11 Recruiting Tips and Strategies for Manufacturers

Nearly one in five manufacturing plants that operated below capacity in 2024 attributed the gap to an insufficient supply of labor, according to the US Census Bureau. Looking forward, separate research from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute (MI) shows that manufacturers will require as many as 3.8 million net new employees by 2033. Suffice to say, the fight for qualified talent is more intense than ever. At the same time, manufacturing recruiters, HR managers, and business owners looking to fill open positions must slog through a perfect storm of challenges, including increasing skills gaps and often negative perceptions of their industry. Here’s how manufacturers are overcoming these obstacles to attract new workers.

What Is Manufacturing Recruiting?

Manufacturing recruiting is the process of finding, attracting, and hiring skilled workers for specific jobs in factories, plants, and production facilities. Positions range from entry-level production workers and machine operators to highly specialized roles, such as engineers, industrial designers, maintenance technicians, quality-control specialists, and plant managers.

Key Takeaways

• Manufacturing’s unique challenges call for specialized recruitment strategies that require organizations to rethink how and from where they source talent.
• Employee referrals, community partnerships, and apprenticeship programs can help create effective talent pipelines.
• Improving corporate culture and offering clear career advancement paths are critical for attracting younger generations.
• Advanced technology, including artificial intelligence and automation, helps reduce time-to-hire.

Manufacturing Recruiting Explained

Recruiting for manufacturing roles follows the same standard hiring workflow as for roles in other sectors—but with important industry-specific considerations. For example, manufacturing often requires high-volume hiring, particularly during production ramp-ups or seasonal peaks. The candidate evaluation process also frequently incorporates hands-on skill demonstrations or technical assessments to verify practical abilities that directly impact production quality and safety.

Most manufacturing positions demand proficiency in a variety of technical and digital skills. Leading the list of the fastest-growing categories of skills, according to Deloitte/MI, are simulation and simulation software, enterprise information management, and cloud computing. This focus reflects manufacturing’s ongoing digital transformation as Industry 4.0 technologies reshape factory floors. Key strategies to attract and retain talent include offering competitive employee benefits programs and flexible work arrangements, such as shift swapping and split shifts, the joint research shows.

Key Recruiting Challenges in Manufacturing

Manufacturing typically requires new hires to have hands-on skills, physical stamina, and a willingness to work nontraditional schedules. But several factors undercut manufacturers’ ability to tap into a labor pool that is not only ready but truly qualified to work. Together, these issues are putting pressure on manufacturers to rethink how and from where they source talent.

• Addressing the skills gap: The velocity with which artificial intelligence, automation, the push to reduce carbon emissions, and other changes are impacting the industry have left employers scrambling to find job candidates with the right qualifications. Deloitte/MI predicts that as many as 1.9 million jobs could remain unfilled through 2033 if manufacturers don’t address this gap. Soft skills are not to be overlooked either: In its 2025 jobs report, the World Economic Forum notes that more than 70% of manufacturers cite creative thinking, analytical thinking, and resilience and agility as job skills that will become more important over the next five years.
• Attracting younger talent: The skills gap is further exacerbated by the reality that many younger people view manufacturing as an unappealing career path. Outdated perceptions have left many Generation Z candidates (born 1997 to 2012) with the false impression that manufacturing translates to low-paying, unsafe, dead-end jobs that lack flexibility and opportunities for advancement. In reality, however, manufacturers anticipate employee wages to rise 2.8% over the next 12 months, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).
• Recruiting in underserved areas: 65% of NAM-surveyed manufacturers rank attracting and retaining talent as their top business challenge. To address this, many are proactively reaching out to underserved areas—rural communities, post-industrial towns, economically blighted urban cores—as potential sources of untapped labor. Yet hiring from these areas can be tricky: Sparse public transit isolates job seekers, inadequate broadband hampers remote training programs, and lack of childcare and eldercare options impede manufacturers’ ability to recruit and retain employees.

Tips for Recruiting Top Manufacturing Talent

Unless current labor shortage problems are solved, unfilled manufacturing jobs are projected to cost the US economy $1 trillion in gross domestic product by 2033, per Deloitte/MI. The following tips and strategies can help manufacturers bolster their ability to attract top candidates and retain employees for the long term.

1. Create an Employee Referral Program

No one knows what it’s like to work for a particular manufacturer better than its own employees. Research has consistently shown that companies that encourage their workers to refer potential new employees save time and money on recruiting, hire faster, and have better retention rates. Referrals also act as a form of two-way vetting: With their names attached to the process, employees are more likely to recommend quality candidates, who, courtesy of the same employees, already have a positive impression of the employer. Companies often offer referral bonuses to employees if their recommendations lead to new hires; these financial incentives are usually paid after the new hire has passed a probationary period of one to three months.

2. Understand Candidate Expectations

Job expectations among younger workforces extend beyond competitive salaries. These prospects also want to work at companies that provide generous benefits, flexible schedules that preserve work-life balance, career growth opportunities, and a positive corporate culture. A few ways that recruiters can ensure that their offerings align with evolving expectations include holding focus groups with potential candidates, analyzing job applications for commonalities, and conducting employee surveys and exit interviews. According to the “2025 Hiring Insights Report” by talent acquisition platform provider GoodTime, the “candidate interview experience” topped the list of metrics that manufacturing teams are using to measure hiring success, “underscoring a heightened awareness of how positive interactions during the hiring process impact talent attraction.”

3. Polish Your Employer Brand

A manufacturer’s reputation as an employer is crucial to attracting the right talent and standing out among competitors. Sharing employee testimonials and success stories is a strong way to communicate the manufacturer’s core values, competitive compensation, and openness to career advancement. Also effective: showcasing the impact of a manufacturer’s products on customers’ lives, its commitment to safety, and support for the community. Once the manufacturer’s value proposition is defined, it should be communicated consistently and across as many channels as possible, including the manufacturer’s career website, social media, and job boards. Recruitment materials, including job postings, should reflect these messages as well.

4. Upgrade Job Listings

The average manufacturing job listing tends to be exactly that: average, as in duly describing a job’s tasks, physical requirements, and required qualifications. To improve, recruiters must shift their approach from “listing” to “marketing” for advertising open positions. The most effective listings sell the idea that working for the manufacturer is exciting. Rather than advertising for a “Machine operator needed for production line,” a more engaging description, like “Join our team of CNC machinists using cutting-edge technology to create life-saving medical devices, with clear paths to advance your career,” may stimulate interest. Online postings should also aim for search-friendly job titles and descriptions, incorporate photos and videos of current employees, and be optimized for mobile devices.

5. Improve Corporate Culture

Poor company culture is the #1 reason why new hires defect within their first 90 days of employment, according to Jobvite’s “2025 Job Seeker Nation Report.” It’s also why nearly 1 in 5 prospects turn down job offers in the first place. Manufacturers can foster a more engaging corporate culture by identifying the aspects of the work environment that resonate most positively with candidates during interviews and facility tours. This feedback is often more objective than the feedback given by veteran employees, who have adapted to existing conditions or formed working relationships that make it harder to provide unfiltered critiques (unless they have been guaranteed anonymity). To improve the current corporate culture, experts suggest reinforcing the message that manufacturing is as much about people as it is about processes, developing a team environment, and providing a healthy work-life balance.

6. Identify Where Candidates Are Looking for Jobs

Targeted outreach matters just as much in HR as it does in marketing. Manufacturers can use labor market and workforce analytics to pinpoint geographic areas with concentrations of workers possessing relevant skills, such as towns in which plants have closed or downsized. In addition to digital recruitment methods, manufacturers that establish a physical presence in targeted communities through partnerships with technical schools, community colleges, and local workforce development organizations can gain direct access to qualified candidates.

7. Facilitate Employee Development

Employees are 2.7 times less likely to leave organizations where they feel they can acquire skills important for the future, according to Deloitte/MI. As such, employee development can be a powerful recruitment tool. Manufacturers that offer skill-based training programs—where employees learn technical competencies like automation programming or lean manufacturing—are smart to highlight these opportunities during the recruitment process. Regular skills assessments that track progress, digital technology training for Industry 4.0 readiness, and mentorship relationships that transfer knowledge from more experienced to newer workers help create a more agile workforce while enhancing the company’s reputation as a great place to work.

8. Get Active in Your Local Community

Manufacturers are dual members of the manufacturing community and their local community, both of which can aid in recruiting qualified candidates. So can being active in industry associations and networking groups while attending events, trade shows, and job fairs. These community connections help manufacturers build relationships, keep tabs on what’s happening in the labor market, and promote their employer brands. Indeed, more than 90% of manufacturers are forming strategic partnerships with such organizations as local technical colleges and industry associations, specifically to improve talent attraction, according to Deloitte/MI.

9. Start an Apprenticeship Program

Apprenticeship programs are an effective way to attract candidates who are unsure whether a manufacturing career is right for them. These programs combine paid hands-on training with classroom education, teaching essential skills, such as CNC machine operation, welding, robotics programming, predictive maintenance, and quality-control processes, that can lead to industry certifications or associate degrees. Manufacturers can also partner with vocational schools and community colleges to attract students to their programs, after which the most promising apprentices can be integrated into existing training and mentorship programs.

10. Ensure Compensation Is Competitive

Although today’s younger manufacturing employees often choose jobs based on more than just salary, organizations that offer below-market compensation place themselves at a disadvantage. Not only does lower pay make it harder for employees to make ends meet, but it also sends a signal that the manufacturer doesn’t value its workers. Fair compensation will vary by role, experience, and region. Regular salary audits, benchmarking, and market research offer key insights to ensure that pay is on par with going rates.

11. Make Your Hiring Process Seamless

Manufacturers send mixed signals when they express interest in candidates but then subject them to a long, drawn-out hiring and onboarding process that feels like an obstacle course. The most common reasons candidates drop out of the process include cumbersome application processes, slow response times, difficulty in scheduling interviews, and poor communication. According to GoodTime’s hiring report, 55% of manufacturing organizations reported lengthier time-to-hire in 2024, underscoring how friction points in the hiring process directly impact success.

How Technology Assists Recruiting in the Manufacturing Industry

AI, machine learning, data analytics, and other advanced technologies are reshaping the manufacturer recruiting process. By automating repetitive tasks—for example, reviewing an influx of resumes and scheduling interviews—these technologies can accelerate the hiring process and improve the candidate experience. As an added bonus, recruiters can focus on building relationships with promising candidates to sell the opportunities that modern manufacturing careers can offer. The latest technology offers capabilities including:

• AI-based candidate matching: Algorithmic screening matches resumes with job descriptions. Top candidates are identified based on their skills and experience, and then their resumes are passed along for human review.
• Automated scheduling and communication: Automated tools streamline interview scheduling, minimize the number of no-shows through automated reminders and easy rescheduling options, and prompt follow-up throughout the hiring process. AI-powered chatbots can also answer common questions about roles, schedules, or pay.
• Mobile-first engagement: Smartphone-optimized applications, text-based communications, and video interviews help meet candidates’ expectations about convenience and accessibility.
• Digital skills assessment: Virtual simulations and skill-testing measure candidates’ abilities to operate equipment or perform manufacturing-specific tasks. It can also help reduce training costs and turnover.
• Integrated HR management systems: Human resources management systems and human capital management systems centralize job applications, resumes, and communication. When integrated with ERP software, these platforms allow manufacturers to forecast future workforce needs based on production projections and to align talent acquisition with broader business strategies.

Manufacturing HR Software for Modern Businesses

Manufacturers can staff more efficiently for today and prepare for the future using NetSuite SuitePeople Human Resource Management System (HRMS). This cloud-based integrated system makes it easy to automate key recruitment tasks and share progress and updates with stakeholders. NetSuite SuitePeople bolsters the staffing process all the way through onboarding, allowing HR teams to create onboarding checklists to help new hires feel welcome and be productive immediately. But perhaps the greatest power of NetSuite SuitePeople comes from its next-generation analytics that informs hiring plans by modeling future workforce needs based on actual payroll, expense, and head count information. Equally as powerful, the system’s integration with NetSuite ERP allows manufacturers to align workforce planning with production forecasts, inventory levels, and supply chain data, creating a comprehensive approach to business growth.

Manufacturing recruiting is as much about quickly filling positions as it is about building a workforce that’s resilient, engaged, and ready to meet evolving demands. Attracting qualified talent calls for a comprehensive strategy that includes understanding candidates’ expectations, competitive compensation and growth opportunities, building local community partnerships, and employing advanced technologies that automate hiring processes. These recruitment approaches help manufacturers build the skilled teams necessary for competing in an increasingly technical and specialized industry landscape.

Manufacturing Recruiting FAQs

What is the difference between active recruiting and passive recruiting?

Active recruiting targets people who are looking for work. Passive recruiting engages with people who aren’t actively looking but might be interested if an opportunity excites them. Both are useful; but in manufacturing—where skilled labor is scarce—combining them is often the most effective approach.

What are the three major steps in recruitment?

The three steps are attracting and bringing top talent into the pipeline, identifying candidates who best fit the job, and hiring them. Aligning all three ensures a smooth process and better long-term hires.

What’s the best method for recruiting manufacturing employees?

Though there is no single “best” way to recruit talent, manufacturers are generally more successful in hiring when they promote jobs that offer skill-building, career paths, and work-life balance.