How Can I Deal with the Current Labor Shortage in this Candidate-Friendly Job Market?
We’ve been getting that question a lot from our clients lately. But is there really a shortage in the manufacturing industry? You bet there is. Here’s what the experts over at Yahoo Finance had to say in a recent article:
A recent survey by Deloitte found that 38% of executives reported that attracting new workers is their top priority for the (manufacturing) production workforce in 2022, followed by retention (31%) and re-skilling (13%).
“Number one, for manufacturers, they need to put their arms around their employees and hug them and tell them how great they are and help them get the skills that are needed for the next set of jobs here into the late 2020s and early 2030s,” Wellener, US Industrial Products & Construction Leader at Deloitte LLP, said.
A previous report last year by Deloitte found as many as 2.1 million manufacturing jobs will be unfilled through 2030, warning that the worker shortage would hurt revenue, production and could ultimately cost the US economy up to $1 trillion by 2030.
If you’re looking for light industrial workforce solutions, we can help. We’re ready to source and hire the staff and employees you need when you need them. We provide staffing and hiring services for light industrial manufacturing companies of all sizes and scopes. Whatever hiring challenge you’re dealing with, we’ve probably seen it before.
Westside Personnel Services has provided successful manufacturing staffing solutions in Pacific and Fenton, Missouri for over 27 years. Our recruiters know where the best candidates are and what it takes to hire them.
Interested in hearing more? Give our manufacturing staffing agency a call at 636-349-9378, or get in touch with us online today.
How Can Companies Attract Top Manufacturing Talent?
In this post, we’ll cover six straightforward tactics you can use to improve your hiring and retention strategy immediately:
- Expand Your Hiring Pool of Candidates
- Highlight Advancement Opportunities
- Offer Flexibility in Roles and Shift Work
- Provide Competitive Compensation
- Market Your Company
- Emphasize On-the-Job Training
Expand Your Hiring Pool of Candidates
Women can be an excellent source of talent for light industrial and manufacturing jobs. The last two years of employment turmoil hit women harder than men. And the female unemployment market hasn’t fully recovered yet.
Many women have not only experienced severe loss of income but also continue to bear the brunt of unpaid care work.
“Even though the projected jobs growth in 2021 for women exceeds that of men, it will, nonetheless, be insufficient to bring women back to pre-pandemic employment levels,” the ILO (International Labour Organization) said in a report.
There are some great female candidates out there looking for opportunities in the manufacturing sector. Make sure you’re not overlooking them. The U.S. Department of Commerce says it best:
Manufacturers have come to see that diversity boosts the bottom line, fosters a more dynamic and creative environment, and improves employee morale and retention. This has led to a concerted effort to draw women into the manufacturing sector, beginning early on in their education, by making it clear that anyone can succeed in these careers. As a result, opinions about manufacturing are changing among women, with more and more women seeing a place for themselves in this exciting and challenging industry.
Hiring managers and teams also need to reach out to local trade schools and high schools to attract the younger talent demographics.
Highlight Advancement Opportunities
There is more to a career in light manufacturing than earning a paycheck, though that’s certainly a big part of it. Manufacturing companies typically have plenty of opportunities for growth and advancement. We talk to candidates all the time who say that opportunities for advancement are a top priority.
Hiring managers need to promote career growth and advancement potential in their job descriptions. Your open job description will attract more attention when you reach out to job seekers’ core goals and objectives.
Promote Flexibility in Roles and Work Schedules
Compensation and healthcare benefits are still the number one concern for job seekers. But a worker-friendly environment is running a close second. Manufacturing companies need to promote opportunities for shift work and job role flexibility in their job descriptions whenever possible.
Some candidates consider the opportunity for flexible shifts a high-priority work-lifestyle benefit. This can be especially true for moms who want to be the primary caregiver for their children.
The opportunity to learn multiple roles and job functions can also be very attractive for candidates looking for a challenge.
Provide Competitive Compensation
Know your hiring market, and don’t be afraid to show great candidates the money! Sites like Salary.com and Glassdoor can help you stay in tune with compensation rates and trends in your industry. A knowledgeable manufacturing recruiter can also help you with real-world data and the latest-greatest salary information in your location.
Market Your Company, Your Brand, and Your Culture
Hiring teams should take every opportunity to promote their brand and culture. According to the same Yahoo Finance article (ibid):
“The challenge for manufacturers I believe is to really make manufacturing attractive to the next generation to diverse populations that may not know about manufacturing as an opportunity,” Wellener (of Deloitte) said adding that the situation is actually “an opportunity for manufacturers to continue to sell their business to the employee population out there.”
Potential employees want to know about the corporate culture and brand of the companies they’re applying to. So, hiring teams need to be loud and proud in promoting them.
Emphasize On-the-Job Training and Upskilling Opportunities
Excessive requirements may become an unwanted deterrent. Too many hiring conditions might scare away potentially great candidates, especially women. Women tend not to “stretch the truth” as much as their male counterparts do when job hunting.
Keep your job descriptions lean and mean—only list qualifications that are absolutely necessary. And stress opportunities for on-the-job training and upskilling. These options can be immensely appealing to job seekers, and employers need to promote them heavily.
Manufacturing is getting more mechanized and technology-centric. Employers in the light industrial manufacturing space can promote the opportunity for entry-level workers to advance into interesting roles like advanced robotics and machine operator positions.
Does all of this sound complicated? It’s easier than it might sound.
Westside Personnel Services can help you with all of these suggested tactics as part of your overall hiring strategy.
When you need staff, you can’t afford to wait. Your production lines and business operations won’t wait, nor will your customers.
Work with the Leading Manufacturing Staffing Agencies in Fenton and Pacific, MO
Westside Personnel Services is a trusted manufacturing staffing company with locations in Fenton and Pacific, MO. We’re here when you need us 24X7, and we always go the extra mile for our clients. Our recruiters understand the business and operational pressures that staff shortages cause in the world of light industrial manufacturing. Your world is built on logistics, with human capital at the core.
Our team was forged in the demanding world of providing workforce solutions for manufacturing companies. You’ll have access to top employees when you need them. Our manufacturing staffing agency acts as an extension of your team—reducing your employment and hiring risks, administrative and human resources headaches, and back-office red tape.
We make the staffing and hiring process seamless for our hiring clients. Simply tell us about your goals, challenges, and objectives, and we’ll take it from there. We’ll help you find the best workforce solutions. We’re more than a manufacturing temp agency. We take a strategic approach to designing and implementing the right staffing and hiring solutions based on our client’s unique requirements.
Westside Personnel Services has earned a stellar reputation among Fenton and Pacific employers as the go-to manufacturing recruitment agency for local businesses. Are you currently trying to fill open clerical roles, skilled and general light industrial labor, and warehouse jobs? Are you concerned about future staffing requirements? We’ve got you covered with a full spectrum of all the services you need:
- Temporary Staff
- Temp-to-Hire
- HR as a Service (On-Site)
- Direct Hire
- Payroll as a Service
Work with Westside Personnel Services
We’re focused on providing agile workforce solutions that will help you optimize your operations and grow your business. Our manufacturing staffing solutions are designed to help our clients in these critical areas:
- Streamline Operational Efficiencies
- Reduce Overtime Expenses
- Meet Production Deadlines
- Fill Skills Gaps
Westside Personel is a different kind of general labor firm. Interested in hearing more? Give our manufacturing recruiters in Fenton and Pacific, MO a call at 636-349-9378, or get in touch with us online today.