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Every business has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have seen huge growth and rapid technological advances, while others have sadly had to close their doors following a continued decline in trade. Since then, talent shortages and staff shortages have emerged as massive economic challenges.
The pandemic also prompted me to change my career direction, as it did many others. After eight years at a global grocer, working in operational, logistics and HR leadership roles, I chose to join Michael Page, a leading recruitment agency at the forefront of tackling the workforce shortage.
I now specialize in manufacturing leadership recruitment in Yorkshire and see every day how important it is to attract and retain the right people. Today I’m going to draw on all of my experience to share some top tips for recruiting business leaders of the future in today’s manufacturing market.
🎯 Know what you want
It may sound simple, but the first step in any successful hiring process is knowing what you’re looking for. This can be surprisingly complex: many manufacturers have gone through restructuring in recent years, either through growth or recession, and so may not be looking to directly replace the incumbent’s skill set.
Before starting the recruitment process, decide what scope the role can have in both the lower and higher salary brackets. Be open to people who may need to grow in the role but have the right characteristics, and also to candidates who may be able to do more than the role initially calls for.
For an overview of salary expectations and key skills in engineering and manufacturing, see our latest article on the topic.
💻How to advertise a job
There are many tools to advertise your job vacancies to the world, but your best asset is your people. Use your existing employees to show that your company is already a great place to work, that you want to keep improving it, and that the upcoming role is part of that.
Then use the right methods for you, whether these are direct applications to your own website or recruitment team, or a partnership with a recruiter or headhunter. Every role is different, so don’t be afraid to keep an open mind with different approaches to each type of vacancy.
For a more detailed breakdown, read our guide to advertising jobs and attracting top talent.
🤝How to conduct an effective interview
Some of the biggest changes to hiring processes since the start of the pandemic have been at the interview stages. Interviews are now much more of a two-way street than they used to be – especially in light of the current applicant shortage. Therefore, the main things to focus on in the interview are the candidate’s experience and skills (using their CV as a prompt), the role and key deliverables from the perspective of the company and the future direction of the business.
It’s also crucial to include a shop tour as early as possible so the candidate can get a good idea of where they’ll (hopefully) be working. It also saves time down the line if the workshop isn’t what the candidate expected it to be.
Don’t make the mistake of waiting to interview other candidates by comparison. Too often, the candidate you’re 99% sure you want will be off the market by the time you make the offer. Someone else will see in them what you did – and if they act faster, you’ll lose a valuable addition to your team.
👍How to make an offer
When you need to make an offer, the first thing is to make it personal. Even a candidate who is excited to join your company and is looking forward to your offer may also be conflicted about leaving an existing job. The more personal the job offer, the more likely you’ll be able to ease any nervousness.
Second, but just as important, offer the candidate what you think they’re worth. This may be different than what you originally budgeted for, given that the right person may be younger or more senior than you expected.
🥇How to keep the best staff
Retention is absolutely critical to a successful long-term talent strategy, and the key to retention is simply treating people right. Treat employees with respect, encourage them to do their best, and communicate with them regularly. This will create a workplace that people are excited to come to. Don’t wait for your employees to give notice for another job before you realize how much they mean to your business.
To learn more about creating an employee value proposition that will attract and retain the best people, please download our free EVP eBook today.
At Michael Page Manufacturing, we work closely with our clients to help them hire the most in-demand candidates in the market. We also partnered with The manufacturera leading publication to help make the manufacturing sector the industry of choice for high caliber talent.
To discuss your talent needs, please get in touch today on the details below.
E: [email protected]
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