Manufacturing companies are constantly striving to improve their operations, and one of the best ways to do that is by hiring the right people.

Unfortunately, finding the right people can be challenging in today's tight labor market. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that as of July 2022, there were 11.2 million job openings — and 7.5% of those were in manufacturing.

Although the percentage might seem small, the reality is that manufacturing comes second only to the retail sector when it comes to job openings.

This means the demand for workers is high and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Partnering with a staffing agency can bring you benefits that will help you stay ahead of the curve. Here are some of those benefits:

1. Reduce the time and money spent on recruiting

Recruiting is expensive and time-consuming, often taking weeks to fill a position. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that replacing a skilled production worker takes an average of 70 days and can cost approximately three to four times the employee's annual wages.

A staffing agency is a one-stop shop when it comes to recruiting, taking care of everything from the initial search to conducting interviews and providing a final candidate. This is especially helpful when you must fill multiple positions at once, which is ideal for the manufacturing sector.

2. Get access to a vast talent pool

Manufacturing companies often have a hard time finding skilled employees. There's a lack of workers with the right training, and companies often compete for the same applicants.

However, staffing agencies have access to a much larger pool of candidates than a company would on its own. You can access people who might not otherwise be aware of your job openings and find the perfect candidate for the position.

3. Ensure you have the right skills on demand

Manufacturing companies are heavily dependent on their workforce. If you're running a factory, you want to ensure that your employees have the skills and experience necessary for their jobs.

However, this can be difficult to do without extensive training programs or hiring people with prior experience in the field of manufacturing. A staffing agency can help you find applicants with the right qualifications and ensure that they're up to date on the latest technology and equipment.

4. Maximize productivity

When demand is high, you'll need to scale up your production as quickly as possible. To achieve this, you have two options:

1. Overwork your existing employees and hope they don't quit.

2. Bring in new workers to adapt to the changing demand without compromising production levels, safety and quality.

The latter is the smartest choice for both operations and employee retention. A staffing agency will be able to provide you with the employees you need at a moment's notice so that you don't have to worry about losing your best workers or turning down new business.