Manufacturing

Producing new ways to close the manufacturing talent gap

The advent of digital industrial technology, dubbed Industry 4.0, has given rise to a series of new challenges for manufacturers. Although tech and automation have transformed manufacturing— giving industrial companies an opportunity to harness new levels of productivity— it’s difficult to capitalize on opportunities for profitable growth because of constant disruption. A tight labor market and a diminished supply of skilled labor makes it difficult for industrial manufacturers to find the talent and leaders needed to sustain themselves. Many firms are rightsizing their portfolio, spinning off and divesting business units, while others are engaged in strategic merger and acquisition activity. Further threats destabilizing the market include global trade disputes, tariffs and political instability.

For manufacturers, identifying, attracting and retaining top-level talent capable of leading through changes is a competitive advantage. They need specialized, learning-agile leaders capable of driving transformation in a lean environment to create new value for customers and stakeholders. These leaders must possess the expertise and strategic focus to extract growth from mature markets, optimize global supply chains, and enhance operational productivity—all while overseeing corporate culture and managing considerable risk.

As the world’s largest industrial search firm, we help industrial manufacturers solve these pressing challenges. Our manufacturing consultants serve businesses around the globe in every sector, including automation and control systems, building products and materials, capital equipment and machinery, chemicals, mechanical and electrical components, mobile equipment and machinery, and paper and packaging. We advise our clients on all aspects of the talent lifecycle, from recruitment to development to succession planning.

What we do

Our industrial manufacturing consultants can help you attract, develop and retain best-in-class talent for your organization.

Adjusting to constant disruptions in the market requires an agile pipeline of leadership talent prepared to weather the storm. We work with you to assess the full spectrum of your talent-related needs.

Where we can help

Your results are what matters. We partner with you to continually evolve and optimize to reflect the changing needs of your business. We help our industrial manufacturing clients address challenges like these.

Finding new sources of talent

The manufacturing labor market is tighter than ever . The demand for skilled labor far exceeds the supply , as the manufacturing sector experiences a renaissance and digitization takes hold. This demand is only going to increase as an aging manufacturing workforce plans for retirement and organizations lose a treasure trove of specialized skills and institutional knowledge.

We help you find new ways to penetrate the talent market and recruit skilled workers. Given our breadth of experience, we can help you identify qualified candidates with relevant experience from other industries. We know how to create learning and development programs that close skill gaps for current employees. And we drive interest in manufacturing careers by helping you invest in career-focused programs for students in high schools, trade schools and colleges.

Navigating digital transformation

Across the industrial supply chain, technology is disrupting the way that manufacturers do business. As industrial companies acquire new digital capabilities, they need more than just the latest technology. They need talent capable of implementing tools and leading the transformation.

We help you create sustainable digital transformation strategies that harness the power of internal and external talent. We work with you to build a brand around your digital transformation and use technology to address real-world problems. We teach you how to upskill and reskill your workforce, so you have employees who combine their existing manufacturing and engineering knowledge with cutting-edge digital expertise. And we help your firm develop digital leaders who are eager to set an enterprise-wide, sustainable digital strategy.

Building an engaging employee experience

Skilled candidates often view jobs in manufacturing as less attractive than those in other market sectors. To woo candidates from other industries and to retain them once hired, industrial manufacturers must focus on creating a positive, supportive and motivating employee experience.

We work with you to devise a career architecture that inspires dedication and high performance. We create assessments that evaluate employees’ potential and help them discover opportunities to upgrade their skills and focus on self-development. Additionally, we coach leaders on nurturing high-potential talent through initiatives that improve learning and engagement.

Improving diversity and inclusion

We help you create a positive, engaging and inclusive business environment for all employees. We examine your hiring, development, compensation and promotion practices to ensure that opportunities are equally available to everyone. We use our proprietary assessments and other research-validated tools to help you identify and develop high-potential talent. And we work with you to construct clearly defined career tracks that give up-and-coming talent the experience that positions them for leadership roles. In short, we help you build a transformational, inclusive talent strategy that will accelerate your company’s performance.

Let us be part of your success story. Contact us and see how we can help you produce a workforce that’s ready for what’s next.