In today’s economy, many companies are finding it difficult to find qualified workers. This is especially true in the manufacturing industry, where a labor shortage has developed. If you’re struggling to find skilled workers, don’t worry — you’re not alone. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some tips for finding skilled workers amidst the manufacturing shortage.
Manufacturing Labor Shortage in the U.S.
The manufacturing skills gap in the U.S. could lead to 1.2 million unfilled roles by 2030, according to a Deloitte survey. Although the manufacturing sector was able to hire back some 820,000 of the over 1.4 million jobs that were lost in 2020, companies are still finding it hard to fill positions with the right talent across all entry, middle, and executive levels.
There are over half a million manufacturing workers looking for jobs in the U.S., but the labor supply is often insufficient to meet the specific skill sets needed to perform manufacturing roles well.
Conversely, companies often do not know how and where to start in their search for the best people for their rosters, leading to high costs from wasted time and recruitment resources. That’s not to mention the ongoing struggle to retain top talent and keep current employees happy.
Find Skilled Talent Amidst a Manufacturing Labor Shortage
When you’ve determined that it’s time to look for workers, you’ll need to prepare your organization — both in what you can offer candidates and how you’re going to structure the hiring process. Below are some tips for finding skilled workers amidst the manufacturing shortage:
Revise Your Hiring and Recruitment Process
Tailor the recruitment process toward the specific people you’re looking for, and be sure to streamline the application process. In many cases, at least 50% of resumes received for manufacturing jobs won’t even get through the first screening. That’s time that could have been spent finding quality talent.
Use a recruitment agency with specific expertise in manufacturing to reach passive job seekers, rather than sending lots of impersonal emails and hoping they make it through.
Work With an Agency That Understands the Manufacturing Industry
An executive search firm can provide you with the right people in the shortest time possible, unlike a regular staffing agency that works with hundreds or thousands of active employees at once. In many cases, tailoring your search for specific foundry workers may not yield desired results with a staffing agency.
Instead, you’ll want an agency that knows the ins and outs of manufacturing, as well as the trends that impact the industry. In addition, search firms will typically be able to tap into a more passive workforce, as they’re already accustomed to working with those kinds of clients.
Reward Employees Who Help Bring in New Talent
One of the best ways to encourage employees who know others with experience in manufacturing is by rewarding them for helping bring new talent into the company. If you’re struggling to find skilled workers, consider rewarding employees in some way for helping to bring them in. It could be as simple as a gift card or acknowledgment on an intranet webpage or within department newsletters.
Look at DEI and How It Can Help You Find Skilled Workers
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are more important now than ever, and manufacturing companies will do well to adapt to this change. By collecting and analyzing demographic data, organizations can develop an idea of what the workforce looks like at present and where there might be gaps. This will open up opportunities to recruit, hire, and retain people who don’t normally fit traditional profiles for manufacturing jobs.
Diversity is the representation of different identity facets in the workforce, including skills, gender, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. In manufacturing, DEI is often focused on women because the industry has historically been dominated by males.
Recruit Internally
When you look to the future of your business, make sure that you’re building a workforce based on potential. You’ll want to focus on actively helping employees grow and succeed. Consider hiring from within your existing ranks, as those who already understand the company culture are more likely to be a good fit.
Change the Perception of Work in Manufacturing
Manufacturing is often seen as grueling labor rather than skilled work. This has to be changed to bring more people into the industry. In many cases, new recruits may see manufacturing as a dead-end job rather than a long-term career, due to old stereotypes.
Assisting younger generations in understanding that teaching is better accomplished by example and experiences rather than lectures helps them realize that skilled work can be fun and rewarding.
Recruit Successfully Despite a Manufacturing Labor Shortage
It’s not just about working to find the right people — it’s about understanding your company and what you need to do to bring those people into the fold. Once those efforts are underway, you can start working with an executive search firm that can help you find skilled workers amidst a manufacturing labor shortage.
TruPath is a manufacturing recruitment expert that can help you understand your true hiring needs. Our team will work closely with yours to identify skills gaps and determine the best course of action to recruit and hire the right people.
Contact TruPath to discuss your hiring needs and how an executive search firm specializing in manufacturing can help. We’ll be happy to provide more information on the services we offer, as well as provide advice for finding skilled workers.