In the trailer manufacturing industry, a successful business is dependent upon an educated, skilled workforce. Attracting top talent though is difficult under normal circumstances, and the global pandemic as well as the pre-existing workforce crisishave only exacerbated the issue. Recruiting new employees can be daunting at best and overwhelming at worst, but there are strategies to put in place to make it easier. NATM recognizes this and has instituted an industry specific job board on NATM.com. Refer to the next article to learn how to best utilize it.
Although recruitment strategies are not one-size-fits-all, they do provide a launching point for companies to start the hiring process. Below are top tips gathered from experts who spoke at
NATM’s second annual Workforce Development Webinar Series this past November.
Strategy: Branding Efforts
Branding includes the company website, social media accounts, LinkedIn, Indeed, and any other platform on which job posts are going to be advertised. These places will often be the first
interaction that a potential employee will have with the company. Questions to ask about the website and social media include:
• Is there an active presence on socialmedia?
• Is there a social media campaign to attract attention?
• What does the website look like when someone is searching for opportunities?
• Does the website prominently feature job postings?
• Does the website prominently feature employee testimonies and successes?
• Does the website/job postings show up in search engines? Is search engine optimization (SEO) being used?
If the answers to any of these questions are no, these may be strategies to implement during the hiring period to expand the reach of the company.
Strategy: Job Descriptions
Job descriptions are a powerful tool when it comes to recruitment. Often times, descriptions can be too vague, resulting in a wide array of applicants, some of which may not even be qualified for the listed position. Having accurate job titles can help narrow the talent pool. Job descriptions should tell candidates exactly what the job is like and should also include detailed requirements.
Creating job descriptions helps the company fully consider their needs as well as document them; in turn, job descriptions can be used as a standard against which candidates are measured.
Strategy: Networking
Networking is a fantastic way to recruit new talent, and there are plenty of resources available to do so, including the company’s own employees. An employee referral program may be beneficial for the company; great people tend to hang out with other great people. Even if a program like this is not feasible, there are plenty of other ways to network, including job boards, job fairs, career centers, etc.
In the time of COVID-19, job fairs and career centers are doing business differently, but the results are still stellar. Job fairs and career centers put the company face to face with potential future employees, giving both the company and the applicant the chance to get to know one another. For example, an outdoor (COVID-19 safe) job fair in South Carolina had a company attend that left with a 50 percent hire rate. Virtual job fairs are another option, and partnering with other companies or organizations to make these opportunities happen is a great way to cut any potential associated costs as well as attract more attention.
Job boards in particular are a common way to attract talent, but many job boards have thousands of inquires such as Indeed or Glassdoor that range from all over the United States to all over the world. Although these job boards have their perks, industry specific job boards are not to be overlooked. Industry specific boards are already targeted to the people who want to work for these types of companies. Potential employees won’t need to sift through hundreds of jobs to find ones they are qualified for, and the company will ideally spend less time screening unqualified applicants. NATM has a job board for trailer manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers. Refer to the next article to learn how to best utilize the NATM Job Board.
These tips came from NATM’s Workforce Development series. This series was free for all NATM Members and NATM Dealer Affiliates. Attendees sat in on presentations from the comfort of their desks, learning more about workplace culture and recruitment and retention strategies. NATM is excited to announce that in the coming months, NATM Members and Dealer Affiliates will have exclusive access to on-demand webinars and other educational content when the NATM Online Store officially launches. In the meantime, members and affiliates are encouraged to take advantage of existing resources available to them like the NATM Resource Library. Members and Dealer Affiliates are welcome to request any of the Workforce Development Webinar Series presentations—simply contact NATM Assistant Director Meghan Ryan at Meghan.Ryan@natm.com or (785) 272-4433.
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