Tips to make your company more attractive to young prospective employees.
Attracting decent talent has never been harder. For many automotive OEM suppliers, a new image is called for. A change from grimy, outdated factories with antiquated machinery and repetitive line jobs to clean, dynamic and rewarding.
Some companies are changing their images accordingly. In a national television campaign, General Electric featured a Millennial named Owen informing his parents about his new job at GE.
“GE, a manufacturer,” replies his father, and then hands his son a large hammer that once belonged to Owen’s “Grand Pappy.” “He would have wanted you to have it,”
Flustered, Owen says, “Yes, GE does makes powerful machines. But I’ll be writing the code that will allow those machines to share information with each other.”
Not every company has GE’s deep pockets. So what can they do to attract tech-savvy Millennials who think manufacturing is a dead end or last resort, and Silicon Valley is the professional promised land?
Here are ways to contemporize your image and change young people’s perceptions.
Tidy up the place.
Give your workspaces a makeover. Paint over the bland beige walls. Consider open workspaces and collaborative areas. If your manufacturing floor is modern and well-appointed, open it up a bit. Use LED lighting to further enhance it visually. Add some color.
Common areas are key.
Group spaces aren’t just for eating lunch. Younger employees don’t want to be tied to a desk, and appreciate changes of scenery. They also like to engage regularly with others. Spaces for collaboration and discussion are good.
Find new blood.
Apprenticeship or internship programs are excellent ways to evaluate new talent. Partner with higher education organizations in your area to build a stream of young talent that you can nurture. Invite faculty and students to visit your digs (once you’ve tidied up the place, of course). Or create a multi-media presentation and take it on the road to career fairs on campus. Because Millennials are more likely to listen to their peers, designate your current young talent as brand ambassadors.
Improve your curb appeal.
Does your logo date you? How about your website? Your recruiting materials? First impressions matter. Consider a total brand refresh. Hire an experienced outside firm to take a fresh, unbiased look at everything you use to communicate. Trust in their ability to help companies like yours to properly express themselves every day.
Get social.
An outside firm can help you leverage social media platforms to tell your story to Millennials. If you don’t have a strong social presence, you’re less likely to be taken seriously by younger talent prospects.
Be a good citizen.
Millennials generally rank social and corporate responsibility high among the deciding factors in where they want to work. Develop and promote a community volunteer program or create a funding program. Match donations made. They’ll see a commonality with their values, which can be a strong factor in how you’re perceived.
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