If you’ve been a part of the workforce for an extended period of time – especially within the temporary sector – you’ve likely heard the term “skills gap” thrown around. It refers to the gap between the current needs of a company and the capabilities of their employees or candidates, and it’s a very real phenomenon that might be hampering your productivity.
Make Your Candidates Feel Important
The first step in overcoming the skills gap revolves around making your candidates feel as if they’re already a part of the team. Job seekers are typically far more motivated when they know they’re joining a team of skilled professionals, so it’s important to make them as comfortable as possible during the initial interview and orientation processes.
But it’s also important you avoid giving them a false sense of security. It’s not fair to make a candidate think they have the job if you’re still undecided, so it’s a fine line to balance. When done tactfully and gracefully, however, it can go a long way in making your new recruits feel welcome and mitigating any skills gap that does exist.
Provide In-House Training
Not only does this make the candidate more comfortable in their new role, it’s one of the most effective and straightforward methods of approach when trying to overcome the skills gap.
You don’t have to offer comprehensive training – this is best reserved for colleges and other institutions anyway. Instead, provide your new hires with brief and concise training sessions. This lets your new candidates become familiar with your operations, company culture and day-to-day protocol as quickly as possible.
Treat Employees as People
The increased push for automation in the manufacturing industry means there are more robots on the average factory floor than ever before, but it’s important you don’t confuse them with your human workers. Live employees are still necessary in nearly every professional sector, including manufacturing, so it’s important you give them the respect they deserve.
This goes for your new employees, too. Showing them the same professional courtesy as your long-time staff members is a great way to build a team-based atmosphere, which is also useful when mitigating the skills gap. For even better results, try pairing up your new recruits with established members from your team. This gives them the opportunity to learn the actual skills they’ll need on a day-to-day basis with your company.
How to Make the Skills Gap a Non-Factor
Even the most reputable companies find it difficult to deal with the skills gap that exists in the 21st century, but it’s something that can be overcome. Build a sense of community among your team, giving them the proper training and treating them with respect is just the start – the best managers simply know how to bring out the best traits in all of their workers.
Work With a Top Staffing Agency in North Carolina
Are you looking for the best candidates to bring to your industrial company? We can help – contact the recruiters at Mega Force today to work with a top staffing agency in North Carolina.
