5 Main Challenges of Recruiting for the Industrial Sector
Are you struggling to recruit for your transportation, logistics, warehouse, distribution or manufacturing business? We’ve identified the 5 main challenges for hiring in the industrial sector, so that you know how to increase your workforce easily and more effectively.
1. Shortages
The most obvious challenge in recruiting for specialized roles is the lack of skilled workers. Finding workers that are knowledgeable, dedicated, and passionate about industrial processes and facilities remains difficult, but employers can:
- Create partnerships with local high schools, colleges and trade schools to showcase career paths
- Demonstrate technology that is impacting and creating opportunities
- Invest more in training
Training current employees or developing training programs can help recruit new workers to the industrial sector.
2. Competitive Compensation
When it comes to paying employees, the challenge stems from being able to offer competitive salaries, without harming the bottom line. In developing a competitive pay practice, successful employers are practicing the following trends:
- Knowing the market
- Benchmarking salaries
- Developing a compensation plan
- Finding pay inequities
- Communicating company strategies and goals
Competitive pay can move industrial companies towards their goals of attracting and retaining talent. It can also increase productivity, as employees can spend more time focusing on their job duties and less time seeking better-paying jobs.
3. Shift Flexibility
Industrial workers are citing flexibility as one of the top things they look for in a job. Some easy ways to create flexible work schedules include:
- Flexible hours and shift work for better work-life balance
- Offering flex hours so employees can choose their start and end times to match family schedules
- Longer hours per day, but compressed work weeks
- Create paid time off policies, or offer floating holidays
- Offering part-time work and job sharing
When employees have more control over their schedules, they are happier, less stressed, and more productive. By offering flexibility in creative ways, industrial companies can give their staff a better work-life balance and increase their engagement at work, so the company can thrive.
4. Seasonal Demand
Industrial operations are subject to cyclical production. By planning effectively for seasonality, industrial managers can stay ahead and ensure that they have personnel for peak seasons. Keys for effective planning include:
- Gathering and analyzing data from past years
- Enhancing the recruitment process with new trends
- Reviewing human resources staffing utilization records
- Identifying ways to shorten production or rethink efficiencies
- Streamlining final assembly
While a forward-thinking philosophy could accommodate the need for recruiting, there is a risk of over-staffing. Being able to adapt to the demand of the industry is key to successful industrial staffing and recruitment during seasonal cycles.
5. Attracting and Retaining Millennials
Expected to make up almost 50% of the workforce by 2020, millennials (born from early 1980s to early 2000s) are starting to dominate the workforce.
It’s important to stand out in your industry so that these candidates seek out a position in your company. Use of content and social media strategies are becoming necessary to reach people. Build up the Careers section of your website and invest the time in creating a great interview and follow up process.
Millennials are looking for growth opportunities, mentoring, and often value flexible working hours over higher compensation.
As more millennials enter the job force, a focus on personal needs and a company who promotes open communication and regular feedback is the key to retaining these employees.
TIS Personnel Can Handle Your Industrial Recruiting Challenges
At TIS Personnel recruitment agency in Montreal, we understand that you need qualified and reliable professionals for these important jobs, so we work hard to carefully match someone from our extensive candidate database of over 10,000 pre-screened candidates with your unique needs.
We also offer specialized warehouse and distribution administration consulting to help identify areas of your current operations that can be streamlined to increase efficiency and level-up your company’s logistical processes. We understand the challenges that employers face, and can advise you on how to continue attracting and retaining quality employees.
Partner with the specialist staffing agency in Montreal who knows your unique business needs and will work closely with you to overcome your current staffing challenges. Contact us today to find the right people to help you grow your team or ramp up your existing business operations.
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