The numbers are grim. You glimpse any news channel today and there are reports of how companies of varying sizes are coping with the lasting labor shortage. In spite of the challenges, there is a clear path to get ahead of the curve. According to the Economist, “The labor shortages are forcing firms to get creative.”

Competition is at its highest. Even with the recently announced layoffs from some of the major tech firms, like Meta/Facebook or Twitter, those employees are not going to necessarily match the skill set or the locations you need.

According to Gartner, Software and Systems Engineers are some of the hardest to fill due to everyone needing these skill sets:

United States:

Alabama:

Huntsville, AL:

Huntsville, AL with Security Clearance:

To get ahead, companies like yours are becoming more inventive in their marketing. To attract the right candidates, one needs to merely look at how leaders in defense in science and technology are stepping up. They are applying their business savvy to keep the focus on the brand. Consider the advice of Jeff Bezos. He reminds us that “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

You must keep two market segments in mind when building out your brand image. The advice here is to impress and engage a) your lead base and b) top talent.

Reel in your target market(s)

How you come across in the workplace is just as important as your appearance to prospective job candidates. Outreach to job seekers and recruits should be top of mind. You want your applicants to perceive that your organization stands as among the Top places to work. For local agencies and sub-contractors, marketing that is targeted, and is the critical first step.

Players in defense tech need to read the current environment. They should take note of the contributing factors to challenges, i.e., competition, digital transformation, longer life cycles in procurement, and the growing demands of the workforce. One needs to devise a marketing plan that addresses what’s going on in the marketplace.

It’s important to point out that the concept of marketing hasn’t changed. Your end goal remains tri-fold. 1) Stand out from the competition. 2) Showcase your strengths. And, 3)firmly communicate your value-add. The only piece that has undergone a facelift is the medium or the channel you are doing that. Make sure that you are up to date in your approach. You need to adopt what’s new and engaging.

New channels of marketing

A lot has happened since COVID. At many local agencies, highly skilled workers adapted to the “new normal” and thrived. At the same time, marketing gurus devised new ways to communicate in the online world. The advice here is to rely on the MarCom experts to lead the way in what’s trending in the digital space. Here is a sampling of Option #1 what is out there today Option #2 that which is driving people to stop and stare:

Digital display advertising: A handful of years in the making, this is a form of online graphic advertising. It’s what the most progressive companies are using to “show and tell” their competitive edge. A display ad, often clickable, comes in a variety of forms. Choices include banners, audio, video, and images. The end goal is to post your company ads on various third-party websites. There’s even the ability to target the actual physical company buildings where your ideal candidates might be employed and actively working.

Organic social media: Think of any form of social media activity that does not call for payment. Many sites use organic posts to spur visibility and rankings on that social media channel, as well. Although success is measured by the unpaid rankings,  these usually only reach 1-2% of those who even chose to follow you.  However, these posts need to be here as candidates might search you out.

Paid social media: This refers to anything on social media that involves costs for ads. With this approach, the focus is on paid rankings.

In terms of strategy, your digital marketing agency should serve as your “go-to.” They can walk you through whether paid or organic content is the pathway for your campaign, but usually it’s a combination of both that reaps the biggest success.. As you well know, the marketplace is constantly evolving. Defer to the experts who have key insights into what’s cutting edge in the marketing world.  They can help you get in front of the locations, companies, job titles and even skills you are trying to show your brand and you open positions to.

Next steps

The National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Vital Signs report brings to the surface issues that are top of mind to the industry in 2022. More than half of the surveyed companies cited the hiring of more workers as mission-critical to offset the challenges. Whether you operate at the local or national level, your business does not want to fall victim to the labor market as it stands.

Also consider what your organization is doing to address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and push it out there.  This is not a “HR Checkbox” item, but a way you can attract new talent to your organization.

The good news is that you now have a taste for the creative ways that businesses like yours are addressing labor issues head-on. Having a pulse on what is trending in digital marketing is the first step to weathering this era of disruption. Don’t go it alone.

Reach out to the experts to lead you in the planning and launching of a strategy that is reflective of Industry 4.0. The pros at AMG Defense Tech are ready to push your marketing to the next level.

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