Resources

After losing an estimated 1.4 million jobs at the beginning of the pandemic, the manufacturing industry is struggling to hire back entry-level and skilled workers alike. Additionally, almost 25% of the manufacturing workforce is 55 or older. As these Baby Boomers retire – taking their experience with them – there aren’t enough people entering the trades to fill their positions.

 

According to a new survey from Protiviti and NC State University, one of the primary concerns identified by global business leaders is attracting and retaining the right talent in 2023. Three of the top four risks highlighted by survey respondents for 2023 are related to talent.

Company culture has a profound impact on employee engagement, morale, productivity, and overall business success. Classic research by Kotter demonstrates that when cultures are more effective, organizations see payoffs in revenue growth, retention, and net income.

Years of social bias and an expectation that everyone will attend a four-year college, especially women, have resulted in the majority of skilled workers being men. But women bring a unique skill set to the trades and shouldn’t be underestimated. 

 

Today, we have a guest on the show, Steven Robertson, who wrote the book Aliens Among Us: Ten Surprising Truths About Gen Z. He will help us understand four facts about Gen Z that you need to know before recruiting Generation Z.

Finding skilled trade workers right now is no easy task, given the ongoing shortage of skilled workers. As an employer, your job description isn’t “recruiter” or “HR manager.” But not having enough workers to keep up with production is a major problem that needs solving—and this blog does just that. 

 

In part one of this two-part episode on 2023 skilled trade trends, we talked about the Great Resignation, the evolving workforce, the recession, inflationary pressures, how that will impact your business, and things you need to be on the lookout for as you head into 2023.