Talent-building strategies that work

Talent-building strategies that work

by Mary Isbister,

president, GenMet, Mequon

In a survey of US manufacturing execs, a skilled, educated workforce is the single most critical driver of a nation’s competitiveness in the new global manufacturing landscape – and the hardest to acquire.

Further, the executives rank the difficulty of finding high-quality talent among their top “pain points”, citing a lack of skilled workers at both ends of the spectrum from engineering to the basic-skills level.

To me, these facts are more than results of a survey – they point to a real, on-going problem my company faces every day.  GenMet has built a reputation of quality, quick turn-around and innovation that has grown our business from a $3 million company to more than $12 million today.  Employee productivity has doubled, yet our ability to take on new business is threatened by the challenges of hiring new talent.  And we aren’t just looking for specialized engineering talent, we’re looking for people with basic understanding of mathematical concepts, a sense of accountability and the ability to contribute in a team-based environment.  And our large competitors who can pay a larger starting salary are looking for people with these same skills.

It’s a tough situation, and we’ve developed a strategy that has helped us attract people from the small pool of available talent; these tactics and strategies are helpful to any small manufacturer facing the same challenges. 

To attract employees, you need to succinctly explain the value and advantages that your company uniquely offers, and further, you need to be able to explain why a career in manufacturing is a compelling choice. 

Here at GenMet, we can’t offer a high starting salary like our large-corporation competitors can, but we do offer the chance for rapid advancement, continual training, tuition reimbursement, and a family-focused environment.  A career in manufacturing provides the opportunity to participate in an industry that leads in innovation and is powering the economic recovery today.

Along with articulating what your company can offer potential employees, it’s equally important to understand what employee characteristics are most important to the company.  We’ve all hired people who look great on paper but just did not fit in to the culture.  I’ve found that culture fit (attitude) trumps capability every time.  Therefore, it’s important to define the most important elements of your culture (i.e. continuous improvement, sense of accountability, team orientation, innovation, customer focus and so on), then create the mechanisms that identify culture fit.  This can include interview questions, situational interviewing, team member interview and so on.  If a person has the right attitude and a willingness to learn and contribute, then it becomes a matter of providing the training and opportunity.

Even the best hiring process can’t help if the pool of available workers is too shallow.  That’s why it’s important to start developing young talent today:

• Partner with educational institutions – offer internships and apprenticeships
• Post openings on your company website (describe career paths as well as open positions)
• Use social media tools, including LinkedIn, Facebook, You Tube and Craig’s List
• Invite people with non-manufacturing backgrounds to apply.

These tactics will help manufacturers get in touch with potential employees.  Nevertheless, even if a small manufacturer has a great recruiting strategy, the shortage of skilled/prepared workers will become even more acute.  A broader and more sustainable link must be forged between educational institutions and businesses to ensure alignment between career training and employers needs. 

I urge manufacturers to develop formal and frequent communications with their local educational institutions to refine curricula to meet current and emerging needs.

Click here to access local resources that can help you develop a skilled workforce

• Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Vice Chair)
• Milwaukee 7 Next Generation Manufacturing Council (Chair Person)
• WUWM Community Advisory Board (President)
• MMAC's Council of Small Business Executives (Director)
• MMAC (Director)
• FMA Precision Sheet Metal Council (Director)
• Ms. Isbister also acts as an employer advisor for the Regional Workforce Alliance.