Winning the Talent Game In an Increasingly Competitive Market September 18, 2013

Why? Or Why Not?

With the reasons for talent marketing obvious, why aren’t more companies

embracing it?

Can you hear me now?

• Demand for skilled workers is outpacing supply

• Competition is fierce – for largely the same talent

• Perceptions of manufacturing as a career aren’t good

• The image of plastics is shaped largely by environmentalists

• Yet most manufacturers do not have robust, strategic talent acquisition programs

Whoever wins the war for talent

wins the game.

But whose responsibility is this?

• Federal, State & Local Government all pledge support

• National Associations are addressing this on behalf of members

• Regional/Statewide/Local Collaborations are taking shape everywhere

• It’s fast. It’s furious. And it’s fragmented.

No one is coming to

save you.

New Reality. New Thinking. New Actions.

Acting with this reality requires a fundamental shift in thinking to drive new actions

•Historically, manufacturers are not good marketers

•We think like engineers, not consumers

•With an average employee age of 56, we are not the target audience

•Most don’t understand how to reach younger recruits

•Our kids know more about these channels than we do

The first thing we need to change is our thinking

With Challenge Comes Opportunity

• You can out-market the competition

• Exceptional people seek out exceptional companies

• Give people compelling reasons to want to work for you

Well-executed marketing strategies are critical tools in attracting and retaining the talent you need to succeed.

What You Need to Do

Define What Sets Your Company Apart

Tell a Strong, Compelling Story

• Generate interest with people that share your vision

• Differentiate your company in a meaningful way

• Be different. Not the same as your competitors

• What appeals to customers most often appeals to recruits

Is your culture helping or hurting?

Define Your Culture…or your culture will define you

•It’s more than a competitive advantage. It’s the #1 reason people leave and what recruits value most

–Essential in competing against your area’s leading companies

–Helps you hire the right people

•Allows people to self-select (both in and out)

•Motivates employees to get behind you and help you win

•If you don’t have a great culture, start to build one

Bring your brand to life

Create a brand personality that’s engaging

•Speak to what people are interested in and care about

•Don’t tell me what you do. Tell me what you’ll do for me.

•Create an emotional connection. It’s personal.

•Use younger people, good photos and video to make it real

•Don’t be boring….to a 20 year-old

Create a Recruitment Roadmap

Have a strategy for winning

• Establish Goals & Objectives

• Evaluate and prioritize channels

• Assign budgets and benchmarks

• Identify key action items

• Execute well

What’s in a good plan?

Be the leader great people want to work for

• A robust on-line environment is FUNDAMENTAL

• Use PR & Social Media to build your reputation and reach people

• Create financial incentives

• Build connections in your community, your industry and in their schools

• Be visible. Do not be a well kept secret

• Promote industry careers wherever you are

• Equip and motivate employees to tell your story

Let’s Make It Real

Let’s Make it Real

How can YOU help companies be the leaders GREAT people want to work for?

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

-Vince Lombardi

Tell a Compelling Story

Build a Robust Online Presence

Build a Dedicated Careers Environment

The Milacron “Be More At Milacron” Campaign

Build a Dedicated Careers Environment

Speak to What Recruits Care About

Use PR to Connect & Build Your Reputation

Use Social Media to Connect & Build Your Reputation

Use Social Media to Connect & Build Your Reputation

Lead in Your Community and Leverage it

Project Engineer Job Description excerpts:

• A very successful, growth-oriented company

• Winner of the prestigious Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award

• Strong reputation for operational excellence, employee development and community leadership

• Our goal is to equip the person we hire to lead

Lead, don’t follow the transformation

Connect with National/Regional/Local Initiatives

It’s Everyone’s Job to Promote the Industry

• Plastics is not an industry people seek

• Even at Universities with industry leading programs – U Mass Lowell & Ferris State University- more than 90% of students are through referrals

• There are tremendous opportunities to connect

Job Fairs

Sponsorships

Pizza Parties

Plant Tours

SPI Video Competition

Industry Events

And more….

Once You’ve Got ‘Em, Keep ‘Em.

5 Key Takeaways

1 Tell a compelling story: define a culture & brand story that’s TRULY engaging

2 Have a plan and work the plan: strategize how you will CREATIVELY win the talent game

3 A robust online presence is FUNDAMENTAL: Seize the opportunity to enhance your #1 marketing tool

4 PR/ Social Media to shape your reputation: reach people in a more compelling manner

5 Create meaningful connections: gain recognition where it matters

Thank You.