Manufacturing as a sector and the manufacturing workforce has changed dramatically over the last decade, challenging traditional boundaries.
While most conventional factory jobs are still available, and the others are recalibrating, new technologies have created a growing number of positions.
Statistics show that one-third of HR professionals in manufacturing state that they can’t fill an open position. According to Accenture and the Manufacturing Institute, more than 75% of manufacturers report a moderate to severe shortage of skilled workers, and 80% experienced the same shortage levels for highly skilled employees.
The workforce of the future needs to be digitally fluent, talented and eager for continuous learning. The generation who checks all the boxes, the Millennials, disfavours manufacturing when faced with other career choices.
HR across the world are facing a severe recruiting challenge. Many potential employees who are in their 20s and 30s perceive manufacturing as a declining field, whereas companies like Google or Facebook are some of the only places they can really excel in their field.
This stigmatization makes manufacturing companies seem like dull environments that offer nothing exciting to the new generation. Companies are trying to combat this problem by modifying their recruitment strategies and attracting the talent and skills the information age needs.
Here are some ideas companies are pursuing to attract a millennial workforce in manufacturing:
Creating a strong employer brand is a crucial step in shifting recruitment and brand positioning strategies. By building an authentic and honest brand voice, potential employers will think of your company as a place where highly skilled employees can thrive.
To attract millennials in manufacturing positions, make sure to communicate the best assets of your company, your unique selling propositions. A strong employer brand tells the world what working at your company is really like, accurately and straightforwardly. Millennials tend to go after companies that develop a personality and well-formed identity.
To meet future hiring needs, you need to focus on building a strong foundation of relationships. A significant number of millennials are still students, so you’ll need to create links with local community colleges, technical colleges, and vocational institutes to develop relationships with educators and prospects.
Maintain relationships with your second/third-place finishers from previous positions. You’ll form a healthy pipeline of qualified prospects for future jobs, whether they’re actively seeking employment or not. This data will be your go-to in future recruiting situations and will make the process smoother.
Try a variety of tools to actively engage with recruits like:
Update your company profile on job search sites, social media and reach through chatbots and newsletters. Encourage your employees to share their positive stories via social media posts and job search sites. Share your day-to-day, your workplace culture, your social responsibility efforts and keep your finger on the pulse of new developments. Provide wholesome content and focus on tribal knowledge. Millennials spend countless hours in front of laptops and smartphones, so channel your attention there for up-and-coming talents.
Existing employees are a great source for filling the pipeline too. Employees are the face of your company. From them, potential employers will get a more accurate idea of the workplace culture in your business. Their referrals are an effective way to help companies source and hire.
Incentivise your employees with a referral program and give bonuses to your current employees for sharing your postings and engaging in the company’s talent hunting process. Employee referrals may only account for 7% of all job applications, but they contribute almost 50% of all actual hires.
Open houses at the company’s plants are a great idea, inviting potential applicants to tour the facilities and meet with hiring managers. Younger workers want to know first what the company can do for them and then the other way around. Internships, apprenticeships, and certification programs are a textbook solution to recruiting young employees early.
Offers like flexible work schedules and paid leave policies are also attractive for millennials, who are changing the traditional ways of work-life balance. A smart sourcing strategy highlights the career development element and constant growth that comes from a particular position. Millennials want to see in manufacturing the possibility of moving up in the company and the extent the organization invests in individuals.
Manufacturing pre-4.0 was really simple: white-collar and blue-collar workers. This isn’t true anymore. The internal dynamic of factories has changed for good, leaving space for millennials in manufacturing to create more engaging and enterprising conditions. Smart collar workers are the new wave of the manufacturing workforce.
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