Hiring the best talent in today’s manufacturing industry isn’t easy.
The sector has been struck by a chronic skills shortage in the last couple of years. With uncertainty around Brexit on the cards, it’s unlikely that recruitment will get easier in the months to come.
The good news is that there are things manufacturing companies can do to improve their chances of successful hiring. Working with a specialist team like Sigma Recruitment is a fantastic first step. However, it’s also important to consider the impact of your employer brand too.
Now that the best candidates want more than just a salary from their employers, a brand is how you stand out from the crowd. It’s a way of convincing job seekers that you have the best opportunities to offer. 9 out of 10 candidates say they’d happily apply for a job with a company that has an actively maintained employer brand.
So, how do you make sure your reputation is up to scratch?
Start with an Employer Brand Audit
To find out where your employer brand needs improvement, start with research. What are people saying about your company online? Do people visit your job descriptions before they go elsewhere? You may have the ability to take advantage of the latest manufacturing trends this year, but it’s essential to ensure that you’re showing your potential to the world too.
Look at:
- Your competitors: How do other organisations in the manufacturing sector present themselves? Do they share more information than you? What do their employees say about them?
- Review sites: Websites like Glassdoor offer a fantastic insight into what previous and current staff members think about your business. If you have negative reviews, be prepared to address them.
- Internal surveys: Ask the people in your office how they would describe your employer brand. Make sure that the questionnaires are anonymous, so teams will be more likely to deliver honest answers.
Invest in Your Employees (and Share Success Stories)
75% of the workforce will be made up of millennials by 2025. This demographic is particularly focused on finding employers that provide opportunities to develop new skills. Over half of millennials say that chances to learn are “extremely” important to them when they’re applying for a job.
Investing in your staff’s education is beneficial to your company in a number of ways. Not only does it boost your employer brand, but it also increases your chances of retention too. What’s more, if your manufacturing team knows all the latest technical, engineering and production skills, that gives you an edge on your competitors.
Make sure that you share the success stories from each development opportunity.
Improve the Candidate and Employee Experience
Part of having an excellent employer brand is showing people that they can expect great experiences from your company. If your hiring process is slow and complicated, or there’s no onboarding strategy to guide people into their first 30 days, your reputation begins to falter.
Specialist recruitment teams like Sigma Recruitment are fantastic for helping you to improve your candidate and employee experience. We can offer guidance on how to interview and onboard your team members. What’s more, because we filter through candidates for you, we can make the hiring process faster too! Other ways to improve experiences include:
- Mapping out individual strategies for talent attraction.
- Keeping in touch with candidates during the application process, so they feel informed.
- Nurturing relationships with people who don’t “make the cut” and adding them to your talent pipeline.
Ask for and Act on Feedback
Finally, employer branding is continually changing. As candidate expectations change, and employees continue to request different things, your reputation will need to adjust. To make sure you’re staying on track, remember to ask for regular feedback.
Anonymous surveys and exit interviews are a great way to gather information. You can also ask your recruitment company to find out what attracted people to your job descriptions in the first place.
Keep in mind, inviting feedback is just the first step in the process. You’ll also need to follow up on the suggestions that employees make. This shows that you respect your team members and their needs. It also indicates that you’re willing to adapt to the changes in the manufacturing marketplace.
About Sigma Recruitment
We are ‘South Wales Recruitment Specialists’ based in Cardiff, Wales.
We offer a full range of permanent recruitment solutions to many of South Wales’ and the South Wests’ leading manufacturing, technical, automotive and life science organisations. This includes companies in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Port Talbot, Bridgend and the surrounding areas in South Wales.
Sigma Recruitment has one of the largest and most comprehensive recruitment candidate databases in the area. To get in touch with our team call us now on 02920 450 100. Alternatively, contact us here.
