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8 Smart Ways Manufacturing Business Owners Can Drive Down Recruiting Costs

When you run a manufacturing business, you are asked to wear many hats; you’re the IT guru, diligently troubleshooting the server or rebooting a misbehaving desktop computer one day, and the next, you’re the janitor, emptying the trash at the end of a busy day. And when tax time rolls around, you’re the CPA, crunching the numbers and looking for creative ways to boost your refund or reduce the size of the check you need to write.

Mixed in with all that hat-wearing is one more important role: that of a recruiter. No matter the nature of your business, you can’t succeed without the right workers, which makes recruiting one of the most critical of your many responsibilities.

Unfortunately, recruiting costs can add up, so it’s essential to drive them down whenever and however you can. Here are eight smart and practical ways to drive down recruiting costs for your manufacturing business:

1. Promote from within.
The number one thing you can do to drive down recruiting costs for your manufacturing business is to promote from within whenever possible. When a vacancy comes up, advertising internally will cost you nothing, and adopting a promotion policy from within will be a boost to employee morale.

2. Set up a robust referral program.
Sometimes the best source of new employees is your current workforce, and rewarding those who refer new hires to your firm is a win-win. You get lower recruiting costs, your current workers get a bonus, and the new hire receives a new and exciting challenge.

3. Establish a cross-training program.
Expand worker skills with a solid program for cross-training. There are so many reasons to cross-train your employees, from reducing the impact of absenteeism to fostering an atmosphere of teamwork and cooperation. Cross-training can also enhance your commitment to promoting from within, expanding worker skills, and driving down the costs of outside recruiting.

4. Engage on social media.
Social media is an excellent resource for finding qualified employees. Setting up a social media account for your manufacturing company is good for business and your recruiting efforts. Putting the word out on social media can help you find qualified workers who otherwise might have never applied for your open position.

5. Team up with community organizations.
From state unemployment agencies to local organizations that work with the homeless and the disadvantaged, community groups try to match qualified workers with companies hiring. Partnering with those programs is a low-cost way to fill your open positions without the hassle and expense of more standard recruiting efforts.

6. Host a virtual job fair.
Job fairs are great for attracting qualified workers, but setting one up is not always cheap. If you want to save money and time, consider taking your recruiting efforts online. Hosting a virtual job fair on your website or social media platform can be a great way to recruit without spending a ton of cash.

7. Become a better interviewer.
Knowing which questions to ask during the interview will be critical to reducing turnover and driving down recruiting costs, so think carefully about those queries and work hard to become a better interviewer. Learning to read body language can help as well – those unspoken cues can tell you a great deal about the seriousness of a particular candidate.

8. Make your job descriptions as specific as possible.
If your job descriptions are vague and difficult to interpret, you are likely to attract many unqualified candidates, and sorting through all those resumés will cost you time you do not have. If you want to whittle down the candidates to the best and most qualified, start by making your job descriptions as detailed and accurate as possible.

Recruiting qualified people is always tricky, and even the most prominent companies struggle with it. However, the challenges can be even more significant for manufacturers, and finding the best workers while staying within budget is a considerable obstacle.

The tips listed above can help you drive down those recruiting costs for your manufacturing business, so you can focus on training new hires instead of sorting through stacks of resumés. Whether you use one of these tips or all eight, you can start reducing recruiting costs today.

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