By Matt Fieldman, Executive Director of America Works, a NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network Initiative

Polaris MEP is the Rhode Island Center for the MEP National Network^TM, whose mission it is to strengthen and empower small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in the United States. This MEP National Network post shares an innovative approach to a common challenge — employee recruitment.

Up and down busy streets nationwide, the same six-word banners stand outside in front of hundreds of businesses. Affixed to poles on front lawns or hanging above entrance doors, these inescapable banners, while the numbers may vary, almost always have the same wording:

“Now Hiring! $18/hour, plus benefits.”

“Join Our Team Today! $16/hour.”

“Start Today! $17/hour plus healthcare.”

The problem? These banners aren’t working . These six words – umpteen dollars per hour plus benefits – have lost all their meaning in a world with a talent shortage and simply not enough workers.

Why Hourly Rate Signs Just Don’t Work for Employee Recruitment

Put simply, $18 per hour plus benefits is table stakes. That’s what today’s employees are expecting, and you’re just another face in a crowd when you advertise only your starting salary. Would you eat at a restaurant that proclaims, “Eat here today! We have food”? Would you go to a movie whose tagline reads, “Something to do for two hours”? Would you travel to a country that advertises, “Visit here – we’re not your house”?

Of course not.

So, think about it: if you get a potential candidate’s attention on your banner for five seconds, why would you advertise the least interesting aspect of working for your company?

Let’s face it, your six-word banner has been failing you, and it’s time to move on.

The solution? Shake up your employee recruitment banner. Six Word Stories have an incredible power to engage people, cutting through the clutter with a concise, poignant message. So stop advertising your manufacturing business like a commodity and start pushing what makes manufacturing exciting.

Before today ends, go online and order yourself a banner that proudly proclaims:

Make Cool Stuff with Awesome People.

Want to riff on this? No problem! You could be more specific with something like, “Build Medical Equipment Alongside Amazing Colleagues.” Or maybe switch it up, with “Join Incredible Doers Developing Cool Technologies.” Or consider driving home the local aspect: “Connect with Cool Colleagues Constructing Computers.”

Feel free to use whatever works best for your business but keeping it short and simple is critical. Couple it with an outstanding recruitment video that follows this script, and you’ve got yourself a vastly improved employee recruitment strategy for 2022.

Six Words to Stand Behind

Why do I stand behind these six words? I’ll let the research speak for itself.

Polaris MEP Center Director Kathie Mahoney holds Made In RI manufactured products — cool stuff!

First, the “Make Cool Stuff” answers the critical question, “Why should I work here?” Yes, you may be a Tier 4 supplier to an automotive or aerospace OEM but tying that gasket or fixture to a cool end product (for example, a car or airplane) is absolutely critical to your recruitment marketing.

As one CEO put it recently, employees “want to work for companies that have a mission and a purpose that they believe in.” Plus, those three words add clarity, saying to potential applicants, “If you want to make cool stuff, join our team, because that’s what we do here. If you’re more interested in healthcare, or law, or some other more intangible industry, that’s fine too, but save us both time and effort and don’t apply to work here because you won’t be happy.”

The second part, “with Awesome People,” addresses two essential components that today’s employees are demanding. Research shows that workers want to join an inclusive, accepting community. If you’re going to get people off their couches, or to stop working from home, you have to give them what every human seeks: new and meaningful relationships.

At the same time, workers want recognition for their efforts. As one article discussed, we’re moving from “The Great Resignation” to “The Great Retention,” and retaining workers is all about recognizing employees for their efforts. Every gesture counts, so why not call out your amazing workforce right there on the employment banner that hangs outside your plant 24/7? Using just those three words, you can clearly demonstrate your respect and appreciation for your employees. This says a lot not just to a potential candidate, but to the workers you rely on every day.

Of course, attracting that applicant is just the first step.The Great Recognition is not just about improving marketing, it’s also about improving your workplace and becoming an “employer of choice.” For example, back up your “awesome people” claim by

• encouraging personal and career development throughapprenticeshipsand other learning opportunities;
• attracting the best people by offering flexible shifts and benefits that people actually want; and
• making sure to invest in that sense of community through employee resource groups and team events.

As I’ve argued in the past, workplace development is the new workforce development, and 2022 is the year of investing in your workplace. But it starts with attracting people’s attention, and a banner that talks about why someone should join – and advertising the inclusive, supportive community they’re joining – is a great start.

So don’t delay. Order that banner today, display it prominently, and let the employment applications start rolling in!

Contact Senior Workforce Manager Lindsey Brickle at lbrickle@polarismep.org to discuss employee recruitment and retention solutions for your Rhode Island manufacturing business. 

————————-

This article was originally published at https://www.nist.gov/blogs/manufacturing-innovation-blog/six-words-will-massively-improve-your-employee-recruitment-2022.