5 tips for hiring manufacturing workers

5 tips for hiring manufacturing workers5 tips for hiring manufacturing workers5 tips for hiring manufacturing workers Ashford, contributorAs an industry, manufacturing continues to thrive. Unfortunately, finding skilled workers to fill the gaps in this booming field is becoming harder and harder.Fully 89% of manufacturing executives agree theres a talent shortage in the industry, according to a study by Deloitte LLP and The Manufacturing Institute. And theres a skills gap that could leave 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2019 and 2028.What were seeing is that everyone in the manufacturing sectors is having the same problems that most employers are having- hiring and retaining workers, says Adam Roston, CEO of employment agency BlueCrew, which provides on-demand staffing for hourly wage jobs. Its really hard, and its getting harder in a tough unemployment environment.Its a daunting task, but its not impossible. Try these strategies to get good labor in the doorProvide career gro wthPeople may not think about upward mobility when it comes to manufacturing, but thats short-sighted. If you can provide opportunities for workers to enhance their skills set or advance up the job ladder, youll attract more people.This could be as simple as offering forklift training, which is something BlueCrew does. You can get a few dollars extra an hour if youre trained to drive a forklift, Roston says. Thats really material.It could also be as straightforward as promoting from within, as one of BlueCrews customers does.A number of our employees have gone on to management positions there, and that dynamic is super compelling, Roston says.Whether its on the first day or three weeks later when theyre trying to decide whether they want to stay at the company or not, to see that their manager or their managers manager was in their position a year ago- that environment creates a culture of opportunity.It also means that the managers better relate to the entry level workers, Roston p oints out. So it creates a really good dynamic for everyone involved.Mobilize your workforceDo you offer a great place to work? Good benefits? Good people? Allow your (presumably satisfied) employees to spread the word for you. Offer incentives to employees who refer someone that you eventually hire.If we make our company a great place to work, people tell their friends and their friends tend to have similar skills and interests in work, so that really drives recruitment, Roston says, And of course, people stay longer if they enjoy who they work with, so referrals are also really good for retention.At Automation Tool passiv in Medina, OH, they made a set of business cards with instructions for how to apply for a job with the organization.If any of our employees were out in the community, they were empowered to pass out that recruitment job, says Jennifer Compton, human resources manager at the company. If they got their oil changed and that person exhibited awesome skills, they fel t like they could all be recruiters on our behalf.Hire for core characteristicsWith a talent and skills shortage like the one happening today, you may need to hire people for their work ethic and good attitude- and then train them to do the work.People arent out there just looking for a job that are going to fit our technical criteria, Compton says. But if we find that solid employee whos a good cultural fit, its easier to train on technical skills than to train on those core qualities.Partner up with other companiesAutomation Tool passiv is one of several small employers in that area, and the companies decided to create a group- the Medina County Manufacturers Partnership. They formed a 501(c)3 and have focused on advancing themselves as a collaborative.For instance, theyre working with local community colleges to create a curriculum that will produce more workers with the skills theyll need to go into manufacturing.The group looked at similarities in the core curriculum of severa l different kinds of manufacturing training and found a lot of overlap.We were able to help them rethink their curriculum a little bit, so it would be more applicable across more in-demand jobs, Compton says.The partnership shares referrals. Instead of being something where we were poaching employees from each other, Compton says, if I get an applicant who looks good but who isnt the right fit here, I can pass them on.They also created a summer camp for graduating high schoolers that allows them to spend a little time at each of their facilities so they can get a better idea of the types of careers available.We all know how expensive it is to make a bad hire, so we feel like putting in the resources up front and making sure the fit is there is a unique way for us to get success, Compton says. The partnership has really been something that has been a big catalyst for a lot of unique hiring practices here.Invite the public inThough its a longer-range plan, part of the fields problem i s that many people today may be hard pressed to describe what a manufacturing job would involve. This keeps people from thinking about the field as an option.People do still have kind of a perception of what they assume manufacturing is like, Compton says.As such, Automation Tool Die hosts tours for various parts of the community, from adult tours every other month to a third-grade class tour. Were making sure were making impressions for STEM careers early, Compton says.They come in and see that this is where the cutting-edge technology is developed, and there are a lot of different careers theyve never heard of that are available, Compton says. We think letting people inside of our doors is really vital to them.Harold Beck Sons, an actuator manufacturer in Pennsylvania, does something similar, getting involved in the states Whats So Cool About Manufacturingprogram. We are always looking for new and imaginative ways to promote careers in manufacturing, even down to the middle scho ol level, says Scott Kempf, marketing and application engineer manager at the company.Looking for more ways to reach hard-to-find manufacturing talent? Use SearchMonster, our powerful new search technology to hone in on the exact manufacturing hire you need