 Photo by Canva. By Hari Viswanathan
Recently, US unemployment hit a new milestone: over 40 million people out of jobs, representing about 26% of the workforce in April. For a company that is hiring at this time, this may seem like a dream: All the candidates you want! You get your pick of the bunch! Wrong. If your company is lucky enough to still be hiring, the truth is that you’re going to be dealing with even more challenges than ever. Here are some reasons why:  By Hari Viswanathan
Over the last several weeks, as the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the country, we’ve been reaching out to HR leaders and plant managers in the manufacturing industry to gather insights, advice, and best practices. We asked them one simple question: How are you keeping your company operational through the economic and logistical turmoil caused by the pandemic?  By Hari Viswanathan
With the coronavirus pandemic working its way through the United States, many employers are re-evaluating their hiring plans and processes. The reality is that frontline workers are essential to our country’s response to COVID-19, and their work cannot be put on hold. The United States is facing an unprecedented threat in the form of a faceless, nationless enemy that targets everyone regardless of race, nationality, or descent. The only way to confront this threat is by making sure our nation’s manufacturing and transportation industries are able to make the essential supplies needed to support our medical personnel, keep our populace fed, and strengthen our supply chains. From delivery professionals bringing supplies to people’s homes to manufacturing associates making face masks and hand sanitizer, it's more critical than ever for many U.S. manufacturers to continue their hiring and recruitment during this pandemic. Hiring in the time of coronavirus is even harder due to the ongoing risk of spreading infection. However, it’s still possible.  By Abby Haldane
Transitioning to a new job or career can be difficult, especially when it’s a new field for you. If you’re looking to change careers, it can feel daunting – how can you showcase your abilities if you don’t have previous experience? You may know that once you get your foot in the door, you’ll excel, but you need to convince an employer of that, too.  By Abby Haldane
Creating a resume can be tough. There are endless formats to choose from, and you’ll find conflicting information and opinions about what should and shouldn’t go on a resume. It can be overwhelming to wade through this endless stream of articles, but this one is meant to help you refine your resume specifically for manufacturing positions. Read on for the tips and to see how to apply them to a sample resume.  By Abby Haldane
Job interviews are always tough, but they’re even tougher if you’re switching careers. What do you do if you don’t have direct experience in the job or industry that the interviewer is asking about? That’s what we tackle in this edition of the Daughters of Rosie Hands-on Interview Question of the Month.  By Danielle Applestone
When deadlines are tight and production facilities need workers, managers do whatever they can to get by. It may seem like temporary workers are the solution, but for too long, manufacturers have been relying on temporary workers for entry-level positions that are actually permanent. The costs are significant, and it’s not just money manufacturers are losing by hiring temps for permanent jobs. Companies also lose the potential of their future workforce and dilute their culture For every manufacturing graduate, eight employees retire. The solution is right in front of us.9/10/2019
 By Danielle Applestone
Author's Note: I’ve read every report on the US manufacturing labor shortage that I can get my hands on. I’ve listened to talks and read articles. But I wanted to know exactly how many hands-on employees are retiring and how many we are creating. So I headed on over to the website of my favorite government agency, The Bureau of Labor Statistics, to crunch the numbers myself. The Problem: Not enough skilled tradespeople are graduating, and manufacturers can’t afford to have their most experienced employees spending their time training people.  By Danielle Applestone
Author's Note: Hiring challenges in U.S. manufacturing go far beyond the shortage of skilled labor. I’ve been digging into the details through conversations with HR and manufacturing operations leaders, and I’ve noticed a few patterns. And there’s good news: some of the biggest issues can be solved with strategies that don't depend upon fixing the entire industry. The Problem: Marketing resources for talent acquisition are frequently kept at the corporate level, but manufacturing plants are responsible for their own recruiting efforts. At the risk of ruffling some feathers, here’s a question: “Could you imagine putting your corporate marketing team in charge of running production?” If the answer is no, then you probably also shouldn’t place the burden of recruitment marketing at the plant level either.  By Danielle Applestone
Author's Note: I've been researching the nitty gritty of hiring challenges in U.S. manufacturing. Often, struggles with hiring get chalked up to the skilled labor shortage. However, through conversations with HR and manufacturing operations leaders, I've noticed patterns that could be solved with specific strategies that don't depend upon solving the labor shortage for the industry as a whole. Because I'm from a small town in Arkansas, one of my favorites is the particular challenge of staffing a manufacturing plant in a rural area. As one hiring manager put it, everyone who lives near a rural plant fits into one of three categories:
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July 2020
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