Hiring in 2021

There has been a LOT of disruption in the last 12 months…

Now that the elections are over, vaccines are being distributed AND PMI is at 60.7% (following 8 consecutive months of growth) if you’re a manufacturer or distributor with staff shortage issues, now is time for you to capitalize on the best talent market in a decade. How? Here’s a few thoughts…

The Good News:

Many of us have adjusted to our own “new normal” over the past year. Safe & stable leaders, workers and advisors who were on the fence about rejoining the workforce are becoming increasingly willing to move on a new position.

A lot of companies have made the difficult decision to lay off or give an early retirement package to their most valuable & knowledgeable people. While it’s been incredibly difficult for many families to bear in the short term, those with the “get it done” attitude are ready and willing to apply their best efforts in a new environment. For those of us who have fought tirelessly to create the kind of culture where only the very best will thrive – this is our time!! Early retirees never stay home for long (especially in manufacturing).

The simple fact is: the top 15% of people who are focused on maximizing their own output are the first people who adapt to new circumstances. And they’re ready to get off the sidelines “if” you’ve developed a safety focused culture within a vital industry.

The Tough News:

Financially strong companies are hiring these ultra qualified resources at a surprising pace. They deeply understand that market instability breeds opportunity and have long been prepared to capitalize on these moments in a market cycle. Great talent is being snatched up every day. We all know that recruiting & retaining good people is a never ending battle, but have you ever felt that moment of “sheer bliss” when you have all the right people in the right places and things just work “like magic.” This is the time when your competitors are setting themselves up for that moment. Have your regional neighbors been snatching up all of your best people? Have you been frustrated at a lack of applicants for rewarding & quality jobs? It might just be time to turn that around

MOST importantly… workplace fatigue is a safety hazard. Plain and simple, nobody wants to see a teammate get hurt. In a season of seemingly endless long days among thinly stretched teams; focus and attention become more important as the supply of these disciplines reaches a critical low. Because of this, we’re sharing every trick we know with our clients this year to ensure their teams don’t suffer due to staffing shortages. In order to win the long game, it’s imperative that we look out for our allies.

In Summary:

America is ready to get back on track and production has consistently improved (even with the heartbreaking COVID outbreaks we face as a country at the dawn of the new year). If you’ve had long standing skill gaps, frustrating “revolving door positions” or are ready to expand & upgrade your team and fight back, this window of time will allow for one of the best hiring opportunities of the last decade. 

At Progressive Reliability we have our full focus on providing the best available resources to our existing client base and work endlessly to refine our qualification process. We operate within manufacturing and distribution, and our clients have made a lot of interesting adjustments the last six months to react to pockets of unprecedented demand. If you’ve ever wondered how to provide superior support to your talent acquisition team – we’re here to help.

As always, recruitment is not easy, and relationship based businesses are never perfect – but there are some unique and often overlooked tools to ensure you’re in the best position within any given talent market. As a niche operator, we have a lot of flexibility within our markets that’s seldom found with legacy staffing companies. If you and your fellow leaders are frustrated with your current talent strategy and suffering a lack of labor, maintenance, or reliability talent, please contact us today so we can show you how to ensure 2021 remains safe & well staffed!

Thank you for reading & we wish you a safe & productive 2021!