The start of 2020 found manufacturers confronting a tighter labor market than ever, as the US unemployment rate hit a 50-year low of 3.5%. Needless to say, the situation changed dramatically once the coronavirus crisis reached American shores. Whether the post-virus labor market will be as tight as it once was or additional talented workers will be available, manufacturers with recruitment tools already in place will be best positioned to compete for and attract the most in-demand candidates.
Employer Reputation Matters
Companies with strong employer brands attract more than double the applicants as companies with a poor employer reputation, according to CareerArc.com. Once job seekers read a negative employer review on a job search site, they’re more likely than not to abandon their job application. Yet fewer than half of all employers ever monitor those reviews. If you don’t already do so, consider auditing employer reviews and addressing any recurrent themes that arise.
How Branding Helps
If you’ve struggled to recruit qualified employees, perhaps your brand is sending the wrong message and could use a make-over. Rebranding allows you to accurately show candidates what your organization is all about and position your organization as an employer of choice.
Job Seekers are Searching Differently Than in the Past
Put your branding efforts to work reaching qualified candidates. Today, 79% of job seekers use social media as part of their search, with 61% of them visiting company sites before applying, according to Inc. Magazine. Job seekers are qualifying you long before you can qualify them.
Leverage social media to attract passive and active seekers. Showcase your culture by highlighting things your company does to encourage employee satisfaction. Ask employees to share job postings on their social media accounts, and use targeted social media ads to target specific locations, demographics, industries, and more. Design and execute an ongoing social media recruiting campaign that gets you in front of candidates before they’re gone (the average qualified candidate stays on the job market for 10 days, tops).
8 Tips for a Great Careers Page
Once you’ve used great employer reviews and social media to draw candidates to your website, be sure that your careers page (you do have one, right?) seals the deal. Follow these eight tips to convert visitors to applicants.
- If you build it, let them know about it: be sure to include a prominent careers page link in your main navigation
- You only get one chance to make a first impression, so treat this page as just as important as any customer-facing messaging
- Maintain current job postings, to keep visitors from leaving your site in frustration
- Showcase your culture so candidates can see what’s in it for them
- Highlight your employee benefits, making it clear what candidates can expect
- Keep it mobile-friendly for job seekers who are checking you out on the go
- Don’t be shy! Provide a clear call to action (CTA), and make it easy to submit an application
- Measure the page’s performance and adjust accordingly
While none of us has a crystal ball, it’s safe to assume that manufacturers with effective recruiting tools will be better positioned to build a team that’s ready to face the future, whatever it holds.
This article was originally published in the May 2020 issue of the Michigan Manufacturers Association’s MiMfg Magazine. Read the article.
