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Hiring light industrial workers isn’t quite the same as hiring in other industries. Light industrial staffing requires the right touch, the right messaging, and an awareness of the current state of the industry and what workers are looking for. It also requires knowledge of where light industrial workers are looking for jobs – workers aren’t necessarily looking for jobs the same way they did ten years ago, or even five.

Adding to the difficulty that manufacturing employers face is the tough talent market which nearly every business is currently experiencing. Retiring Baby Boomers, lower labor force participation, and the aftereffects of the recent pandemic, coupled with societal shifts and changing attitudes about the nature of work itself, make it harder than ever to attract top light industrial candidates to jobs at businesses essential to our continued economic stabilization.

So, what are manufacturing employers to do? They still need great people to keep operations running and their bottom line growing. And while it’s obvious they still need to offer compelling pay and benefits in order to attract top talent, that doesn’t necessarily do the trick for every candidate.

There are several strategic, results-based tactics which manufacturing employers should be performing to attract talent in today’s tough market. Let’s take a look at some of the strategies hiring managers can put in place to make a positive difference in finding and retaining light industrial employees.

5 Tips for Hiring Top Light Industrial Workers

Here are five strategic recommendations from Doherty Staffing Solutions’ employment experts on successfully attracting and retaining light industrial workers for manufacturing businesses:

#1: Create Attractive Job Postings

We all know how important first impressions are. What is the first impression a candidate will have with a company during a job search? In most cases, it’s an online job posting. The language included on this key element of recruitment is the first time a candidate will interact with a business. If it does its job, the candidate will apply. If it doesn’t, they’ll simply move on.

The best job postings paint a picture of the daily responsibilities associated with the position – as well as how the position fits in with the bigger picture. Keep the job description simple; there’s no need to add fluffy words or coded language…in fact, this approach might even turn candidates off.

When crafting job postings, think about the skills needed most. Create a checklist of the skills the candidate will absolutely need to be successful in the position, as well as some nice-to-haves. And don’t forget about the soft skills, like communication and leadership. The best job postings make it clear that both technical skills, personality and character elements are all important.

#2: Implement a Light Industrial Employee Referral Program

Talented people tend to flock together, and light industrial workers tend to know other light industrial workers. Consider implementing an employee referral program to gain access to that easily accessible talent pool. Sometimes, a company’s existing employees are the best recruiters. Think about it: these people know the job well, and they can speak intelligently and accurately about the company. If they have good things to say, it’s a powerful recruitment tool.

Create an incentive structure that offers a reward for workers who recommend people who are hired. The reward could be a cash bonus or a simple gift card; a company might even set up a structure in which the referred employee has to work for a certain period of time before the reward is given. This ensures employees won’t make referrals that don’t work out just to get the reward.

#3: Utilize Social Media to Recruit Light Industrial Workers

How does social media factor into any company’s current light industrial staffing strategy? If it doesn’t, they’re missing out on candidates that hiring managers could otherwise be engaged. So, what exactly should hiring managers be doing to attract light industrial workers through social media?

• • Share the right content.
    Simply posting an open job to a company’s social media channels won’t cut it. Hiring managers need to be sharing helpful information and insights about the industry and business. Link to authoritative articles. Share posts from industry influencers or retweet relevant content. Focus on adding value for candidates through the company’s social platforms, and hiring managers will start attracting them more and more.
  • Choose the right platform.
    Sometimes, employers make the mistake of thinking that LinkedIn is the only place to find job candidates. And while it is the leading professional networking site, LinkedIn is not necessarily where light industrial candidates are found. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and even TikTok are probably better platform choices when it comes to finding and engaging light industrial workers via social media.
  • Use hashtags and keywords.
    Do some basic research and find out what keywords and hashtags push the most popular light industrial content to the top of the social media pile. Then, include those hashtags and keywords in job postings. It’s a great way to get more eyeballs and interest on all the company’s social posts and therefore jobs.

#4: Simplify Hiring Process for Candidates

How complex is the hiring process? Research has shown that the more complicated a hiring process is, the more likely candidates are to simply quit halfway through, oftentimes before they’ve filled out a single field. That’s why simplifying the hiring process as much as possible is a good idea. Ask what information is really needed up-front in order to initially engage with a candidate. Some of the more extraneous information can be collected at a later time – if hiring managers don’t need every detail of a candidate’s background experience or education right away, leave it out for now.

Another tip: Today’s job seekers are often applying to jobs from their phone, not sitting in front of a desktop computer. Because so much recruiting happens through mobile phones, it’s essential that career sites and job postings are optimized for mobile ingestion, so candidates have a simple way to apply right from their device.

#5: Leverage a Light Industrial Staffing Agency

Does finding and hiring light industrial talent via internal resources alone own seem like a daunting task? There’s no question it’s difficult and time-consuming. That’s why employers and hiring teams may want to leverage the experience of a light industrial staffing agency to attract and hire manufacturing workers. A staffing partner with handle all aspects of the recruitment process – all hiring managers need to do is meet with top candidates and choose the best fit for the organization.

There are many great reasons to partner with a light industrial staffing agency:

• • Faster time-to-hire.
    Often, hiring managers don’t have time to wait around for weeks or months to bring on talented light industrial workers for a special project. Recruiters have large networks of talent waiting to be deployed, meaning employers get access to the skillsets they need, fast.
  • It’s cost-effective.
    Some employers make the mistake of thinking staffing through a light industrial agency is too expensive. In reality, companies actually save precious resources by outsourcing the recruiting process. Plus, it frees up hiring teams to focus on core business initiatives rather than the ins and outs of attracting and retaining the right light industrial talent.
  • Industry expertise.
    Recruiters who specialize in the light industrial staffing field know what skills and experience manufacturing employers looking for in talent. Whether the company needs a Forklift Operator or a Picker-Packer, a Welder or a Maintenance Technician, light industrial staffing agencies have access to the workers needed – and that talent can be difficult to find alone.
  • Access to passive candidates.
    At times, the skilled workers a manufacturing company is looking for are hard to find because they’re already employed, rather than actively looking for a job. However, recruiters at a light industrial staffing agency know how to access passive candidates and entice them to join another team. In this way, a company gains access to an entire swath of the talent pool that they would otherwise miss out on.
  • Specialized staffing options.
    Whether a manufacturing employer needs temporary workers to complete a special project or cover for absences and vacations, or they’re looking for a full-time team member, light industrial staffing firms offer a variety of services and solutions to help achieve employment goals. Hiring teams can even use temp-to-hire staffing to try out an employee on the job, evaluating them on-site for cultural fit, skills, and work ethic, before committing to a full-time relationship.

Recruit Light Industrial Workers in Minnesota with Doherty

Manufacturing companies looking to hire light industrial workers should turn to one of the leading light industrial staffing agencies in Minnesota, Doherty Staffing Solutions. We provide a wide variety of employment solutions including temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire staffing arrangements, along with on-site programs, payrolling services, and more. Additionally, our Coordinated Supplier Program (CSP) is a custom workforce solution crafted especially for the light industrial sector that utilizes a combination of people and technology to manage multiple staffing relationships. Through a CSP, Doherty’s employment experts streamline communication, increase operational efficiency, and control staffing costs.

If a hiring team is ready to find the light industrial workers needed to keep operations running smoothly, turn to Doherty Staffing Solutions. Contact our team today to learn more about the services we provide and how we can turn challenging light industrial staffing situations around.