As an industrial advertising agency, we’re always looking to speak with new manufacturers and hear their input on a variety of topics. Recently, we were privileged to host a #USAMfgHour Twitter chat. The chats are held every Thursday at 2:00 p.m. EST and cover a variety of manufacturing-related topics that are presented to a global audience. Participants are able to answer questions in real-time, respond to each other and share their thoughts on each topic. This particular session which we hosted spurred great conversation and highlighted what manufacturers are doing right with their marketing/recruiting efforts, what they’re doing wrong and how they can continually improve.
How Marketing Can Help Attract Top Talent for Your Company
In this chat, we discussed why manufacturers struggle to recruit top talent and what they can do to correct this. While manufacturers are implementing long-term strategies such as apprenticeship programs, they’re overlooking the short-term strategies that can truly pay off.
We wanted to first hear manufacturers’ perspectives on recruiting and what job candidates are looking for in a potential employer. A manufacturing professional from U.S. Tank and Cryogenic Equipment said, “I think they look for somewhere they can see themselves long term, where they feel appreciated as an individual and what they bring to the table as well as somewhere that challenges their current abilities and skills.” Other answers included work-life balance, job security, growth potential, desired pay and benefits and a sense of fulfillment.
These are all selling points that manufacturers can and should incorporate into their marketing to generate appeal from the younger generations. But the problem is that many manufacturers still look at marketing as solely a sales tool. In order to recruit the right talent and compete in what has become a much more saturated industry, manufacturers need to rethink the purpose of marketing and use it as a recruiting tool as much as a sales tool.
Align Your Marketing With What Candidates Want From an Employer
When we asked how marketing and branding can influence prospective employees, Dan Bigger of Chenango Valley Technologies said that manufacturers should use marketing to, “Show the company in a positive light. Highlight what the company is doing to make an impact not only to their customers but to the community. Focusing on the importance of their employees in and out of work.” Other manufacturers echoed Bigger’s sentiments, noting that when marketing is done right, it will give candidates a glimpse into company culture and help them imagine what it would be like to work for the company. The younger generations are looking for socially responsible companies that invest in their employees as much as their customers. They also want to know that they are somehow contributing to the greater good in their work. Manufacturers shared other attributes that candidates look for in a prospective employer, including:
• A positive public image.
• Transparency and a clear understanding of how working for your company would impact their life. They also want to know how your mission impacts the world as a whole.
• A solid social media presence that they can relate to and engage with.
Short-Term Strategies to Implement Today
We then asked manufacturers which marketing strategies they felt were most effective for recruiting new talent. Bigger said, “As a marketer, you need to highlight the daily events of the company. What is really going on. Highlight your staff. Show what they do, how they have, and make an impact. Show longevity, how long has the company and employees been around.”
If manufacturers can connect with candidates through their marketing, they’ll stand out from the majority of companies that aren’t doing this. And the whole process doesn’t need to be complicated or extensive. There are a number of ways manufacturers can make these changes quickly, such as:
• Updating your website content and dedicating a portion of it to prospective employees. Have a ‘careers’ section on the homepage that links to a dedicated careers page where you can share company videos, highlight the benefits of working for you and promote a positive company culture that candidates seek. If wordsmithing isn’t your strong suit, you can elect the help of manufacturing writers who know how to get the essential points across in an engaging and brand-focused way.
• Update job descriptions with the points that candidates care about (i.e., work-life balance, social responsibility, etc.).
• Leverage social media by sharing company videos, employee profiles, team photos and more.
These are just some of the short-term strategies that manufacturers can implement. For even more ideas, check out this article we recently wrote for Industry Today.
