luck in hiring in American manufacturing history.
Or: Your training doesn't work.
If half your hires quit before 90 days, one of two things is true:
Either: An entire generation suddenly decided they hate money and purpose.
Or: Your culture is driving them away.
If you can't keep a single person under 48, one of two things is true:
Either: Young people are fundamentally unemployable.
Or: You have no idea how to mentor them.
Which explanation makes more sense to you?
Here's What's Missing
I read this email three times looking for answers to basic questions:
How are you screening for coachability before they walk through the door?
Who's mentoring these new hires, and are they trained to mentor?
What does your onboarding culture look like in the first 30 days?
Are you celebrating small wins or just pointing out mistakes?
Nothing.
Just: "We hire anybody. Give them 3 months. Most fail. Skills gap."
That's not analysis.
That's autopilot.
The Real Gap
This manufacturer is paying above-average wages.
Great. That's step one.
But money doesn't fix broken systems.
Money doesn't fix unclear expectations.
Money doesn't fix the fact that nobody's screening for the ONE thing that actually predicts success: coachability.
Skills can be taught.
Grit can't.
But you have to hire for grit first.
What He's Actually Telling Me
"2/3 can't figure it out" = Your training is broken
"1/2 quit before 3 months" = Your culture is toxic
"Can't keep anyone under 48" = Your mentorship doesn't exist
"The ones who stay still suck" = Your systems don't develop people
The common denominator in all of this?
It's not the workers.
It's you.
The System Gap
Here's what this email doesn't say but I know is true:
Nobody's screening for coachability. They're screening for warm bodies.
Nobody's training the trainers. They're just throwing people on the floor.
Nobody's building a culture where mistakes are learning opportunities.
Nobody's celebrating the small wins that build confidence.
And then everyone acts surprised when people fail.
I've Seen This Movie Before
Hundreds of times.
Manufacturer with 60%+ turnover. Blaming the workers. Convinced there's a skills gap.
Then we fix the systems:
✅ Screen for grit and coachability, not just experience
✅ Build mentorship programs that actually develop talent
✅ Design onboarding that celebrates progress
✅ Create culture where young workers want to stay
Result? Industry-leading retention. Same labor market. Different systems.
The Courage Gap
This manufacturer thinks he has a skills gap.
What he actually has is a courage gap.
The courage to admit: If 2/3 of my hires fail, maybe I'm the problem.
The courage to ask: What are WE doing wrong?
The courage to rebuild systems designed for 1985.
This Is Fixable
Join my next free webinar.
I'm breaking down the exact framework that turns 66% failure rates into industry-leading retention.
Not theory. Not consulting speak. Blueprints that work.
👉 Stop Bleeding Talent Webinar | Free Registration
The Bottom Line
I don't get mad at emails like this.
I get excited.
Because every time a manufacturer tells me they have a skills gap while describing a 66% failure rate, they're proving my point.
The talent is out there.
70 million Americans ready to work.
Your systems just aren't ready for them.
So to answer my opening question:
Is this hate mail or great mail?
It's great mail.
Because it's proof that everything I've been saying is true.
The gap isn't skills.
It's courage.
Fix the system. Keep the talent. Build the Renaissance.
