Drawing Millennials into Your Manufacturing Workforce

Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, are the largest demographic in America. In a recent article for Industry Week, author Richard Farrell takes a look at how manufacturers can attract this younger generation. Drawing on both anecdotal evidence and demographic studies, Farrell makes a number of helpful observations about how to encourage millennials to enter the manufacturing field.

Millennials don’t feel locked into their career paths. They are willing to experiment and try a variety of different jobs. This creates a great opportunity for manufacturing firms to focus recruiting efforts outside of workers in their own industry.

However, manufacturing firms face a big challenge: many people have a negative view of their industry. This negative perception makes hiring new and skilled workers a difficult task. Farrell offers the following recommendations for attracting millennial workers to the manufacturing industry:

1. Spread the word online about how well manufacturing pays.
2. Emphasize the advanced technology aspect of the industry.
3. Encourage senior team members to act as mentors to their younger colleagues.
4. Focus on creating a positive work environment with perks that are popular with Millennials.

For more details, read the article in full at Industry Week.