Industrial Recruitment: Tips for Building a Strong Talent Pool

Labor market analytics firm Lightcast recently predicted that the U.S. will soon face one of the most significant labor shortages in its history. Often, with a labor shortage comes increased competition for talent. In the industrial sector, this means companies may have a more challenging time filling crucial roles like maintenance technicians, production supervisors, and plant managers.

Ongoing labor shortages often produce operational inefficiencies and can lead to employee burnout, a lack of innovation, and an inability to meet strategic goals and objectives. For many in the industrial sector, building a strong talent pool can be an effective mitigation measure against these potentially devastating issues. 

If you’re looking to insulate your business from social and economic headwinds, here’s how you can build an industrial recruitment pipeline to ensure consistent access to top talent.

Why Is Industrial Recruitment Facing a Labor Shortage?

While the labor shortage issue is multi-faceted across industries, many recent reports indicate that there are several main factors driving this phenomenon.

The Baby Boomers Are Retiring

Estimates show that about five million people have recently left the labor force. Experts believe that baby boomers account for 80% of those five million. The U.S. is facing an aging labor force that is retiring in droves, leaving many open positions in the industrial sector and beyond.

Societal Factors Are Becoming More of an Issue

As baby boomers retire, it seems that they are transferring more wealth to their millennial children. This may reduce millennials’ incentives to work longer hours. 

Additionally, societal issues like incarceration, substance abuse, and rates of college attendance are impacting the number of candidates available to work in the industrial sector and may be shrinking the talent pool.

Creating and Maintaining a Viable Talent Pool in an Age of Talent Scarcity

Though these issues may seem insurmountable, the good news is that there are actions you can take to mitigate the risks of a severe labor shortage and ensure you have the talent you need to maintain productivity and drive innovation.

Establish a Strong Employer Brand

A strong employer brand makes a name for your business among candidates looking for jobs in the industry. As a result, you may find it easier to attract top-notch candidates to your company. 

As you build your employer brand, remember that it’s less about polished social media posts and perfectly crafted messages than it is about the reputation your company has for a great culture and fair compensation packages. Some ways to build your reputation may include:

• Using social media to highlight employee success stories and “day in the life” content

• Posting genuine responses to current and former employee concerns on employer review sites like Glassdoor

• Showcasing authentic employee recognition so that candidates can see tangible evidence of a culture of appreciation

It’s also crucial to remember that the candidate’s experience is a significant factor in your employer brand. As much as possible, streamline your application process and communicate with candidates throughout every stage, as 70% of job seekers lose interest when they don’t hear from you.

Engage With Active and Passive Candidates

To build and maintain a solid talent pipeline in a competitive market, you must engage with as many candidates as possible. You can build and launch targeted campaigns for candidates actively looking for new positions by ensuring your advertising reaches them via their preferred avenues. 

While posting detailed job descriptions on job boards is still important, you may also want to consider developing a few social media campaigns. This is especially crucial as over 40% of Gen Z applicants are now searching for career advice and finding jobs via social media. 

Additionally, make efforts to engage passive candidates who are not actively searching for a new job but may be open to leaving their current position if the compensation or culture is attractive enough. 

You can meet these types of candidates at networking events in your area, or reach out to potential candidates on LinkedIn to gauge their interest. You can also ask employees to refer anyone they know who may be interested in a new role.

Build Relationships With Educational Institutions

Engaging with educational institutions can help you find recent graduates who have the education and skills to be successful at your company. This can be as simple as hosting regular job fairs for students nearing the end of their degree programs or creating apprenticeships to generate interest and build employer brand awareness.

Additionally, you can partner with a school’s career center to host events for current students and recent graduates. This is an excellent way for potential candidates to meet current employees and members of the leadership team and talk about open positions at your company.

Keep All Candidates in the Pipeline

Make sure to keep all candidates who have applied for a role at your company in the recruitment pipeline. Whether you are experiencing a hiring freeze and aren’t able to add to your company right now or you have decided a candidate doesn’t fit the criteria for the role they applied for, it’s important to keep them engaged with your company.

In the case of hiring freezes, keeping in touch with candidates can improve their experience and make your company more memorable — and desirable — in their eyes. This may increase the chances they’ll apply for a role when the freeze ends.

The Benefits of Working With a Specialized Recruitment Firm

You can ensure steady access to qualified candidates and build a solid talent pool by partnering with a recruitment firm. This can have the following benefits for businesses in the industrial sector:

• Access to candidates with niche industry knowledge of necessary skills and qualifications

• A reduction in cost-per-hire as businesses spend less money on recruitment

• The chance to build a long-term relationship to ensure continuous access to a built-in talent pool

These benefits can help you maintain efficient hiring, even when faced with labor shortages.

Your Talent Pool Can Help Your Business Thrive in Competitive Hiring Markets

As the labor shortage continues to grow, it’s critical for companies to find innovative ways to keep pipelines full of qualified candidates. Establishing an employer brand, engaging with active and passive candidates, and ensuring steady communication throughout the hiring process are key in this regard. 

With a little creative thinking and the right partnerships, your company can experience success in hiring no matter what the landscape looks like.