Manufacturing Finds Its Swagger
Not long ago engineering degrees fell into distinct categories: mechanical engineers did this; computer engineers did that. Sometimes the disciplines crossed over, but not often and not by much.
Video: learn more about our 2017 Catalyst Award-winning Culture of Inclusion journey.
That’s changed. We’re living and working in a fast-changing environment where one discipline absolutely affects another.
We’ve seen this with The Connected Enterprise, where information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) are converging to help better support manufacturing performance.
We’re helping our customers achieve higher levels of visibility, productivity and profitability.
All of these advancements require new skills, new levels of collaboration, and new ways of recruiting talent.
Challenge of Recruiting for Manufacturing
Blog: Support for Minority Engineers Reflects Company Priorities and Values
Our biggest recruitment challenge is something our customers face too: manufacturing is not yet seen for what it really is: the jobs of the future.
Nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled over the next decade. The skills gap is expected to result in two million of those jobs going unfilled.
That’s a lot of opportunity.
Image Problem
Yet manufacturing is still seen by many as a career without the same potential as others. And that perception is completely wrong.
The Institute of the Future states that 85% of the jobs we’ll have in 2030 have yet to be created. Manufacturing is where high-tech meets high-potential talent.
As an information and technology company, we’re not only recruiting for skills; we’re recruiting for adaptability to the rapidly evolving future of smart manufacturing.
We Need People
How and where we recruit talent has changed a lot in the last five years, as we look for new opportunities to meet people who don’t know much about us.
- New relationships. Our partnership with ManpowerGroup will help us upskill 1,000 veterans annually for leading-edge digital manufacturing roles. This potential employee group is dedicated, organized and motivated – exactly what we need in our workforce – so we’ve added Service Academy Career Conferences and Military Mojo to our recruitment calendar.
Blog: Why Company Culture is the Most Important Factor for Career Success
- Broader relationships: Involvement with oSTEM (Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) helps us reach beyond traditional STEM events. Our Culture of Inclusion focuses on making this a place where employees can do their best work and be their authentic selves. Our employee resource group, ROKOut, invites LGBTQ employees and allies to join together to continue to support this culture. LGBTQ-specific conferences are one of my favorite recruiting opportunities because I am so proud to tell our company’s culture story.
- Deepening relationships: We’ve been involved with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) for a long time. Now, we are going deeper and investing more. We’re attending regional conferences and our CEO Blake Moret will speak at the Milwaukee event.
What I love About My Job
I want to tell our story to anyone who will listen.
While I can talk to potential employees about the obvious – competitive pay and benefits, world-class innovation – my real focus is our culture and our future.
I need to help people understand who our company is, and what they can expect from a career here.
I want to know what’s holding you back from a career in manufacturing. If it’s an outdated perception of what this industry looks like, then it’s my mission to change that.
