Hiring checklist for manufacturers

Is your company struggling to attract, hire and retain the level of skilled workers it needs to move forward during our historically tight talent market? 

If so, you are not alone. Studies show that manufacturers believe that it is 36 percent more difficult to hire skilled workers than it was just a few years ago. As the looming skills shortage continues to spread across the globe and the post-pandemic job market becomes even more competitive, the ability to find high-quality candidates is only going to become more difficult.

The best thing employers in the manufacturing industry can do is to take proactive measures now to strengthen their hiring practices and prepare for the future. The good news is that taking steps now to build a robust recruitment strategy will help your company remain competitive in the job market for years to come.

Our team at Randstad understands the importance of finding the right skill sets for your company, and we’ve created a checklist to help you take the right steps to improve your company’s hiring outcomes both today and in the future.

Conduct an employer brand audit

As the hiring market intensifies, your employer brand image will be more important than ever. Take the time to conduct an employer brand audit, or ask your HR partner to complete this process for your company.This analysis will provide insights into how your current, former and prospective candidates feel about your company as an employer. Based on these results, you should take steps to strengthen your employer brand and repair any damage.

Assess current and future skills needs

After nearly 18 months of dealing with supply chain disruptions and labor shortages, many manufacturers are prepared to increase their investment in digital technology and automation. With this increase in technology in the workplace comes an added demand for skilled workers. However, the skills needed will continue to shift as technology advances. Develop a plan to continuously assess both current and future skills needed for various positions throughout the company. Understanding the skill sets your company needs currently and for the future can improve hiring outcomes.

Update current job descriptions

The types of skills needed to work in manufacturing aren’t the only things changing. So are the types of tasks and duties for roles at all levels within the company. As markets are slowly starting to open as the effects of COVID-19 begin to subside, now is the ideal time to update your current job descriptions.

Make sure to update any skill qualifications and job duties, and if you have the ability to offer flexible or remote work, be sure to call that out whenever possible.

Also, when writing your job descriptions, be sure to take a step back and view it from the eyes of a prospective candidate. Does the description provide an accurate overview of the job duties and qualifications needed? Additionally, take the time to optimize your job descriptions by using clear and concise language, meaningful subheadings and — most importantly — relevant keywords.

Build a talent pipeline for the future

Nothing is perhaps more important than building a talent pipeline of qualified candidates for various roles within the company. As a position opens up, you can tap into this talent pool and immediately source candidates that match your set criteria. When building your talent pipeline, be sure to focus on both active and passive candidates to ensure you have a large enough talent pool to drive results. With a talent pipeline in place, you can improve recruitment outcomes and speed up the hiring process.

Determine a competitive salary package

One thing that hasn’t changed since the pandemic is candidates’ desire for competitive salaries and benefits. According to our 2021 Randstad Employer Brand Research, workers from most markets still rank salaries as the top factor they consider when changing jobs. Additionally, the looming skills shortage and competitive job market have driven compensation up around the country.

If your company has not done so since the pandemic, take the time to conduct market research to determine how your current salary options compare to your competitors. Use this information to determine what the optimal salary package is for your specific market. Our 2022 Salary Guide is the perfect place to start. With compensation ranges for over 300 positions in eight different industries, it’s the ideal resource for benchmarking your compensation offerings against the broader market. 

Focus on meaningful benefits

Workers’ desire for meaningful benefits has also intensified — and the types of benefits they want have changed as a result. After a tumultuous year that made maintaining a healthy work-life balance nearly impossible, workers are looking for benefits, like remote working options, flexible scheduling and increased paid time off, that help alleviate some of this stress.

Create a safe work environment

Although COVID-19 is starting to subside, workers are still hesitant to head back into the workforce. Your company should take steps to create a safe work environment, which in turn can entice some of these hesitant candidates to accept a job offer. Continue to provide pandemic-related training that covers issues, such as social distancing and proper hand-washing. Most importantly, be sure to keep your employees up to date on the latest governmental guidelines and the steps your company is taking to maintain compliance.

Strengthen your onboarding process

The goal of improved retention should begin from the time a candidate accepts the job offer. Take steps now to strengthen your onboarding process to enhance employee engagement and improve the candidate’s experience. Adequate training should also be part of the onboarding process to ensure that all new hires have the right skills and resources to be successful on the job. This step can significantly improve time-toproductivity rates.

Invest in HR technology

Digital technology and automation aren’t only for manufacturing processes. They can, and should be, used in the recruitment process. The right technology can help to filter through applications to identify those candidates with the right skill sets. It can also improve candidate engagement by sending out scheduled emails throughout the recruitment process, allowing candidates to find out what stage of the hiring process they’re in and automatically scheduling interviews.

Work with a staffing partner

As the job market continues to tighten, now is the time to leverage your partnership with a recruitment agency. A professional agency can assist with everything from onboarding to workforce planning. Additionally, you will have instant access to their pool of qualified, prescreened candidates. Unlike some agencies, our team at Randstad offers customized hiring solutions to help clients not simply fill open positions but recruit candidates that are an ideal fit for their company.

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The article by 任仕达.