Many companies in the manufacturing industry is experiencing the pain of the skills gap. Skills gap is defined as the skill it takes to complete the task and the actual competence of the staff who is trained in that skill. Moreover, the competitive market is putting more pressure for talent acquisition to fill the roles due to the lack of qualified applicants. This situation has required a lot of HR managers to come up with creative way to recruit skilled roles for the modern time such as welders, mechanics and model makers.
However, unfortunately, the gap may be unavoidable for the foreseeable future while the workforce is putting more focus on training and encouraging new talented staff. The good news is companies are more flexible in the method of talent acquisition for their businesses. A representative way to solve the issue is by widening their search to include candidates from all over the word.
There are undoubtedly some advantages to taking this approach; however, there are indeed various issues to consider to take advantages of the new trend:
What you should do:
Consider the candidates seriously
International candidates should be assessed with the same weight as other applicants. In other words, address may be put at the last of the list when deciding about a candidate. They may have different motivations for relocation, even to other places across the globe. As long as they possess the necessary skill you have been searching for, they are totally worth considering. This is especially significant for recruitment managers for manufacturing plants which have offices/ factories remotely or in less developed/ populated areas, which are normally struggling to find competent candidates among local workforce. In this case, putting your recruiting efforts internationally could help you find appropriate talents willing to move to your area.
Make appropriate accommodations for international candidates
From the intimal step of the talent acquisition process – interview- other options such as phone interview and Skype interview can be proposed to replace normal in-person interview. This tactic will allow hiring manager a chance to evaluate a candidate even if they are in some faraway countries. However, do keep in mind that you still need to evaluate each candidate based on the same characteristics and ensure motivation fit for them to take part in your interview process.
Using an international lens to review the candidate
If there is a specific requirement about certifications and qualifications in your job description, it is highly advised that you research for international equivalencies or trying with technical test or technical interview. This is a tip for HR manager to ensure that the successful candidate will show up at the workplace with required ability and knowledge right from day 1.
Do not allow a lot of flexibility in the job requirements
If you already decide that there is a competency or skill required to do the job, it is advised that you keep the requirement for the whole time and do not compromise for faster result.
If you want to expand your pool of talents to international human resources, contact with experts at S4B Vietnam for the best appropriate solutions for your business.