Even if you don’t have a lot of time to invest in recruiting and retaining workers, these 5 techniques will pay off by generating excitement about the future of manufacturing for your upcoming workforce. We’ve highlighted some straightforward recruitment and retention strategies that will attract Generation Z and Millennials to manufacturing jobs sooner, and keep them longer.
...instead of hiring people and trying to fit them into jobs they may not have the aptitude for (the old way of hiring). You can find out what foundational skill sets your applicants need and hire people who already have them. You then match employees with the right job right away saving you from training workers who end up not being right for the job. As examples of skills to look for in applicants, RBC’s “Humans Wanted” report suggests six that are in high demand:
If you hire applicants with these skill sets, you can transfer their skills into manufacturing training that meets the specific needs of your manufacturing sector right from the get-go.
Generation Z will be one of the most diverse workforces to date, and 77% of them say the level of diversity will affect where they work.
As an employer, you may be interested to know that diverse workplaces are:
Allow employees to work while enrolled in programs that meet the future needs of manufacturing, such as computer programming, welding, engineering and management. You benefit when you upskill your workers because then they can grow into more skilled jobs, encouraging job satisfaction and job retention. You can:
For Millennials to remain in manufacturing, they need to feel their mental health will be taken into account, and also feel they are necessary to their workplace and job.
Actions you can take to support Millennials’ work/life balance includes:
It may surprise you but Generation Z, the first digital generation, prefers to communicate with co-workers and managers in person. Rather than talking on the phone, emailing or texting, this generation is looking for a human connection at work.
You can start a dialogue with Generation Z through:
Then you can continue the human connection once they work in your manufacturing sector by:
In the next four years, Canada will offer 2.4 million more job openings as the Baby Boomers retire, so why not give those job seekers what they’re really looking for so they come and work in your manufacturing sector, and stay there.
External links are provided as informational resources only and are not necessarily endorsed by Ontario East.
References:
https://blog.ryan-jenkins.com/statistics-exposing-what-generation-z-wants-from-the-workplace
https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/195209/few-millennials-engaged-work.aspx
https://discover.rbcroyalbank.com/humans-wanted-canadian-youth-can-thrive-age-disruption/