Employer branding matters more than ever when attracting manufacturing talent. Effective branding helps a firm stand out and show why employees enjoy working there.

Employer branding is a company’s reputation as a workplace and the value it offers employees. The stories associated with a manufacturing firm create the brand’s reputation. This image impacts whether job seekers apply for openings.

Investing in employer branding is investing in the current and future workforce. Encouraging job seekers to choose one manufacturing firm over another supports business longevity.  

Benefits of Manufacturing Employer Branding

The benefits of manufacturing employer branding include the following:

  • Standing out: Differentiating the manufacturing firm shows what makes it unique, such as a commitment to innovation and career growth. 
  • Building credibility: An established employer brand is known for trustworthiness, reliability, and quality products.
  • Attracting top talent: Investing in an employee value proposition (EVP) shows what employees receive in exchange for top performance. 
  • Accessing passive candidates: Attractive employer branding encourages employees who enjoy their roles to explore other job opportunities.
  • Maintaining employee morale: Happy employees stay engaged and productive. 
  • Encouraging loyalty: Positive employee experiences support longevity. 
  • Enhancing the firm’s reputation: Being known for quality, reliability, and innovation encourages the best talent to apply for job openings. 
  • Saving time and money on hiring: Job seekers who positively perceive a manufacturing firm typically apply for open roles.


Hidden Costs of a Weak Employer Brand

Many manufacturing job seekers research employer brands when deciding where to apply. Most will not apply for jobs with firms that have a poor reputation. The results include:

  • Increased challenge of attracting talent  
  • Potentially double the spend on recruitment advertising 
  • Above-market wages due to lack of brand recognition 
  • Fewer job applications 
  • Difficulty encouraging job offer acceptance 
  • Lost candidates to better-known competitors 
  • Longer time-to-fill 
  • Higher cost-per-hire 
  • Greater training costs due to less qualified hires
  • Lost productivity due to vacancies 
  • Elevated turnover due to poor cultural fit
  • Reduced ability to take on new projects 
  • Negative impact on the bottom line
  • Slower business growth 

‍‍Return on Investment‍ of Manufacturing Employer Branding

A manufacturing firm investing in employer branding typically sees returns in these areas:

  • More qualified applicants for skilled roles 
  • Faster time-to-fill
  • Reduced cost-per-hire
  • Lower overtime costs from vacant roles 
  • Better cultural fit 
  • Increased employee retention 

Components of Manufacturing Employer Branding

Three main components make up manufacturing employer branding:

  1. Company culture: A firm’s mission, vision, values, and how they are carried out impact long-term business growth.
  2. Employee voice: Employee stories and opinions of the manufacturing firm impact whether job seekers apply to open roles.
  3. Candidate experience: Impressions formed during every step from application to job offer acceptance affect employer branding. 

Employee Advocacy in Manufacturing Employer Branding

Employees who share their stories working for a manufacturing firm provide honest, relatable insight into the company’s culture. This transparency fosters trust and encourages job applications. 

Encourage employee content creation

Employees who create content with work photos, videos, and stories provide a genuine impression of working for the manufacturing firm. Transparently demonstrating company culture and job satisfaction encourages job seekers to apply for roles.

Emphasize authenticity

Provide a genuine, human voice for employer branding. Show that the employer brand matches the reality. 

Encouraging employees to share personal experiences and workplace insights resonates with targeted job seekers. These activities build transparency, organizational trust, and credibility. 

Expand the brand’s reach

Encourage employees to share manufacturing firm updates, job openings, and company culture content to amplify visibility and reach wider audiences. Expanding the brand’s reach increases employee referrals, talent attraction, and retention. 

Using Employer Branding to Attract Manufacturing Talent

These strategies can help a manufacturing firm use employer branding to attract talent:

During the hiring process:

  • Positively portray company culture and job openings 
  • Be authentic and welcoming 
  • Build enthusiasm for open roles
  • Set up new hires to be engaged and successful 

While onboarding:

  • Foster relationships between new hires and mentors
  • Demonstrate how the manufacturing firm functions 
  • Include current training videos and technology   
  • Request new hire feedback to improve employer branding

To strengthen retention:

  • Consistently demonstrate company values
  • Prioritize employee engagement and job satisfaction 
  • Offer regular training and development opportunities 
  • Incentivize employee referrals 

During offboarding:

  • Uncover what departing employees liked and disliked about the manufacturing firm
  • Develop and implement plans for improvement
  • Maintain a positive employer brand
  • Increase employee attraction and retention rates

Steps to Strengthen Manufacturing Employer Branding

Regularly focusing on these steps can enhance manufacturing employer branding:

Audit the manufacturing firm’s online presence:

  • Ensure the company website is updated and mobile-friendly.
  • Learn what shows up about the firm during an online search.
  • Discover what job seekers find when checking the firm’s social media pages.
  • See what current and former employees say in employer reviews.

Respond to employer reviews:

  • Monitor what current and former employees say on Glassdoor and other employer review sites.
  • Correct nonfactual information in reviews and include a link to a relevant resource.
  • Respond to negative reviews by asking the reviewer to contact a specific person within the manufacturing firm to address the issue and improve the workplace.

Modernize the company website:

  • Include videos of the facility.
  • Create virtual tours of the work areas.
  • Show work as it happens.
  • Feature employee success stories.

Tell the manufacturing firm’s story:

  • Showcase the employees and projects.
  • Highlight the technology and innovation.
  • Share the safety record and culture.
  • Emphasize career growth opportunities.  

Engage employees:

  • Share employee testimonials.
  • Post photos and videos demonstrating a day at work in a role.
  • Highlight the training programs.
  • Celebrate team accomplishments.

Develop content for job seekers:

  • Share the company overview.
  • Mention employee benefits.
  • Include blog posts about what employees like most about their jobs. 
  • Host a CEO Q&A.

Interact with social media followers:

  • Stay active on LinkedIn to generate interest in job openings.
  • Share company information, training workshops, and employee awards on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.
  • Interview employees at all organizational levels.
  • Incentivize employees to share content with their networks.  

Measuring the Impact of Manufacturing Employer Branding

The key metrics used to measure the impact of manufacturing employer branding depend on the company’s goals. The following are five methods to track and evaluate a brand:

  1. Social media engagement: Focus on company culture content and posts featuring employees.
  2. Employee advocacy: Sharing work-related content on social media indicates positive company culture and organizational pride.
  3. Job applications: A higher application-to-employee conversion rate shows the employer brand resonates with the right job seekers.
  4. Employee retention: Compare turnover rates to before a retention initiative was implemented.
  5. Glassdoor ratings and reviews: Learn what current and former employees say about the manufacturing firm to determine how positive its employer brand is. 

Is Your Staffing Partner Helping or Hurting Your Business?

In today’s fast-moving labor market, the wrong staffing provider can cost you more than just time—it can impact productivity, retention, and your bottom line. Simply filling positions isn’t enough. You need a true partner who understands your challenges, anticipates workforce shifts, and aligns their strategies with your success.

But how do you know if your staffing provider is up to the task? Start by asking the right questions.

We’ve put together 10 hard-hitting questions to help you evaluate your staffing partner and uncover whether they’re delivering real value—or just sending warm bodies.

Discover a smarter way to staff

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