Many companies have made stronger pushes for diversity and inclusion within the past couple of years. A majority of these pushes have taken place in other industries, but now the topic has sprung up with job seekers in the manufacturing industry.
When you're looking for a new role, ensuring that everyone at that company will be valued is a must-have on many skilled professional's lists. Organizations that practice diversity and inclusion have been cited for having increased creativity within the workplace.
Check out this article by McKinsey & Company that shows companies with diverse teams outperform their counterparts.
Those that are looking for a manufacturing company that values diversity and inclusion often have the same question: How can you make sure that the company is practicing these things and not using them for recruiting purposes?
At FactoryFix, we have a community of 411,854 skilled professionals who we help prepare for their jobs today and their careers tomorrow. So, we thought we would share our thoughts and advice to help you find these types of organizations.
Do Your Research
Making sure you research the company you are applying for should always be the first step. Many underestimate the amount of information you can find online.
Start with their company site. There you can learn more about their mission, vision, and values within the company. If they have interviews with their current employees, check those out too.
Next, you should check out external websites for some more help. Start by checking out sites like DiversityInc, Great Places to Work, and Glassdoor. These sites provide data from outside of the company, from rating agencies to current and past employees.
Be sure to remember to take every review with a grain of salt. Just because someone had a specific opinion in the past about a company doesn't automatically make it accurate.
Reach Out to Your Network
When you are looking to find a manufacturing company that shares your values, don't hesitate to reach out to your network.
Ask them about where they have worked and had great experiences, but also where they would avoid at all costs. Do not expect them to answer any question under the sun. And as always, understand that everyone's opinions are just that...opinions.
Everyone values different things within the workplace. Make sure that you are not trying to compare apples to oranges.
With the world's state right now, it is not an ideal time to go to meetups. But these meetups can provide you with a large group of people to talk to about their experiences. Below are a few forums/sites that you can post these questions on:
- The Practical Machinist
- Manufacturing.net
- AmericanManufacturing.org
Ask Questions
The interview process will be when you learn the most about the company's efforts with diversity and inclusion. During an interview, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
One tactic that we recommend using is to challenge them with the way you ask your questions. For example, ask them if diversity and inclusion are essential to them. Most likely, they will say yes. Then follow up by asking them the last initiative that helped them achieve their diversity and inclusion goals.
Questions to ask:
- "How would you describe the culture here?"
- "What initiatives have you launched to make people feel more welcome?"
- "What are some of your diversity and inclusion goals?"
- "What are you doing to attract diverse talent to the company?"
- "Does this company provide any diversity and inclusion training?"
If you can have an onsite interview, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the company. You will have to keep your eyes open and remain vigilant, remembering that this place could potentially be your future workplace.
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Diversity and inclusion are an essential part of any company culture, especially with many manufacturing companies' diverse backgrounds. Use the tools above to discover what organizations are the ones you want to be a part of. And be sure to visit our job board to explore open opportunities at manufacturing facilities in your area.
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