The manufacturing and logistics industries are hitting a fever pitch these days, with more customers making more demands and requiring lightning-fast service no matter where they are. As a result, there’s a lot of pressure on workers in these industries to work as quickly as possible—and when there’s an open position, your current workers might start to quickly feel even more pressure to do more with less.
How, then, can managers bring in talented candidates to keep production running smoothly, while also retaining the employees they already have? It’s a tall order but it can be done.
Here’s how to bring in great new employees while keeping your team happy and engaged.
5 Tips for Finding Great Employees
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Offer incentives for your team to refer their friends and family for jobs. If they know someone who might be great for an open job within your company, offer them a reward should someone they refer successfully apply and land a job. It could be cash or a gift card or some other reward, but using your internal network to find qualified candidates shows that you’re reliant on your team to be happy and engaged enough in their workplace to want to bring in someone they know well outside of work. It’s also a great way to encourage employee retention, showing your employees that you trust their judgment and value their opinions.
Connect with Your Community
Reaching out to local vocational schools and job training programs helps you expand your network and gives you a way to tap into the existing career development organizations near you. New graduates are always looking for job opportunities and worried their training won’t help them find work after completing their program; by offering a path towards employment, you’re helping raise your company’s profile and supporting a direct line towards employment.
Work with a Staffing Company
Finding the right people for your team takes time—and when you’re running a business, time is one thing that’s always in short supply. That’s where a staffing partner comes in.
A good firm doesn’t just send resumes; they take the time to understand what kind of candidate will truly fit your company—both in terms of skills and culture. From writing the job post to screening applicants and handling first-round interviews, we take the heavy lifting off your plate. That means you can stay focused on your day-to-day, while we make sure only the most qualified, reliable candidates land in your inbox.
At FurstStaffing, we specialize in finding qualified candidates for our client companies, working closely with you to understand your needs and the skills that make for successful new hires.
The result? Better hires, stronger teams, and improved retention.
When it Comes to Retention, Talk to Your Employees
If you’ve been short-staffed for a while, and the orders haven’t stopped coming in, your team might be feeling the pressure. Take the time to talk with them and see how things are going.
Do they feel stressed or is the workload manageable? Remind them that you appreciate their efforts and that you know things are demanding right now. Tell them that you’re working to hire new staff to help ease the stress and let them know about any referral programs your company has in place. Do what you can to make sure they’re getting breaks during the workday so they’re not feeling the physical effects of strain and stress.
Restate Your Commitment to Safety and Job Opportunities
In manufacturing and logistics, there are so many moving parts and pieces at any given time that the pressure to keep moving as quickly as possible might result in some cut corners. Safety cannot be one of them! When your team is shorthanded, make sure they know it is still incumbent on everyone to prioritize safety and to call out potential hazards when they appear. Review safety instructions and protocols from time to time to keep it on everyone’s mind and to help train the new employees on what’s expected of them.
Additionally, remind your team that there are opportunities for advancement and new career experiences within your company; retention can be hurt if someone feels they need to go elsewhere to learn new skills. Your team needs to know they matter to you, that you value them and their work; reasserting your company’s commitment to safety and to the ability of your team to advance their career can help with retention numbers while reminding your team that they are appreciated.
Worker retention is something all managers have to deal with from time to time. If you have a good team in place, you want to keep them where they are, but that might require a little more time spent talking and listening to them to find out their concerns and what’s currently working or in need of repair. Confident, secure workers will be glad to tell their friends about the company where they work, which can help bring in new employees. It’s a positive reinforcement cycle that can benefit your company.
Ready to Find the Right Fit?
If you need a little help bringing in qualified candidates, or if you need temporary workers to help bridge the gap, it’s time to call FurstStaffing.
We’re standing by and ready to learn more about your needs so we can find the talented candidates you need. To learn more, call FurstStaffing today and let’s get started.
