Being in the recruitment space, we’ve noticed that there’s a growing conversation around talent shortages in the U.S. food manufacturing sector, and it’s time we take a closer look at the underlying challenges and opportunities. Recent industry data reveals that food manufacturing employers in America are increasingly struggling to fill key positions, with hundreds of thousands of roles remaining vacant over the past year. This talent gap isn’t solely due to candidate shortcomings; rather, it reflects an urgent need for companies to evolve their recruitment and retention strategies. 

As of January 2024, there continues to be a significant gap, with 622,000 manufacturing positions still needing to be filled.  The reasons are complex, including an aging workforce, increased competition for entry-level workers, and evolving worker expectations.  

But here’s the crucial insight: the problem isn’t just on the candidate side. Today’s workforce has unparalleled access to information. They can quickly benchmark salary and benefits, upskill with online resources, and explore job opportunities nationwide -and even globally. With such options at their fingertips, employees are increasingly prioritizing a better quality of work, genuine career progression, work-life balance, and a more positive organizational culture. In fact, many are even willing to accept lower pay if it means achieving greater job satisfaction and a healthier balance between work and life. 

The real question is: How are you positioning your company as an employer of choice? Without meeting -and exceeding- the evolving expectations of today’s talent, the recruitment challenge will only intensify. 

Are you ready to transform your approach and secure the dedicated workforce your business needs? 

If you’d like to discuss actionable strategies to address these challenges, please feel free to reach out. 

Here when you need us. 

Lukas and The Sterling Choice Team.