Over 72% of manufacturing employers are facing hiring difficulties, according to the latest Manufacturer’s Outlook Survey. To address this issue and find quality workers, many companies are partnering with manufacturing temp staffing agencies who can help them keep up with changing workforce demands.
Never worked with an agency that specializes in manufacturing staffing or manufacturing temp staffing? Here are some of the key questions you can ask to determine if they are the best match for your business.
Questions to ask a staffing agency about their manufacturing staffing services
What makes your staffing agency the right partner for our manufacturing hiring needs?
As you start researching manufacturing staffing agencies, you’ll likely notice that you have plenty of options to choose from. This may seem like a huge advantage, but the downside is that it can make selecting the right staffing agency that much more challenging.
Fortunately, there are ways to identify the best of the best among today’s staffing agencies. The right manufacturing staffing agency will have a long track record of meeting and exceeding workforce needs. They should also have a positive reputation for delivering high-quality staffing services. If they can provide testimonials from other companies who can confirm their abilities, you’ve likely found the right staffing agency to team with.
What is your experience with manufacturing staffing or manufacturing temp staffing?
Another issue you may encounter in your search is that many of today’s staffing agencies are new to the industry or don’t have expertise in hiring manufacturing workers. As a result, they’ll have fewer industry connections and a smaller pool of candidates to choose from. These factors can greatly impact the quality of workers you receive from them.
That’s why partnering with a specialized manufacturing staffing agency is your best bet. They know the qualities that great manufacturing workers should have and can provide access to a wider pool of job seekers who have those qualities and are ready for their next role.
What types of manufacturing workers can you provide?
It takes many types of manufacturing workers to keep your operations running smoothly. Staffing agencies that specialize in hiring for only a specific role will prolong your hiring process and negatively affect your project deadlines.
The most effective way to prevent these delays is to work with a staffing agency that can provide multiple types of manufacturing workers at once. That way, they can move at the speed of your business and provide manufacturing staffing solutions for a variety of roles, including:
- Assembly and production workers
- Forklift operators
- Loaders and unloaders
- Machine operators
- Pickers and packers
- Shipping and receiving workers
Do you offer flexible staffing options as part of your manufacturing temp staffing services?
Given the challenges in recruiting manufacturing workers, adopting flexible hiring arrangements can provide significant support. This strategy can be customized to fit your current and future staffing needs.
Here are some examples of flexible staffing solutions a staffing agency can provide:
- Temporary workers: Temporary workers can be a great short-term solution, filling in gaps due to employee sick leave, vacations or other absences.
- Seasonal workers: If you’re facing busy seasons or sudden deadlines, seasonal workers can join your team for a designated period of time and reduce the strain on your full-time workforce.
- Temp-to-hire workers: A temp-to-hire arrangement allows you to try workers out to see if they might be right for a permanent position.
How do you provide support for last-minute manufacturing staffing needs?
Despite careful planning, factors like sudden absences, urgent projects and shifting deadlines can change your staffing needs in an instant. In such cases, flexible staffing offers peace of mind.
Your manufacturing staffing agency (or warehouse staffing agency) plays a crucial role in offering this kind of support. Their flexible staffing solutions allow you to adjust the size of your workforce based on your present and future needs. The workers they supply are equipped to assist your team and get the job done right.
What are your recruitment methods for finding manufacturing workers?
A top-notch recruitment strategy involves carefully sourcing and selecting candidates who are the right fit for your company. Unfortunately, newer staffing agencies or those that only offer general labor staffing solutions might lack the resources or the network needed to find qualified candidates for your specific needs.
On the other hand, the ideal staffing agency has an extensive network that includes strong relationships with local schools, community groups and other organizations. These connections make it easier to source and hire manufacturing workers who match your specific qualifications. Meanwhile, your staffing agency should have a strong social media presence to advertise your open roles and attract the attention of a wider pool of candidates.
What kind of safety training do you offer to your manufacturing workers?
The manufacturing industry accounts for about 15% of all workplace injuries and illnesses, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s why safety at your facilities is crucial. The right staffing agency can help protect your workforce and maintain productivity levels by supporting and upholding safety efforts across all your jobsites.
One of the most important signs of their commitment to safety is if they have each applicant undergo a safety assessment before making them available for your company. The staffing agency should also have their own Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) and provide basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all of their workers. These efforts demonstrate their dedication to a safe working environment for everyone.
How do you vet manufacturing workers before recommending them to your customers?
You need qualified manufacturing workers who can get the job done accurately and safely. Without proper vetting, hiring workers with the appropriate credentials to make this happen can be difficult.
Thankfully, a thorough vetting process is exactly what the right staffing agency can offer. They confirm that each worker meets your skills and qualifications while also determining if they are fully prepared to meet all your safety standards and protocols. That way, you can rest assured that the workers you receive will make a great contribution to the team and perform safely in any working environment.
Does your manufacturing staffing agency have a team supporting our community?
Hiring is even more difficult for operations in rural communities or areas with a smaller number of available workers. If this is true in your community, then you know it takes a creative strategy to recruit the right candidates.
The best manufacturing staffing agency for your business will have years of experience performing community outreach and building key relationships with others in your industry. This helps expand their knowledge of the areas they serve plus the pool of candidates they can access. As a result, they can provide tailored manufacturing staffing solutions that you can trust.
Do your services include staffing for manufacturing companies in multiple locations?
Finding manufacturing staffing solutions for several manufacturing facilities requires careful planning. If your staffing agency has limited coverage, they may lack the resources to provide the level of service your company needs and deserves. This can lead to poor hiring decisions and decreased productivity.
Fortunately, when you have the support of a staffing agency with national reach, the process becomes easier. They have the necessary resources to address the unique staffing needs at each of your facilities. As a result, they can provide manufacturing staffing solutions no matter your location.
Does your staffing agency offer additional manufacturing staffing services?
Before new workers join your team, there are payroll, tax reporting and administrative tasks that need to be completed. Although essential to the process, these tasks are often complicated and time-consuming.
With that in mind, the right staffing partner will offer manufacturing staffing services that take these responsibilities off your plate. They manage essential compliance tasks, ensuring each new worker complies with local and federal employment regulations. This means all new workers are properly classified upon hiring, which can help avoid legal and financial liabilities.
Can you help us establish a long-term manufacturing staffing plan?
Factors like new projects or opening new locations may mean you need to hire manufacturing workers on a long-term basis. The right staffing agency will be ready to support these changes and help you maintain the right number of workers at each of your jobsites.
One of the other ways a staffing agency can help you is by providing continual support. Their team shares your goal for long-term success and can offer guidance and insight to ensure your future hiring efforts run smoothly. Their plans will consider the services you provide and the areas in which you operate, among other factors.
Need help hiring manufacturing workers? Reach out to PeopleReady today
PeopleReady can provide manufacturing temp staffing solutions, whether you need to hire production workers, hire shipping and receiving workers or hire warehouse workers, and other manufacturing workers across several roles. We serve hundreds of communities across the U.S., so we have knowledge of the hiring market in your local area.
Meanwhile, our dedicated support team combined with our JobStack app gives you convenient access to our manufacturing and warehouse staffing solutions. So, if you need to find manufacturing workers for your company, check out our locations page to get started.
