Manufacturing has a workforce PR problem. Approximately 3.8 million manufacturing jobs are expected to be needed by 2033, and 1.9 million of those could remain unfilled due to the skills gap. There's an evolving workforce imbalance and deficit resulting from the retirement of a large population, the creation of new jobs by recent legislation, recurring volatility, and stigmas associated with certain working environments. Meanwhile, attracting and retaining talent remains a core business challenge for manufacturers.
From professional experience, I've seen firsthand how strong employer branding can significantly enhance recruiting, engagement, and retention of employees within manufacturing. The reward of working in this industry is getting to be part of a team that takes ideas, manufactures them into existence, and releases innovation into the world. As marketers, communicators, and promoters, it's up to us to help tell and amplify that story.
At the same time, it is important that we understand our industry. We can’t innovate without manufacturing, and you cannot sustain manufacturing without people and processes, i.e. continuous improvement. The challenge? Continuous improvement cannot happen without retrospectively reviewing processes that resulted in failed outcomes and identifying which actions to start, stop, and continue, nor can it happen without identifying root causes and corrective actions along the way. I’ve used these manufacturing principles to outline my insights. Here’s what my tenure at a global manufacturing company taught me to start, stop, and continue doing when it comes to internal communications, employer branding, and company culture.
Successful internal communications fosters employee engagement, a sense of belonging, and connection. Some do this through snackable storytelling; others through two-way communication efforts. Let your internal communications lead by spotlighting work anniversaries, certifications, team successes and engagements, community events, and employee volunteer efforts.
Storytelling and humanizing content begins by connecting your internal and external communications functions, as the best external content often comes from someone with an internal finger on the pulse. People follow people, and your employees are your best brand ambassadors. Consider sharing employee testimonials from those in hard-to-fill roles, so candidates can envision themselves working at your company.
Outdated perceptions of dirty, dark, dangerous, and dull work environments hinder people from considering a job in manufacturing as desirable.
Understand that employees are proud of their work environments and often make them their own, constantly suggesting ways to improve them, such as making them more presentable, branded, efficient, safer, and cleaner.
Put on the PPE and hit the floor to see for yourself. Do it often, and get to know your on-site employees and the spaces they work in. If production floor employees only see office staff when the goal is to showcase the company externally, you’re missing the mark, and you will not get input, buy-in, or commitment to promoting your workplace.
Showing work environments accomplishes two things:
Consider using virtual tour videos and employee videos to explain complex processes and highlight the importance of their roles in employer branding efforts. Debunking the dark, dirty, and dull myth may enable potential future employees to see themselves making the leap.
When it comes to recruiting, identify your hard-to-fill roles that either require specialized training or have the most turnover. Then, target candidates based on the channels where they are present and consume information. A workforce evolution is underway, and it is essential to understand what truly matters to each generation in their ideal role, what they expect from their employer, and how to reach them effectively. Candidate personas and what’s in it for them (WIIFT) messaging are essential for recruiting the ideal candidate.
Keep in mind, messaging that resonates will not be a one-size-fits-all solution for diverse roles and age groups. Infuse WIIFT messaging into value propositions, recruiter messaging, and marketing — from online content and in-person recruiting events to their first days on the job. If a candidate is interested in training, promote success stories that highlight achievements or progress being made in workforce training. If they are looking for a supervisor skilled at managing people, highlight the fact that your managers go through recurring management and emotional intelligence training.
Budget constraints, time limitations, and a lack of role or job understanding often plague HR departments. The talent you need may not even be aware of you, and you need to get your message in front of those actively looking, as well as those who are not. Don't assume that if you build it, they will come. With job sites, adding a little paid promotion behind job postings can pay dividends. With paid social media ads, you can effectively reach your target audience based on specific demographics and interests.
Outbound marketing tactics, such as an ad appearing in someone’s feed as they scroll, are essential to staying ahead of your competition in this labor market. Once you determine the correct channel for your future workforce, research how competitive the market is for your roles in your region and budget accordingly. The ROI will offset the costs of continual turnover.
Eliminate this phrase from your recruiting pitches and new hire orientations. New hires see this as a red flag. The employee-employer relationship is transactional, not familial.
Generational workforce expectations have evolved, and today, employers must assume that every new hire is a flight risk. I recently heard Cara Silletto, president and chief retention officer of Magnet Culture, say in a keynote, “Nobody wants to work… in these conditions.” Fix the narrative by fixing the conditions, and you’ll achieve loyalty, tenure, or both. Some of those conditions could include mandatory overtime, faulty equipment, unclear expectations and definitions of success, and a company culture that prioritizes process and profitability over people, all while conflicting mission and value statement banners hang from the rafters, juxtaposed against the actual employee experience.
What really matters to employees is financial compensation and flexibility. Other highly valued rewards include learning and development opportunities and personalized wellness benefits. If you’re set on providing a meal, make it a hot, catered meal where the C-suite humbly serves employees, connects with them personally, and thanks them face-to-face for their recent impact on business and customer success.
Oftentimes, high-performing employees are asked to join committees as a form of talent development. Although committee assignments are a cost-effective solution to employees feeling valued and companies getting the most in their overall business strategy, expecting someone to work outside of their job description, especially without reward, makes your best employees feel undervalued and may result in them burning out and leaving. To alleviate these negative consequences, consider building these committee opportunities into your company's goal-setting and review process. The SMART framework, an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, evaluates goals achieved in a clear, trackable, and attainable manner so that company objectives are aligned and met, while at the same time, employees are measured and rewarded for their extra efforts.
If an employee works overtime or comes in on a day off, don’t make a big deal out of it. By focusing the message on the sacrifice rather than the specific outcome, it sends a signal to the rest of the workforce that the only way to be recognized is through immense and continual sacrifice, which counters any notion of a healthy work-life balance. “Jeff stepped in to support the team in resolving the machine error, helping to meet customer demand,” is recommended over “Jeff cancelled his vacation to help the team.”
Words like integrity, honesty, and respect are table stakes, which are foundational, minimum standards of behavior in any work environment. Company values should be rooted in cultural language that is action-oriented, familiar, and aspirational. Values should have associated behaviors that clearly define what it takes for each employee to be successful within the company’s culture. Furthermore, new hire orientations can educate and model the very definition of what it takes to work for your company, so that new hires know what behaviors reinforce those company values and what is acceptable behavior. For example, an employee being more solution-oriented by asking, “What more can I do?” before passing off tasks or decisions to others is a behavior that supports company values such as teamwork or winning together.
Marketing and communications professionals sit at a unique intersection within a company. By understanding the C-suite's business objectives and working with multiple departments such as HR, sales, and operations, marketing and communications professionals can reach diverse audiences effectively. In doing so, they directly influence revenue generation, culture and retention, as well as employer branding and recruiting.
A key component of meeting business objectives is including the marketing and communications function in the company’s strategic planning. An often overlooked solution to telling a cohesive company story that resonates with all audiences, no matter the objective, is aligning internal and external communications functions within each business unit or department. External communicators see a story from an internal perspective and know how to position and leverage it effectively externally. Internal communicators understand that employees need to know what the company promises externally so that new customers, new hires, and other partner stakeholders can truly experience what is promised through the experience with employees themselves. With all of the resources needed in mind, if it doesn’t exist in-house, remember that with an agency serving as your strategic partner and subject matter expert on assets and strategies, a company can scale quickly on its marketing and communications efforts.
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