Industrial Revolution: How Manufacturing’s Workforce is Evolving
Posted May 30th, 2013
The Manufacturing Institute recently reported that 600,000 manufacturing jobs across the country are currently vacant due to a shortage of skilled workers. Unfortunately, many of these skilled workers may be clinging to old stereotypes of manufacturing jobs – picturing dark, dirty sweatshops with mindless workers performing robotic tasks. The reality, however, is far different.
Like other industries, manufacturing has discovered the benefits of collaboration, and the technologies that allow this to happen quickly and efficiently are being deployed by many organizations throughout the industry. The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) phenomenon is gaining traction in all areas, from R&D to sales to the plant floor. This inter-departmental connection benefits companies by allowing for faster product development, quicker time to market, improved designs and superior customer service. Technology is also being incorporated into the global supply chain, as well as interactions with customers. Overall, this technology explosion will provide a strong competitive advantage in the global marketplace, as well as increased revenue growth. But what, exactly, does it mean when it comes to attracting those skilled workers?
According to Bob Dean, Executive Director of Business Transformation for networking giant Cisco, a company study found that, “two out of five survey respondents would accept a lower-paying job that offered more flexibility — for device choice, social media access and mobility — than a higher-paying job with less flexibility”. Younger, highly skilled employees want to feel empowered and connected on the job, and they want the right tools to do it. Mobile data and idea-sharing programs tap into that desire, allowing workers to exchange insights and make decisions based upon communal knowledge.
With the isolation between plant workers and management finally being broken, it will be easier to attract bright, talented workers to the manufacturing industry, to fill those 600,000 vacancies. It’s important for those doing corporate recruiting to share this new industry model with potential hires, through social media, webinars, in-person seminars, professional networking events and at every other possible opportunity. If your organization has been reluctant to embrace these new technologies, the time to make that change is now.
For recruiting guidance in these evolving times, you can rely on the specialized staffing experts at Bayside Solutions. Since 2001, we have been helping companies throughout the Bay Area and beyond find highly qualified, highly motivated manufacturing personnel – and we can do the same for you. Contact us today to learn more.
