Need More Talent For Your Manufacturing Company? Start With Your Website.
The United States is losing an estimated $48 billion in manufacturing output this year. In less than 10 years, the US is at risk of losing more than $2.5 trillion in manufacturing GDP. What’s driving this loss in output? The lack of Americans interested in a career in manufacturing.
The Issue
Manufacturing company website design is vital to for the success of today’s manufacturers to compete nationally and globally. The United States is losing an estimated $48 billion in manufacturing output this year. In less than 10 years, the US is at risk of losing more than $2.5 trillion in manufacturing GDP (1). According to Paul Wellener, VP, Deloitte, that means “the vitality of the industry and our economy” may be threatened while 73% of manufacturers cite this crisis as their top concern.
What’s driving this loss in output? The lack of Americans interested in a career in manufacturing. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, 2.4 million jobs went unfilled last year with that number set to grow larger as the baby boomers begin retiring.
According to Paul Wellener, VP, Deloitte, that means “the vitality of the industry and our economy” may be threatened
To tackle this issue, the National Association of Manufacturers, governments, and industry executives have deployed a slew of tactics to get young people interested in the manufacturing industry. From “Manufacturing Day” to engaging students with local manufacturers, these tactics are beginning to put a dent into the issue at large.
However, what the industry is missing is a widespread approach to change the perception of manufacturing in the 21st century. “There is a hurdle for us with parents, even with the idea of going to Penta [manufacturing]. There is the perception that manufacturing is a dirty word,” said Francis Scruci, superintendent of Bowling Green City Schools (2). Changing perceptions in today’s world means going digital.
Nearly half of our waking hours are spent on some sort of device whether it be a phone, laptop, or ipad and a company’s brand is much more prevalent on the web than it is in the concrete world. To change the perceptions of United States manufacturing, the manufacturing industry must invest in their websites and create a positive perception of manufacturing in modern day.
Without this, the investments that the National Association of Manufacturers, governments, and other stakeholders will continue to be nominal in comparison and not tackle the problem as a whole.
Manufacturing Company Website Design
Owning a modern business website is a signal to a customer that your brand is being used regularly enough by others that the construction of one was necessary; if you don’t have a cool website, then surely not many people are using your business? By working to develop a website that is not only functional, but also well-designed and aligned with those of competitors, you increase that perception of success and value, as the quality of a website is directly influenced by the investment in it.
Having a professional website that looks and navigates similar to competitors that are known to operate lucrative operations offers a level of social proof, without having to earn recommendations, reviews or notoriety. It suggests to customers that, since your brand operates a high-quality website that appears to drive success, it must also enjoy those same benefits; that your business, by extension, is also high quality and successful.
If You Build It, They Will Come
Many of the younger people entering the job market these days have an entirely different perspective of how to land a job. They roll their eyes when their mom or dad tells them to walk into a business, résumé in hand, and ask for the manager. And it’s true—that kind of cold-calling is a thing of the past, even for hiring managers.
Most of us do our research entirely online these days. A lot of us won’t even go to a restaurant until we’ve checked out its Yelp reviews. The same is true for potential employment. Now that much of our life is online, we tend to use it as our primary research tool. And a website is a great way to vet a business. Like it or not, people are going to get their first impression of you from the Internet, so it’s up to you to put your best foot forward.
Need More Talent For Your Manufacturing Company? Start With Your Website Design.
Think of your business’s website as the first advocate for your brand. You’ll want it to encapsulate all of the hard work you’ve done to build your great business. It should capture your company’s personality, provide insight into the history of your business, and introduce some of your best employees. You should strive towards friendly transparency. And once you have a great online resource that you’re proud of, it’s just a matter of sending it out into the world. Not only will more people know about your manufacturing business, they’ll be excited to work there.
Listing Your Job Openings With Manufacturing Recruiters Isn’t The Only Choice
Word-of-mouth has a tiny radius, especially when it comes to hiring. On the other hand, contracting with manufacturing recruiters and job search websites are often oversaturated, providing you with a raw and arbitrary pool of applicants. There’s really no better way to advertise your job needs than on your website.
For one—you’re free of the restrictions that come with job search engines, who may even charge you in order to be adequately listed among their search results. And you’ll also be honing in on local applicants who have already displayed an interest in your business by visiting your website.
Think of a “Now Hiring” sign on your company’s front door as a single fish hook on the end of a fishing rod—you may catch a single fish who happens to be in the right place at the right time. Inversely, posting your job on a job search site is like casting a massive commercial fishing net—you’ll catch everything in the ocean and then have to sort through it all.
But posting your job listings on your company website is like casting the Goldilocks net—it’s just wide enough to get you results every time you cast it, but it’s not too wide to bring in a bunch of irrelevant stuff that you’ll have to filter through. A company website isn’t just an online brochure for your business—it’s a way to bring in an enthusiastic, relevant, and never-ending list of job applicants.
Building Your Online Brand Ensures You Find the Right People
You have full control over the message on your website. What better way to build hype for your company? You’re not just speaking to customers; you’re speaking to potential employees. With the right website, by the time an applicant even comes in for an interview, they’ll know a little about your business and should be excited to start working for you.
There’s nothing more frustrating than going through the process with manufacturing recruiters and interviewing a candidate, only to have your offer declined. It’s not just a waste of time; it’ll leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, wondering if recruiters for the manufacturing industry didn’t like something about your business. But if you instill your company ethos into your website, you’re much farther ahead than most when it comes to informing your potential employees of your company’s principles and culture.
Whether you knew it or not, your online presence is the first impression for the new generation of skilled workers. And it’s your best way of finding these people. Truthfully, much of the workforce has grown to underestimate the manufacturing sector in the United States. Don’t let them dismiss you—shout from the roof tops and spread the message that manufacturing is still around and thriving.
Most of all, you’ll be able to stop scratching your head at your applicant list, wondering why it’s so short. Let your company website be your best advocate, and let it tell an entire generation of workers that the American Dream still exists, and it’s in manufacturing.