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Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) aren’t just talking points; they’re a potential lifeline for the manufacturing industry. What better way to overcome the manufacturing labor shortage than to find an entirely new, untapped talent pool? Many manufacturing companies are prioritizing diversity as not merely a social justice issue or a moral imperative but a means of assembling great teams and boosting their profits.
DEI initiatives matter to prospective employees. According to a 2020 survey by Glassdoor, 76% of all employees and job seekers reported that workplace diversity was an important factor they considered when weighing job offers. That figure rose to 79% for LGBTQ+ respondents and 80% for their Black and Latinx counterparts.
But diverse talent has been historically underrepresented in the manufacturing industry. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of 2022, less than one-fifth of manufacturing workers are women (19%), and less than a quarter identify as Black, Asian or Latinx (23%).
HR teams can attract more diverse candidates and convince them to come on board by building an employer brand that demonstrates your company’s commitment to DEI. Here’s how.
5 Strategies to Make DEI an Authentic Part of Your Employer Brand Hire
HR managers can effectively incorporate DEI into their employer branding messages with these five strategies.
1. Use deliberate language.
Are you hiring for a “foreman” or a “supervisor”? Language can easily exclude people; few subjects contain as many linguistic landmines as DEI. Revisit your job postings, candidate screening questions and website information to ensure your employer brand uses inclusive language.
2. Choose images wisely.
A picture is worth a thousand words—but what are yours saying? Choose the images that underlie your employer brand carefully. If every picture on your website or in your promotional materials features middle-aged white men, women or racial minorities may not feel comfortable applying for your company’s jobs.
3. Prioritize inclusion.
Companies often hyper focus on diversity—the representation of various identities, including race, sexual orientation and age—and forget about inclusion and equity. Inclusion involves welcoming and supporting diverse individuals. As American diversity consultant Verna Myers once said, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” Equity is, broadly speaking, the fairness that results from diversity and inclusion. Make sure your employer brand addresses not just diversity but also equity and inclusion.
How can you put the “I” in “DEI”? Look for ways to create a work environment that demonstrates how much you value your workforce’s different characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. For example, you might reevaluate your holiday calendar to make it more inclusive or amend your holiday policy so that observers can take off the days that matter to them.
4. Listen to your current employees.
Making your current employees part of the conversation is crucial to developing an employer brand that supports DEI. Consider facilitating forums where you can promote conversations about DEI, give employees room to express their concerns and work on ways to attract new talent of all types. General Motors offers a good example of how to do this with its 11 voluntary and employee-led DEI resource groups. What do your current employees have to say about diversity, equity and inclusion within your company? You won’t know if you don’t listen.
5. Share information about your DEI initiatives.
Use your employer brand to spread the word. Tell applicants about the efforts your company has made to promote DEI through your job postings, online information pages and social media. Have you created resource groups or made your workplace more accessible for people with disabilities? Share specific details about your initiatives—and your hiring and advancement statistics—to show candidates that you take DEI seriously.
Hire Better Candidates Faster With FactoryFix
Incorporating DEI into your employer brand is a great place to start, but how do you use that inclusive and welcoming brand to make better hires and hire faster?
FactoryFix can help. Our one-stop recruiting solution will share your job postings with the largest pool of manufacturing candidates out there. We’ll also distribute your open positions to industry-specific and general job boards to ensure your roles have maximum reach among both current manufacturing workers and individuals from different backgrounds who might have just the skills and machine experience you need.
But that’s not all we do. FactoryFix also automatically screens candidates using custom criteria. That saves you time twice: not only will you not have to spend time asking screening questions, but you’ll also ensure that your candidate pool includes only engaged, well-qualified candidates. And as you home in on the candidates you want, our AI-powered chatbot will keep them engaged so you never miss another great hire.
Contact our team today to learn how we can help you expand your talent pool.
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