Traditionally, we think of marketing as a business development tool. But there’s been a change in the marketing world of late – branding for the purpose of recruitment. With the unemployment rate dropping, more and more businesses are finding it more difficult to recruit talent.
Nowhere is this more prevalent than the manufacturing world. It is estimated that by the year 2025 there will be 2.5 million unfilled positions in U.S. manufacturing. Part of the challenge is due to the “silver tsunami” – for most manufacturers, 70% of their workforce is over 50. Within the next 15 years most of those people will retire. Unfortunately, over the last few decades the younger generation has not been encouraged to pursue manufacturing as a career path. Although many of the technical high schools and community colleges are making great strides, it’s a number game. There just aren’t enough people to fill existing and future positions.
That means every manufacturer is competing for the best talent available, and many of them have realized that their image is critical to this challenge. If the top graduate from the local technical high school hears that a company is hiring and Googles them only to see an old website and no other on-line presence, they are not likely to inquire about positions available. Branding is more important than ever.
Some companies have gotten creative in their marketing. We’ve all seen the new GE campaign with the kids telling their friends and parents that they’re working for GE and what a great place it is. This is all about recruitment. Other companies are getting into the community by sponsoring sports or robotics clubs. This too is part of branding.
At Web Savvy Marketers we’ve been re-designing websites, creating content and providing our clients with unique branding opportunities. After all, as the old saying goes, “You only get one chance to make a good impression” – make sure it’s the impression you want