According to a 2024 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute report, up to 3.8 million net new manufacturing employees will be needed between 2024 and 2033. However, the National Association of Manufacturers’ 2024 First Quarter Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey found that over 65% of respondents indicated attracting and retaining talent was their primary challenge.
Although approximately 78% of respondents reported that increased wages, salaries, benefits, and overtime helped strengthen employee attraction and retention, compensation increases are not always the best hiring solution. Understanding current manufacturing workforce dynamics helps develop effective strategies without increasing labor costs.
These hiring strategies help attract and retain manufacturing employees without wage increases.
Participate in the Local Manufacturing Community
Actively engage in local manufacturing associations, networking groups, job fairs, career expos, and recruiting events:
- Build relationships with industry professionals.
- Discuss your company’s culture, job opportunities, and career paths with active and passive candidates.
- Gain insights into local manufacturing talent pools.
- Enhance your employer brand.
- Grow your candidate pipeline.
Offer Manufacturing Apprenticeships
Partner with area vocational schools, community colleges, and organizations to offer manufacturing apprenticeships:
- Participants develop manufacturing knowledge and skills while gaining paid, hands-on experience.
- Your organization trains apprentices according to business needs.
- Apprentices who complete their programs can become full-time employees.
Create an Employee Referral Program
Develop a simple program encouraging your manufacturing employees to refer qualified members of their network:
- Include clear hiring criteria and an employee incentive for new hires who remain for a specific time.
- Regularly communicate with employees about a referral’s progress in the hiring process.
- Recognize employees and successful referrals during team meetings.
Post on Niche Job Boards
Niche job boards catering to manufacturing roles help employers quickly find qualified candidates:
- com offers thousands of applicants in engineering, operations, production, and other fields.
- com lets employers post programmatic and display advertising campaigns, text and email job seekers, and participate in hiring events.
- com connects employers with thousands of engineering, production, and operations candidates and resumes.
Encourage Career Development
Managers can work with employees to develop organizational career paths:
- Clarify opportunities for advancement.
- Include the criteria for promotions.
- Offer opportunities to develop the required skills and experience for advancement.
Work with a Manufacturing Recruitment Agency
Let Impact Staffing get to work sourcing qualified manufacturing candidates to fill your hiring needs. Start the process today.
