Disillusionment with the high cost of a college education has spurred a growing number of Gen Z to explore the skilled trades as a career option. Coined the “Toolbelt Generation,” these new workforce entrants are finding that trade jobs can help them avoid deep student debt while putting them on a secure job track with steady income growth.
New appreciation for this essential work and career path couldn’t happen at a more consequential time for manufacturing – it’s estimated that 1.9 million jobs could go unfilled over the next 10 years. And roles requiring higher level skills could be the hardest to fill. The challenge is convincing young people interested in skilled trades to choose a manufacturing career over other paths such as electrical, plumbing, construction, and HVAC.
Communicating A Dynamic and Rewarding Profession
The manufacturing industry has long suffered from misperceptions. It’s such a problem that more than 65 percent of manufacturers cited the inability to attract and retain employees as their primary challenge.
The good news is there’s a real opportunity to turn these false impressions around and attract a new generation of employees. But the industry needs to shift its mindset. It’s time to celebrate skilled labor as an innovative and impactful career choice. Manufacturers should toss aside legacy hiring practices and consider some new approaches to finding and retaining emerging talent. Here are five strategies to consider.
- Rethink recruiting. Placing ads, posting on job boards, and holding on-site job fairs have traditionally been effective recruiting tactics, and in some cases still have merit. But, only if they’re supported by more advanced approaches that appeal to a younger generation and reach them where they are at. These include using social media, recruitment videos, virtual events, mobile applications, applicant tracking systems (ATS), and AI technology. To succeed in expanding talent engagement, recruiting teams need to feel inspired, not overwhelmed, by these new ideas. They should start small – pick one or two areas to focus on and expand from there. If possible, they should bring some Gen Z employees into the process to brainstorm ideas and offer insights into what would appeal to their peers.
- Expand the recruiting net. Most manufacturing companies are located in areas with limited talent pools. And while research shows that Millennials are continuing to move to suburban neighborhoods, the same isn’t true for Gen Z. Attracting new talent requires expanding the recruiting net outside of the organization’s immediate area, and even into communities that aren’t near a manufacturing plant. One challenge is selling both the opportunity and the area to a young prospect. A few perks to highlight include:
- Competitive compensation with a lower cost of living.
- Growth opportunity in a more supportive environment.
- Access to affordable, quality housing.
- Ability to explore a new environment.
- Perform in-person, behavioral interviews to evaluate compatibility.
- Include site tours as part of the interview process, giving potential employees a chance to see the culture first-hand and meet some of the staff.
- Leverage pre-employment assessments to gather data related to work styles, personality traits, emotional intelligence, and more.
- Flexibility: DeWALT also found that 37 percent of Gen Z students will leave skilled trades all together if they can’t find a good work-life balance. Hybrid work models, flexible hours, and respecting time-off are all crucial to keeping employees engaged and motivated.
- Advancement: Gen Z prioritizes career development and growth opportunities. Mentorship programs, continuous learning opportunities, and clear paths for career advancement are all solid differentiators for employers.
- Technology: Investing in innovative technology can boost enthusiasm and provide employees with valuable experiences that make staying with the company more appealing.
- Contribution: Skilled trade workers produce a specific piece of a product, but they often don’t understand the significance of their contribution. Showing them the end result, and how it works in the real world, can be extremely rewarding.
Through these strategies, employers can create workplaces that not only attract the Toolbelt Generation but also foster loyalty and long-term engagement. This, in turn, helps build the stronger, and more inspired teams manufacturers rely on to compete.
Sean Akin is the Vice President of Branch Operations/Fresno and Tri-Valley, CA, PrideStaff.