HERE’S HOW.
Professional press operators and technicians are at the top of their game. The downside – soon, they’ll be out of the game. The workforce in print and publishing is one of the most expert because it’s one of the fastest aging, with 36% of printing employees at or nearing retirement age.
Beyond retiring, the Great Resignation is still affecting all sectors of the economy. Manufacturing (under which print is a subsector) has one of the highest quit rates across the board. That said, employee numbers have been slowly increasing since September, with 1,000 more people employed in printing in December 2021 over November.
Printers across the U.S. have roles to fill, and consumer demand for print products is bouncing back faster than many of us can keep up.
The good news – you can start building tomorrow’s pipeline today. Here’s how.
HIRE FOR CULTURE
Younger hires are looking for the right fit, culturally. They want to click with management and bring their whole selves to work, including personality, hobbies, and style. To avoid churning through new hires, you need to identify what a good fit looks like.
- What kind of person does your team want to work side-by-side with every day?
- What kinds of communication skills are important to you?
- How available do they need to be?
- Do you have a dress code or policies about phone use or music?
Be clear about these things when interviewing, and watch closely for the signs your hire will integrate smoothly. Some companies invite the entire team to the interview process. If your hire is not a good cultural fit from the start, you won’t be able to change it later.
TRAIN ON SKILLS
When you hire for fit, you take responsibility for skills training. Showing new people how to do things according to your standards takes some commitment on your part. Before you hire someone with fewer hard skills, have these things in place:
- An air-tight description of the skills and responsibilities for each role.
- A mentor to train, provide feedback, and chart the trainee’s progress.
- A clear training process that outlines milestones and how to meet them.
- A compensation package that rewards training in progress.
- A deep bench. Trainees can come into your organization in a lower-skill role and follow a planned path to a higher-skill position.
WOO WITH TECHNOLOGY
Gen Zs (or Zoomers) are digital natives. The generation entering the workforce right now, Gen Zs use technology to complete most tasks, intuitively navigating new technologies. The print and publishing industry has embraced technology to create more innovative products and sophisticated designs. Technology affords commercial printers increased capabilities and the ability to serve more customers.
Appeal to new and younger hires by being transparent about your technology advances and telling them you need their help pushing the envelope. Let them know they can co-create the future of the company by leading on technology. Zoomers are both entrepreneurial and risk-averse. Tap into this mindset by creating opportunities for them to own tasks and develop processes within your shop.
PARTNER ON HIRING
Partnering to hire can take the stress and expense out of onboarding, particularly when you partner with a placement service that specializes in your industry. Semper LLC uses four layers of industry-specific screening before you ever see the candidate:
- Pre-screening
- Interviewing
- Skill testing
- Reference checks
Vetting candidates takes time and money. We do it first so you can hire for fit.
Across the country, we have 100,000 specialized job seekers ready to jump in for flex, flex-to-hire, or direct-hire work. We find out what they want to do and how they want to do it, so we can provide you with candidates that won’t waste your time. You might be looking for a permanent hire or someone to jump in during family leave or when staff is out sick. We already know who is available for what, and we’ll send them your way.
At Semper Workforce Solutions, we serve the graphic communications, printing, and packaging industries by providing short and long-term staffing solutions nationwide. Register as a client today, or if you need immediate help, email us directly: always@semperllc.com.