Hiring a production supervisor might feel like a daunting task, with the manufacturing and logistics industries continuing to see a large uptick in job opportunities overall. In fact, data from labor-insights provider Burning Glass shows there have been approximately 72,000 job postings for production supervisors in the past 12 months, with an average of 36 (very long) days to fill the role.
So how can you attract the best production supervisors to fill these positions in a quick and easy way? Here's a simple checklist that you can use when looking for a great production supervisor:
Read on for simple approaches to putting this checklist into action to strengthen your recruitment strategy today.
If it's been a while since you've had to hire a production supervisor, you're not alone. There are fewer openings for production supervisors in the manufacturing and logistics space than for roles like assemblers, forklift operators and warehouse laborers. This is due not only to the obvious need for fewer management roles, but also the greater need for experience and elevated skill sets in this critical supervisory role. And when you're foggy about your recruitment strategy for finding the best production supervisor out there, it's going to start slowing down your entire process.
If you're taking more than the average 36 days to bring on new production supervisors, start by looking for inefficiencies in your internal processes to keep you on track. Does it take too long to get the job description finalized with the hiring manager? Are you waiting too long to contact an interested candidate or delaying the decision-making process? Use this diagram to determine where you can add efficiency to your process.
You may not know how competitive your current salary and compensation package is for production supervisors, both inside and outside your state. So head on over to Randstad's salary guide to determine where your organization stands in the national job market.
The national averages included in our salary guide make a great place to start. But since compensation for production supervisors can differ greatly from one organization to the next, use our salary calculator to see the latest data on pay rates for production supervisors and other similar roles in any of your operational markets.
As people move up in their careers, hourly wages and salaries aren't the only compensation they look for. With some organizations, production supervisors also are compensated based on efficiencies and profits goals. If your competitors offer bonuses for meeting these types of goals, look into whether or not your organization can compete in the same way.
Even if you have a production supervisor job description in place, work with your team to define (or redefine) the skills, training and experience that are nonnegotiable in a successful candidate.
Qualifications can fall into two categories: the "must-haves" — necessary education level and years of experience, along with physical abilities, communication and planning skills, and a commitment to teamwork — and the "nice to haves" — like knowledge of lean manufacturing principles or specific experience in your industry.
To get you started, here are some of those specialized skills most often requested when looking for strong production supervisors:
scheduling
supervisory skills
budgeting
quality assurance and control
repair
lean manufacturing
safety
Don't forget that production supervisors are team leaders, so also consider the intangibles, like if they're a good fit with your company culture or whether they possess the innate leadership abilities you need.
Ask the hiring manager and floor leaders for examples of people who demonstrate those characteristics so you all have an idea of how to identify those unique qualities during interviews.
It can be intimidating to write an effective and engaging job description — especially if you haven't had to hire a production supervisor in a while. Here are three things to focus on when writing a job description to draw in the best candidates:
don't write like a robot
Production supervisors are results-oriented, so they need to know how many people they'll manage, how efficiency and profits are measured, and what the company's expectations and goals are for the person in this role.
Having this information will help them self-qualify (or disqualify) if they believe they can manage a team of that size and if they can lead that team to successfully meet the company's expectations. This way the most qualified, confident and motivated people will apply.
show how the job is meaningful
Production supervisors want to know they provide value at the end of the day. So make the rewards of the role very clear, like the ownership they have in getting the job done with the quality, cost and time allocations required.
As leaders, production supervisors also are held accountable for the team's successes and failures. They want to know the organization sees them as not just managers, but mentors for their team members.
Finally, they want to know they're helping with the overall bottom line. Production supervisors help companies increase sales by efficiently using resources and consistently providing customer satisfaction. Everything from the planning, coordination and control of manufacturing processes helps warehouse production stay on track. Tell them this matters to the company they're considering joining.
make it easy to skim
Don't feel like you have to meet a certain word count or use a ton of adjectives to be effective. After all, production supervisors tend to have a keen eye for efficiency and communication. If they have to spend too much time reading between the lines to understand what you're really trying to say, they'll move on to the next job description.
Use short paragraphs and bullet points make the text easier to read and more engaging for the candidate. Also, use the active voice, not the passive voice, so they can begin to see themselves in the position as soon as they start reading the posting.
For more in-depth assistance with the writing process, head on over to our guide to writing highly effective job descriptions and see those resumes for qualified applicants roll in.
Demand for manufacturing jobs is forecast to grow in the coming years due to increased digitalization and increased efficiency and output overall. The need for skilled managers in this fast-paced environment makes this a very competitive market, and will continue to push employers to find and retain the best management talent.
Here are some key hiring trends to keep in mind:
Rising demand from e-commerce means companies are growing their warehouse headcount. They will need the right leaders — the best production supervisors — to manage these warehouses and keep up with innovations alongside the company.
The tech boom will continue to drive growth, so employers need production supervisors who have mastered the more traditional trade skill sets and have the tech savvy and flexibility to stay competitive. Employers must act fast if they want to find the right people who will help them innovate quickly.
California, Michigan, Texas and Ohio regularly maintain the highest concentration of production supervisor job openings, likely due to traditional manufacturing activity and the explosion of interest tech companies have in these states.
You want to find the top production supervisors for your organization, which might mean looking outside of your traditional candidate pool, both geographically and otherwise.
Consider working with a staffing firm with expertise in the manufacturing and logistics industry to attract the top talent you're looking for in this highly competitive, tech-driven industry. Over the coming years, demand for this specialized people will continue to increase, so gaining access to a nationwide network of top talent — screened, vetted and available on demand — can make all the difference.
Get in touch with the manufacturing and logistics experts at Randstad today to get one step closer to finding your next great production supervisor. Or head on over to our Find Employees portal and get to know our large pool of screened and vetted production supervisors right away.