reexamine your employer brand

Studies show that 72% of jobseekers research potential employers before even applying for a job. Thanks to social media and online review boards conducting this research is easier than ever. If you need more evidence of just how important your employer brand is, additional studies reveal that nearly half the candidates in the United States and the UK admit that they would not work for a company with a bad reputation. Unfortunately, manufacturing’s growing image problems also helps to exacerbate this issue for employers in the industry.

Without a strong employer brand, you literally cut your prospective talent acquisition efforts in half. This is especially true for manufacturers due to the numerous workers’ misconceptions about the industry. So, not only do you have to take steps to enhance your company’s unique employer brand, but you should also work towards improving the industry’s brand image as well.

Fortunately, there are things you can do right now to enhance your employer brand and attract quality candidates.

1. conduct an employer brand audit

It would be impossible to enhance your employer brand without first examining the current condition of your employer image. Conduct an employer brand audit to determine what your current and prospective employees think about your company as an employer. This audit will highlight your company’s strengths as well as shed light on some areas that need improvement. Most importantly, this critical data will ensure your company is moving in the right direction to rebuild its brand.

2. create a safe workplace environment

While workplaces around the globe are beginning to reopen at full capacity, workers' anxiety about a post-pandemic workplace is still high. In fact, according to a recent survey of more than 4,500 workers from five different countries, 100% have some level of anxiety about returning to work. You can help to alleviate some of this stress and boost your employer brand reputation simultaneously by prioritizing health and safety in the workplace. Post-pandemic practices, such as safety training, social-distancing workstations, flexible scheduling and handwashing stations, can go a long way in boosting your employer brand image and letting your workers and prospective candidates know you care about their safety.

conduct a skills assessment

One quick look around the manufacturing plant will reveal just how much the industry has changed in the last five years alone. There’s no denying that automation and digital technology are here to stay with no end in sight. As this technology becomes more and more advanced, so will the need for advanced skills.

With the predicted 2 million shortage of skilled manufacturing workers on the horizon, now is the time for manufacturers to take action. You cannot wait for the need for skilled workers in your company to become imminent. Instead, start planning now to ensure you’re prepared to meet both current and future hiring needs as quickly as possible.

1. assess current and future skills needs

When conducting a skills assessment, it’s important to identify the skills your company needs right now as well as the types of skills your company is most likely to need in the future. Considering today’s looming skills shortage, this step is imperative to helping employers prepare their workforce for the future of work.

Additionally, make sure you identify hard skills as well as soft skills, such as agility, communication, critical thinking and adaptability. It’s important to complete a skills assessment for multiple positions within the company, especially for those roles that are most difficult to fill.

2. update job descriptions

Once you have determined what types of skills your business needs for various roles within the company, take the time to update your job descriptions. When updating these job descriptions, think about them from the viewpoint of prospective candidates and make sure it clearly defines what the role is, what the company expectations are and what skill sets are necessary to be successful on the job. With accurate job descriptions at all levels within the company, you are more likely to source candidates that already have the required skills or are capable of gaining these skills through experience and on-the-job training.

3. make training part of the onboarding process

Now that you’ve identified the types of skills you want your workers to have, it will be easier to adapt your new hire training process to match these objectives. Be sure to include a structured training program in your onboarding process to ensure these new employees have the right skill sets for the role and can therefore be successful on the job.

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