Standing Out From the Crowd by Mark Levin

Standing Out from the Crowd

by Mark Levin, CAE, CSP

Executive Vice President, Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute

I am among the many people who cannot figure out what happened to all the workers who were staffing jobs in the construction industry before the pandemic hit. Of course, I realize that they could not go over a year (in some cases) without working at all and had to find other work. But, I am just naïve enough to think to myself:

“Did ALL of them find better paying, more satisfying jobs? Did NONE of them come back into the industry when things started to pick up? Was our industry unable to attract and keep ANY of those hospitality, restaurant, and other service industry workers who came to us during the worst of the COVID crisis?”

There are plenty of theories about why jobs in our industry are going unfulfilled, including the fact that parts of the fence industry created some new jobs in the past two years, and it is going to take a while to get those people in place. But there is something more basic that has changed, or is changing, in the workplace that we have not dealt with yet.

We need to stop saying, “We’re hiring.”

Yes, I know we ARE hiring, but so (apparently) is everyone else. So, when the signs in our window or on our website, or on our trucks say, “We’re Hiring”, we are just another company competing for the same pool of workers as all the other companies in the fence industry. Potential employees see, “We’re Hiring” and the first (maybe only?) question they have is, “How much are you paying?”

Now, we are down to a bidding war. Even if they accept the job, there are no assurances that your new employee won’t jump to the next employer as soon as that company says, “We’re hiring, and we’re paying three dollars an hour more than the job you just took.” What we need to say – and believe – is, “We’re investing. We’re investing money (your salary), time (your training), and resources (your employee benefits) in your career.”

Now, some people may be confused by that message, or think it is just a way of dressing up, “We’re hiring.” The exact words you use to get their attention are up to you. The most important thing is to believe it because it’s true, and more importantly, to communicate the message well enough to your potential employees that they believe it, too.

Then, you need to deliver on your promise.

It is extremely easy to look back at the backlog of work most fence industry companies have right now and concentrate on finding enough workers to fill jobs and complete projects as best we can. That’s not going to stop this worker shortage situation from changing in the long run. The only way to do that is to develop an effective program of employee recruitment, recognition, and retention. Here are some things you can do to get things going:

Google “Careers in the fence industry in (your city).

See where your company shows up, if it does at all. It is probably not on the first page of Google, and less than 10% of Google users ever go beyond the first page. Hiring someone to upgrade your social media and online presence may be a worthwhile investment in your future ability to attract good employees.

Be seen by potential employees.

According to Forbes magazine, 65% of young people say they visit YouTube every day. Is your company there?

Testimonials DO work. Use them.

According to socialfresh.com (May 2021), “customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating for content marketing at 89%.” It means that testimonials are the most effective type of content you can put on your website to get more responses from potential employees. Every company has employees (i.e., Alvin Sharp at Davis Wire) with terrific stories to tell about how a career in the fence industry (manufacturing, distribution, sales, contracting, etc.) has helped them create a better quality of life. Let them tell that story to potential employees via a very brief video clip on your website and in your social media.

Work with your industry association.

whether it is CLFMI, AFA, NOMMA, NAFCA, etc. to see if your company can participate in what those groups are doing to create a bigger pool of employees for the industry.

Use this opportunity to infuse diversity and new energy into your company.

Showing that the fence industry can provide a wide range of career opportunities is a wonderful way to reach out to new audiences and expand the pool of talent on your team. Don’t wait to see who walks in the door or responds online. Focus some of your efforts where the untraditional collection of potential employees might lie.

This industry problem is not going away any time soon. To build a truly robust, successful, and forward-thinking industry, we need to embrace a culture of investing in careers, not just hiring new people.