Got Skills? How to Become a Winner in Today’s Competitive Talent Search.

The good news? Manufacturing is on the upswing. The bad news? Skilled worker numbers are on the downswing.  Competition from global manufacturers coupled with an outdated perception of manufacturing held by most young people has created a battlefield for good talent.

In this new reality, the company with the best talent will win the game. And clearly there will be winners and losers in this high stakes game that pits small and mid-market companies against the global giants that exist in every market. “I can’t win this battle” many of these smaller companies might say, but for those willing to think differently, Trefoil Group says “yes, you can.” And we’ll tell you how.

The most important thing your company can do is create a powerful brand. Help recruits see the story of the future and why your company and the work you do matters – to them, to your customers, your communities, your industries. 

The Branding Basics -- there are many ways to create a story worth telling:

1. Understand what characteristics define your company – Involve everyone from your CEO to your customers and vendors to really delve into what is important. Once you know, market it.
2. Become a thought leader – through articles, speaking engagements and events.  When prospective employees Google you, give them plenty of reading material that showcases the innovation, knowledge, and involvement of your company.
3. Update your recruiting – Word of mouth isn’t enough anymore. People spend so much time online that it’s critical to develop a digital presence. Develop a careers page, partner with technical colleges and join social media.
4. Support government and community hiring initiatives – prospective employees want to be a part of something bigger,  see what you can do to help programs, such as Dream It, Do It, in your area.

Waiting for talent to seek you out is no longer adequate - Manpower Group recently released the results of its seventh-annual Talent Shortage Survey, revealing 49 percent of U.S. employers are experiencing difficulty filling mission-critical positions within their organizations.

It’s time to face this new reality and arm your company with all the necessary tools to succeed in today’s hiring market. Creating the right and differentiating employer brand could be the key to finding the perfect person for your company.

What has your company done to set itself apart from the competition? We would love to hear it.   

How I See It: State of the Economy 2012

I preface these comments with three qualifications – one, I am typically a “glass-half-full” personality; two, I’m not an economist (I don’t even play one on TV); and three, I’m assuming that there will be neither a Eurozone economic meltdown nor significant instability in the Middle East.

Given that, I see a rosier business environment in 2012 than what the mainstream media seem to be embracing.

· Consumer confidence is positive and rising.

· Unemployment claims and rates are declining.

· Over 200,000 private sector jobs were added in December, of all months.

· Manufacturers report increasing backlogs and plant capacity utilization.

· Banks are competing again for opportunities to finance business growth.

Yes, there are some tricky issues that still need to be addressed. One of them appears to be an imbalance between available workers and the skillsets needed by employers, especially manufacturers. We’ve often discussed manufacturers’ workforce development challenge here. But many worthwhile efforts are attempting to bridge this gap. Second Chance Partners, an alternative education organization that pairs schools and private industry to create manufacturing apprenticeships for students who are struggling in the traditional high school environment, is a notable example.

As 2012 unfolds, I see prudent businesspeople taking advantage of this increasingly favorable environment. They will begin to reinvest for marketing and sales – not only for customers but also for recruiting the skilled employees they desperately need; they will take advantage of very low interest rates to upgrade if not expand their production facilities; and they will make sure that they take extra-special care of their current employees.

It’s Labor Day—Meaning We’re Still Working Our Way out of the Recession

The unemployment rate inching back up in Friday’s jobs report might seem like unwelcome news—especially heading into a weekend honoring the hard work of the American labor force.

Sure, it would be nice to break for Labor Day with some really solid economic news. Still, the numbers were actually better than anticipated, thanks to unexpected growth in the private sector.

Economists are expressing cautious optimism. The markets also took the jobs report as good news. Maybe you should, too.

Consider, as well, that yet another month of positive U.S. manufacturing data brought much-needed lift earlier this week. American manufacturers continue to lead the way.

Should be enough to ease worries at least a little for the holiday, right?

Here’s hoping that you enjoy the fruits of your labor this weekend, and that after that, economic momentum picks up the pace.

Seize the Day, Manufacturers

Is it just us, or is American manufacturing poised to make a solid comeback?

It’s not just us. It’s this Plante & Moran plastics survey. It’s Slate.com’s optimistic take. It’s Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

There’s other good news, too: Consumers are spending more. And many industries are adding jobs.

Still, negative perceptions about manufacturing persist. Manufacturers can’t rely on a little good press like this and a few friendly blogs like ours to turn the tide.

So, will manufacturers step up and tell their good stories?

Individually, they can and should become much more aggressive at not just pursuing a competitive edge, but also exploiting these advantages through strategic communications. And collectively, they can and should be sure to capitalize on the recent positive developments, to keep the momentum going for the whole sector.

It’s about time that manufacturers got some swagger back.

Let’s Hear It for U.S. Manufacturing

It’s nice to see someone sticking up for U.S. manufacturing, for a change. Example: Rockwell Automation Inc. chairman and chief executive officer Keith Nosbusch, has been visible and vocal lately advocating for more investment in the sector.

"U.S. manufacturers absolutely must have innovative energy-efficient and productivity-enhancing technology to be competitive," he told a press briefing last week at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The good news is that many manufacturers are applying these lean technologies. The not-so-good news: Too few people are aware of this success.

That’s why it’s refreshing to hear an industry leader like Nosbusch speaking out. We’ve talked a lot in this space about the need for manufacturers to market their individual companies with differentiating brands. Today, the need for more powerful communications may be equally important for the manufacturing sector as a whole.

After all, despite the tough times and fierce overseas competition, manufacturing remains a vital backbone of the U.S. economy. This sector deserves and needs support, and manufacturers should not and cannot allow themselves o be overlooked.

Kudos to Nosbusch for putting himself out there on this front. Now, are there any other manufacturing leaders ready to lend their voices?

Summer’s Over (Sort of), but Economy’s Heating Up (a Little Bit)

Most of us consider Labor Day to be the end of summer and all the good vibrations that go with it. Nevertheless, we’re feeling pretty upbeat around here.

And it’s not just because of the coming three-day weekend. It’s also because of the coming economic recovery. There are more positive signs every day:

-- Global economic acceleration

-- Private sector hiring

-- Productivity up

-- Private equity investments increasing

Tell us your thoughts here or over at Positive Breakthroughs, our LinkedIn group sharing economic optimism.

And then be sure to enjoy your long, still-summer weekend.

Family and Friends Trump Recession Woes

It’s hard to ignore the relentless onslaught of bad economic news. If you’re in the Midwest, it’s also hard to ignore the relentless onslaught of winter weather.

Even though it’s a new year, with a new president, it may take a little more effort to look on the bright side.

Businesses are struggling. Money is tight. The holidays are over. And backs are sore from shoveling snow.

Nevertheless, we’re determined to put it all into perspective. After all, conditions will improve. They always do. And in the meantime, we can choose to focus not on what’s wrong, but on everything that’s right.

I’m not just talking about looking for silver linings in the economic news—although there are some to be found. For one, we should be thankful for every last customer or client. And how about those gas prices (even though they’ve begun to inch up again)?

But much more importantly, consider the bright side that’s always there, no matter the economy or the weather or anything else: our families and our friends.

We draw strength from each other in difficult times, and we share the joyful days just the same.

Resolve to Join the Conversation Online

We’re all trying to grow business without spending too much money. Good thing we have the Internet. Because online, there are all kinds of low-cost opportunities to reach more prospective customers and engage them like never before.

In this unkind economy, you owe it to the future of your company to explore how social networks, blogs, wikis and the like might fit in with your business objectives.

But for most businesses, especially in the B2B realm, Web 2.0 is uncharted territory. So, to get started, the Wall Street Journal has a helpful primer, The Secrets of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World. The piece contains insights and advice from experienced web marketing types.

One key takeaway happens to be one of the most difficult aspects to grasp about the online environment: that the online community directs the conversation. You can’t force the flow, but you can interact with more people and in more ways than ever.

That’s why the WSJ article’s final pointer is also probably the most important: Embrace experimentation. Don’t be afraid to try things out. But along the way, keep analyzing whether the results you’re achieving support your overall strategy.

Marketing Efforts Must Begin with Accountability

Advertising Age’s Michael Fassnacht has a great column titled “Producing Accountability in Hard Times.”

In these days in which even U.S. Senators are clamoring for accountability for TARP Funds, Michael’s message should be heeded by anyone involved with marketing and sales communication expenditures.

My strong beliefs about being accountable for results shouldn’t be that surprising to readers of this blog. See, for instance, this post on the ROI/accountability conversation from 2006.

How to Reduce Costs and Increase Your Flexibility

If you’re thinking about reducing costs right now, you certainly aren’t alone.

Unfortunately, cutting back is a necessity for many companies these days. But blind, blanket spending freezes or reductions aren’t good for business (at least not if you plan to make it out of this downturn in any position to compete).

Maybe it’s time for a more thoughtful analysis, particularly if any of your fixed costs can be converted to flexible expenditures.

In this downer of an economy, fixed costs like overhead really put the squeeze on your cash flow and your bottom line. Cutting these costs can be painful both emotionally and physically, maybe even dangerous. Flexible costs, on the other hand, easily can be turned on or off or in between.

It’s in your best interests right now to have as many costs as possible fall into the latter category. And the quickest way to do that? Outsourcing.

I’m sure you’ve already heard the whole argument for outsourcing non-core competencies, so no need to rehash it here. But at a minimum, I should point out that there’s more to it than simply reducing your overhead (which is pretty good by itself).

With the right outsource partner, you also gain access to broad, deep expertise, experience and perspective (as well as productive capacity) that you’d simply never be able to sustain in house. And you get those benefits without shouldering extra overhead burden.

At Scheibel Halaska, for example, we’re members of IPREX, one of the world’s largest networks of independent public relations agencies. Our IPREX partners provide global cultural knowledge and communications expertise—but only when our clients need it. So we don’t have to employ experts on the Chinese, European or Latin American markets whom we only need for certain programs. You can read more about our IPREX relationship in a previous post.

Your business may be able to unload fixed costs by outsourcing marketing, IT, HR systems or something else. Just make sure you do your homework, of course, to find the right partner. In the short run, it just might help you accomplish your goals while still keeping your CFO happy. And in the long run, it just might become your secret weapon.

Don’t wait around for your own bailout

After a long slog of an election cycle, we at last have a new president-elect of the United States. The campaign is behind us, but one huge factor in the outcome will be with us for some time: the current gloomy economic climate.

Late last week, as Barack Obama met with economic advisors to consider the crisis, we got more bad news—this time about rising unemployment and the failing American auto industry.

So, not good, obviously. And it makes sense for Obama’s team to start tackling these issues right away. However, something we’ve said before on this blog bears repeating right now: Don’t leave your company’s future to actions or assistance from Washington.

Rather, survival and success depend on your company’s will, vision and ability to compete. There’s never been a more critical time to carefully examine what you do that customers value and how you can most efficiently provide it. Then, of course, do everything you can to convince people to buy your products and services. In other words, focus not only your operations, but also sales and marketing efforts.

Regardless of what the new national leadership does, it’s your leadership that will determine the future of your company.

How Will the Harley Brand Rumble on?

Right now in our hometown of Milwaukee, Harley-Davidson is throwing itself a multiday party for its 105th anniversary. Hog lovers from around the world are rumbling into town for a full weekend of, well, let’s just say “fun.”

Good for Harley to put on a show for its loyal customers, even in a slow economy when sales are down. However, those declining numbers are no doubt a concern to Harley’s leadership—as are the numbers regarding its aging customer demographics.

As we look around, it’s easy to see that Harley’s base is dominated by older generations. And that has us wondering aloud about how this iconic brand can re-energize itself in the 21st century. How do you update a brand without forsaking its storied tradition? Here’s a look at some of the ways Harley is trying to strike that balance.

This historic company is far from being history. But while Harley searches for the path forward, let it be a reminder to you—no matter what game you’re in—that the marketplace is always changing. And brands that aren’t advancing with it can quickly find themselves left behind. Now more than ever, brands must continue evolving to survive.

Even CPAs Agree: Marketing Investments Still Make Good Business Sense

CPAs can be very stingy people—even more so when the economic seas are churning, as they are now.

But even some of the most conservative accountants recognize that now isn’t the time to shut down marketing efforts. Here’s an article from a firm called Vrakas/Blum suggesting that this is a critical time to invest in your future through marketing.

Why? For the same reason it’s good to invest in quality stocks when the market is down: The bull will be back, and you’ll be able to take advantage. Right now, while many of your competitors are cutting back on marketing, it’s a great opportunity for you to gain an edge. When the economy picks up again, you’ll be better positioned to pounce on new business.

Now, we don’t recommend throwing more money around indiscriminately (although we’d sure benefit from that, if you insist). You should invest as wisely as possible. The Vrakas/Blum article offers four tips to approach marketing in a tough economy. (Never mind that the author actually promises six suggestions.)

For further reading, you can review a similarly helpful post we offered back in February with five tips on marketing during the downturn.