Learn from top regional marketing and manufacturing experts what you can do to get in front of prospective candidates.
By Jennifer Ferrero
Hiring in the manufacturing industry is a big challenge. First, there was the “silver tsunami,” where many skilled manufacturing employees and the knowledge base of most companies were retiring in droves. Then, there was a pandemic that halted work and drove many people either into retirement or away from manufacturing.
Manufacturers in the United States face one of the most significant employee deficits of any industry. The Manufacturing Institute cites 2.4 million employee shortages in the coming years. Add the lack of specific manufacturing training, and things get tough.
Here, three local experts (including yours truly) share some insights into ways to keep your company’s recruitment and brand perception top of mind for candidates in the Northwest.
We’ll cover three areas in this article but look for upcoming educational podcasts from Northwest Aerospace News to learn more about how to improve your chances of hiring in the future.
Digital Marketing — targeting people who may be prospects for your business
Katie Vantine Anderson is a multimedia account executive, for KXLY-TV 4 News Now in Spokane. She works with businesses to help them reach target audiences, including manufacturers trying to hire.
Regional businesses are telling her that recruiting is their biggest challenge. She said, “From an advertising perspective, people are not necessarily talking about needing more customers. They are talking about needing employees — across the board.”
Anderson routinely hears that manufacturers and construction industries need more people. One way KXLY can help is through digital marketing strategies.
Anderson said, “With our tactics, we can target people based on job titles and qualifications.” She said that sometimes your next employee is one working for a competitor. They may not be looking for work, but they are skilled in your work. With retargeting campaigns through digital marketing, ads and content can be placed in front of people, which she said: “gets their wheels turning about working for your business.”
She noted that there aren’t as many people in the job market in the Spokane area, so you have to reach those currently working or who have the skills you need. Some people targeted aren’t planning to change jobs but may be a fit for your business.
“We approach prospective hires using different streaming platforms; you can target job titles for current people in those roles. Target and retarget for people who have been on your careers website and left — based upon online history, current job titles, and job seekers. We can get your message in front of the most qualified people,” she said.
For those who may not be seeking work on LinkedIn or Indeed, Anderson said they could be targeted via streaming platforms like Hulu, YouTube TV, and similar platforms. “We can reach out to them and put an ad in front of those people where they are spending their time streaming,” she added.
If you are looking for a short-term solution, Anderson recommends spending time on your messaging. She said it is best to be direct and have a clear call to action in your ad that goes directly to the job description and application.
For a long-term solution in digital marketing, she suggested “a TV campaign and anything to do with branding, solidifying your brand as experts and being a leader in the region. When postings come up for an employer, people know your prestige and credibility in the community — being known as one of the best places in the world to work.”
Anderson concluded, “We did a marketing campaign for a regional manufacturer, and within minutes of the campaign launching they had applicants.”
| — Top tips for what “to do” in digital campaigns for recruiting · Be very specific in the creative (design and copy of the ad), and talk about wages.· Promote specific position titles, no matter how technical.· Include hiring deadlines. |
Video Production and Print Marketing — staying top of mind with your brand.
Publisher of Northwest Aerospace News Magazine, Dean Cameron, talks with manufacturers all day long about the difficulty of hiring. He said, “It can be hard getting prospects in the door, and then once hired, some work for a week and then don’t come back.” He noted that there has been a shift in loyalty to hiring companies — sometimes a rarity in today’s workforce.
He said that the shallow labor pool, combined with challenges in the aerospace industry, like the issues with the 737 MAX followed by the pandemic and “silver tsunami” (baby boomer retirements), “has made the perfect storm,” Cameron said.
But there are two things that he thinks can help Northwest manufacturers with recruiting.
The first question he asks manufacturers is “How are you going to present your value?” He likes to use a term called concentric marketing (a circular approach), where you present many ways to bring your company to market.
He said, “If you focus on one way, you limit your opportunity. We have created a production video studio to support the new dynamic of video marketing — which the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified. Video also fully presents your company with a one-click method on the other end.”
Regarding print advertising, Cameron noted that Northwest Aerospace News and similar trade publications mailed in plastic wrap, safely insulated readers from the pandemic. He said, “Companies were getting the word out about all their new technologies, and the ads were making their way to subscribers without interruption.”
Now that the pandemic is effectively over, Cameron suggests both a short-term and long-term approach to recruiting.
“Long-term approaches will maximize your efficiency as a company. Analyze your corporate culture, and ask why would someone want to work for you? Ask yourself, where am I being seen? How am I being seen? You’ll never get an opportunity hiding in a corner,” he said.
He added that in the publishing world, “Often we find clients who stick their toe in the water and expect immediate results. Print marketing is not a one-and-done opportunity. It requires consistency, and possibly the one guy who sees it at the right time will become your largest client.”
| — Recruiting tip: Think long term with hiring. · Don’t just stick a sign in the front of the business saying, “We are hiring.”· Get involved with your local school districts and career and technical education groups.· Give tours of your facility.· Invite students in for hands-on career days.View all of our marketing assets at www.topdrawermedia.com |
Public relations and targeting trade publications — fostering community and trade publication relationships with earned media.
Regional manufacturers I am interviewing for articles share that it is challenging to find skilled labor. Many are turning to veterans or those recently separated from the military looking for work, because they feel persons with military experience will be more reliable than the current labor pool.
Recruiting for the aerospace manufacturing industry has been a challenge for the 15 years I have been a writer. There is a common misperception with manufacturers that marketing is not needed in their business. Most manufacturers I know of aren’t even familiar with the benefits of public relations and communications in addition to marketing. This hampers a company’s ability to both recruit and grow the business.
Therefore, how can public relations and marketing solve the problem of recruiting and hiring new employees?
Public relations is a management function that establishes and maintains relationships between an organization and its public. The stakeholders of an organization have perceptions about the business — count your employees and customers in that group. Their perceptions are essential to business longevity.
Suppose you have a crisis in the business, for example. In that case, the company’s continuity can be damaged for a long time. Maintaining good relationships and perceptions about a business and its brand is essential to keeping customers and employees and is critical to prospective employees applying.
How can businesses seek out PR opportunities? In aerospace manufacturing, there are opportunities for building your public relations persona and fostering good feelings. Often, the common idea is to reach out to the local media to seek opportunities to be on the news to tell a feel-good story or to write an article in the local paper.
However, these opportunities need to go with something that will be of interest to the greater community — for example, an employee who saves a dog who became stuck in your warehouse. Or perhaps a story about a business growing outside of the area and doing good work nationally.
There are many ways to gain exposure, but local media often requires a bigger community lens.
Trade publications that target the industry, like Northwest Aerospace News, are a great way to earn media with feature stories about the business. Often a publication like this one will offer to write a story about the company.
These are typically done in a positive light and allow the business to “show off” a great company culture, new product launches, leadership changes, or uplifting buyouts. There are trade publications for very niche markets worldwide, and many can help your business directly receive the press it needs.
| — Using public relations to earn media for recruiting employees1. Establish what you are trying to promote; if it is hiring, say so.2. Write some copy and narrow down some quotes about a hiring event that you can use in promotion.3. Write a press release and establish a goal for what you want it to accomplish, when it will go out, and who will receive it.4. Set up a photo library so you can send it out to journalists working on a story.5. Develop a list of trade or consumer publications to send pitches to, depending upon your audience.6. Keep a good list of names of those you contact and where things stand in that relationship. (i.e., did they say they would publish something in the next issue?)7. Keep a list of items published regarding your event or product and relink to the publication’s online version from your website blog — in other words, also help to promote them. Always say thank you to those who publish your content! |
In summary
Hiring for aerospace manufacturing in 2022 is not a bed of roses. There are challenges, but hiring can be easier by using quality marketing and public relations techniques. When all else fails, call the experts who are happy to help define strategies and tactics to meet your goals.
Contact info:
KXLY — Digital Marketing
Katie Vantine Anderson
kanderson@kxly.com
(253) 653-0759
Top Drawer Media — Video and Print Marketing
Dean Cameron
dean@topdrawermedia.com
(509) 995-9958
Ferrero Agency — Public Relations and Communications
Jennifer Ferrero
jennifer@ferreroagency.com
(509) 294-0437
