From Turnover to Thriving…3 Tips to Unleash Your Culture for Recruiting Power
by Thomas Schultz, CLA Talent Solutions
This vlog is part of CLA’s Manufacturing Leadership Series…From Turnover to Thriving. Labor is top of mind for manufacturers and the competition is fierce for skilled employees, especially for hard-to-fill positions. In this vlog, you’ll learn the difference between commodity recruiting and culture recruiting, and how changing your mindset and approach can recharge your hiring practices.
“Are you tough enough to work here?”
Those are the words we used to reposition hard-to-fill foundry jobs. Taking a fresh approach turned the stale and unsuccessful recruiting efforts into a resounding success.
Why?
Because this company stopped looking at their jobs like a commodity and instead tapped into the work culture, attracting applicants who otherwise drove right by billboards or skimmed past checklist-based job descriptions.
We found the audience and the language that spoke to them.
Commodity Versus Culture
When you buy fuel, you probably base your decision on price and convenience.
Fuel is a commodity. Commodities are mass produced with little differentiation.
Using the company logo or product alone might not be the differentiator you think they are when open manufacturing positions look like a commodity – similar tasks and output.
Using the tasks potential employees will perform is not enough to attract today’s talent. How does your company position itself differently from everyone else? It’s not your sign saying ‘Now Hiring,’ or your basic job description on online job boards. Unfortunately, most job descriptions wind up being task lists.
If you lead with your products, you’re only reaching people who already might be interested in your brand. You’ve reached an audience who might buy your product, not potential employees.
To help you build your product, think about your culture when recruiting.
Culture reflects how a company regards and treats employees, and leveraging culture when recruiting builds on who you are as much as what you do. Are you recruiting in a way that answers the following questions:
- What’s different about your company?
- What do you offer that other companies don’t?
- What makes you a leader? An innovator?
- What is a source of pride for your workforce?
- Why do the people who work for you want to work there?
People can work almost anywhere nowadays. They have to choose to work for you.
Your culture includes your company’s beliefs, values, language, goals and mission. You won’t find a differentiator in a commodity, but you can find it in culture.
Show Off Your Culture
According to recruitment.com, here are the top three things that make for a great work experience:
- Ability to manage work/life balance.
- Recognition for contributions.
- Opportunities to learn new skills and technologies.
Use these three differentiators in your recruiting to tout what makes you special.
When a new employees join the company based on the reflection they saw in your culture – there is a higher chance for talent “stick.” The sooner a person becomes comfortable with your organization and how it works, and their ability to realize these three top benefits, the better. This is especially true if culture is one of the reasons why they joined your company.
Ready to put culture to work in your recruiting? Let’s talk!
Jennifer Clement is an executive sales and marketing leader specializing in value creation for the C-suite. In her current role at CLA, Jennifer collaborates on strategy with executives of global manufacturing and distribution companies to accelerate results. Previously Jennifer served as a Global Business Acceleration Leader for Complete Manufacturing and Distribution (CMD). During her time with CMD, Jennifer lived and worked in Asia from 2015-2019. Prior to CMD, she spent 10 years in senior care technology. Jennifer started her career at Johnson Controls (JCI) and spent nine years in leadership roles; followed by five years at Rockwell Automation (ROK) leading c-suite strategy and marketing operations.
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