JUNE 2019 RECRUITMENT
for this diversity to be maximised. Many of those
taking their fi rst manufacturing job do so not because they have their
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providing the cherry on the cake. With this level
of insecurity, we should not be surprised that
millennials move jobs more frequently. For them,
a ‘job for life’ is an urban myth, an old-fashioned
notion spoken about by their grandparents. Their
motivations and expectations are very diff erent
from previous generations – they do not even
expect employers to off er substantial pension
schemes and benefi ts that may entice them to
stay with an employer for the long term.
With this lack of security, it’s to be expected
that the millennial mindset is more attuned to
instant gratifi cation. They have grown up with
technology that promotes immediacy – access to
information, instant communication, shopping
with next- or even same-day delivery. On-demand
services and immediate credit agreements allow
easy access to luxuries, meaning debt is now
expected rather than feared. Is this immediacy in
everyday life what we see spilling over into work
The view from the industry
Will Justin is a graduate engineer at Crewe-based manufacturer
of industrial gases, Air Products
It’s no secret that the number of people working in manufacturing is
falling. Recent statistics released by the ONS showed a drop of 50,000
workers in the sector in 2018. In a time of such acute uncertainty in the
UK economy, perhaps this isn’t a surprise. After all, we’re an industry
which is heavily a ected by economic peaks and troughs. However,
for people like me who are just starting out in our careers in the sector,
the promise of a bounce back years from now isn’t much of a comfort.
The idea that we’re struggling to recruit people into manufacturing
is therefore another concern. Data released last year by Make UK
highlighted our aging workforce – close to half of respondents to its
survey on the issue expect up to 20% of their workers to retire in the
next decade. We need to replace those people and make our industry
attractive enough for the next generation to stick around.
To its credit, the industry is looking at ways to do this. However,
the response seems to trend towards apprenticeships rather than
graduate schemes. While I understand the
logic behind this, to me it seems counterproductive
to rely solely on one method
of ground-fl oor recruitment. I think we
should be utilising all avenues to increase
recruitment of younger people, and, based
on my own experience, I fully believe that
graduate schemes have a role to play in
that – if structured in the right way.
The key to answering the recruitment
and retention challenge lies in diversity
of opportunity, and the natural
structure of graduate schemes allows
career path planned out, but because they have a general interest in
the industry they’re joining or the STEM subjects they studied. Letting
potential STEM recruits know that if they join your company, they will
have a chance to explore and understand it rather than be pushed into
one area is a real draw. For example, over my fi rst three years at Air
Products I’ll work in three di erent parts of the business. After that, I’ll
be in a better position to move myself towards the area in which I want
to work long-term.
This also helps retain those who perhaps take a mis-step when they
fi rst join. It’s a common occurrence amongst those who start work,
only to fi nd that their fi rst job isn’t as they expected. They can easily
become disillusioned and seek work in other industries. By o ering a
choice of di erent job roles, new starters can make career choices from
a position of greater knowledge, after spending time with a company
learning the ins and outs of it.
Many of those entering the world of work for the fi rst time are
unsure what to expect. To encourage them to take that fi rst leap of
faith, and to stick with it once they’ve done so, requires the companies
bringing them on board to provide reassurance. Young graduates and
apprentices are starting out in their careers. They’re looking for exciting
roles, opportunities to learn and, ultimately, a career which they will
genuinely enjoy. If you give them more chances to fi nd that then
recruitment and retention problems will become a thing of the past.
Millennials’
workplace
expecations
are di erent
to previous
generations
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