The Perfect Storm

A perfect storm of factors has converged over the last few decades, creating and sustaining the current state of the manufacturing job market. Factors that have contributed to the ongoing skills gap include:

• The negative image of the industry--only 3/10 parents would encourage their children to pursue manufacturing careers.
• The mass exodus of baby boomers from the job market.
• Generation Y (young people ages 19-33) rank manufacturing last as a career choice.
• A lack of investment in STEM subjects in U.S. public high schools.
• The wage paradox: 80% of manufacturers are willing to pay more than market rate for skilled personnel, but that personnel is hard to find and keep.
• Inability to keep workers past an initial probationary period.
• Inability to find workers who can pass initial screening tests.
• A small supply pool of scientists, engineers, researchers and other highly skilled professionals.
• Real-World Strategies to Eliminate the Skills Gap

According to the Deloitte survey, it typically takes more than 90 days to recruit highly skilled professionals like scientists, researchers and engineers, and it takes an average of 70 days to fill other skilled production positions.

So what are employers to do given the bleak outlook for hiring? With the right strategies in place, productivity and profits do not have to suffer.

Develop Skills Within

While you cannot relax hiring standards for jobs that require master's degrees or PhDs, you can focus on growing entry-level employees over time. You can develop new employees through apprenticeship programs, tuition reimbursement for pursuing and achieving certifications, and implementing on-the-job training programs. Focusing on developing from the ground up allows you to tap into a wider pool of potential talent while improving long-term retention rates. Employees are more likely to stay if they feel their employer is invested in their career development.

The key here is to have the right recruiting tools in place to attract people who have the potential to learn, the passion to grow, and the skills to hit the ground running. This isn't always an easy task for internal hiring teams. A strategic manufacturing recruiter will have a pipeline of active and passive talent they can match with the precise skills you are looking for and the potential to grow with you over time.

Fill Your Pipeline with Active and Passive Candidates

If you are constantly scrambling to fill open positions, you must take time to develop your pipeline with trained, certified specialists who are actively seeking new positions, as well as passive talent--people who are skilled and happily employed, but who are willing to make a change when the right opportunity comes along.

Building a pipeline takes serious time and planning. You must be able to forecast demand based on outside forces like the economy or changes in the workforce, as well as inside forces like new clients or contracts. To do that, you must constantly make new contacts with potential candidates and maintain relationships over time.

Frankly, most internal HR teams do not have this type of bandwidth. Strategic recruiters, however, are able to source qualified candidates with the skills you need quickly, which means open positons don't say open for long.

Embrace Contractors

Closing the skills gap requires employers to rethink traditional recruiting methods. Temporary employees, contractors and consultants can help efficiently close gaps. There are many highly skilled workers who embrace short-term assignments for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to:

Re-entry into the workforce after a period of raising children or caring for an ailing parent.
Entering the civilian workforce after military service.
Working on a limited basis after retirement.
Requiring a limited or flexible schedule in order to care for children, attend school, etc.
Gaining exposure to a variety of companies and projects.
Personal preference.
These individuals come from every background, possess a variety of sought-after skill sets and boast diversity of experience. They are all willing to jump in and tackle assignments and projects that utilize their skills. They can be valuable assets during periods of high demand, when launching a new project or product, or to cover positions that will eventually be filled with full-time employees.

The skills gap is real, but it does not have to slow production or stymie long-term growth. With the right strategy in place--and the right recruiting partner on your side--your firm can eliminate the gap.