May 2020
MiMfg Magazine
Refresh Your Recruiting Tools for
the Post-Coronavirus Economy
By Jason Piasecki • Revel
The start of 2020 found manufacturers confronting
a tighter labor market than ever, as the US unemployment
rate hit a 50-year low of 3.5 percent. Needless to say,
the situation changed dramatically once the Coronavirus
crisis reached American shores. Whether the post-
virus labor market will be as tight as it once was
or additional talented workers will be available,
manufacturers with recruitment tools already in
place will be best positioned to compete for and
attract the most in-demand candidates.
Employer Reputation Matters
Companies with strong employer brands attract
more than double the applicants as companies with a
poor employer reputation, according to careerarc.com.
Once job seekers read a negative employer review on
a job search site, they’re more likely than not to
abandon their job application. Yet fewer than half of
all employers ever monitor those reviews. If you don’t
already do so, consider auditing employer reviews
and addressing any recurrent themes that arise.
How Branding Helps
If you’ve struggled to recruit qualified employees,
perhaps your brand is sending the wrong message and
could use a make-over. Rebranding allows you to
accurately show candidates what your organization
is all about and position your organization as an
employer of choice.
Job Seekers are Searching
Differently Than in the Past
Put your branding efforts to work reaching qualified
candidates. Today, 79 percent of job seekers use
social media as part of their search, with 61 percent
of them visiting company sites before applying,
according to Inc. Magazine. Job seekers are qualifying
you long before you can qualify them.
Leverage social media to attract passive and active
seekers. Showcase your culture by highlighting
things your company does to encourage employee
satisfaction. Ask employees to share job postings on
their social media accounts, and use targeted social
media ads to target specific locations, demographics,
industries, and more. Design and execute an
ongoing social media recruiting campaign that gets
you in front of candidates before they’re gone (the
average qualified candidate stays on the job market
for 10 days, tops).
8 Tips for a Great Careers Page
Once you’ve used great employer reviews and
social media to draw candidates to your website, be
sure that your careers page (you do have one, right?)
seals the deal. Follow these eight tips to convert
visitors to applicants.
1. If you build it, let them know about it; be
sure to include a prominent careers page link
in your main navigation
2. You only get one chance to make a first
impression, so treat this page as just as
important as any customer-facing messaging
3. Maintain current job postings to keep
visitors from leaving your site in frustration
4. Showcase your culture so candidates can
see what’s in it for them
5. Highlight your employee benefits, making
it clear what candidates can expect
6. Keep it mobile-friendly for job seekers who
are checking you out on the go
7. Don’t be shy! Provide a clear call to action (CTA)
and make it easy to submit an application
8. Measure the page’s performance and
adjust accordingly
While none of us has a crystal ball, it’s safe to
assume that manufacturers with effective recruiting
tools will be better positioned to build a team that’s
ready to face the future, whatever it holds.
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Jason Piasecki is a partner and CEO of Revel. He
may be reached at 231-557-2663 or [email protected].
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