Industrial and Manufacturing

Why Automation in Manufacturing is Actually a Major Driver for Recruitment Needs

The market for manufacturing automation is large. Manufacturing automation is a powerful tool able to service an array of industry siloes, leaving it integral to the economy with near-endless opportunities. At DSML, we specialize in executive recruiting for European companies doing business in the US. We service expanding companies across many industries, many of which benefit from manufacturing automation the most, through packaging equipment executive searches to machinery manufacturing executive searches. Automation has been seen by many as a threat to employees and thus to the world of recruiting. However, for companies expanding their operations abroad and conducting executive searches accordingly, the increase in automation across all these industries will place greater emphasis on leveraging modern recruiting processes than ever before.

Automation is a necessary tool within manufacturing and is incredibly beneficial to all sectors from consumer goods, medical devices, or packaging manufacturing. And European companies are particularly strong in the field of industrial automation. Worldwide, today’s business leaders have major obstacles that they are trying to overcome. Supply chain issues have claimed headlines for months within the United States. In the past year, industries across the board witnessed the Great Resignation as well. These factors and social movements are major threats to business operations, especially in manufacturing and production. Automation in manufacturing started out as a luxury but has become a necessity by today’s standards.

But contrary to popular belief, automation is not here to replace workers. Automation allows for better quality products, safer workplaces, increased productivity, and overall progress to be made. The inevitability of automation’s inclusion in nearly all workplaces will highlight the need for collaborative automation, where they supplement an individual’s job rather than replace them. According to McKinsey, in 60 percent of jobs, 30 percent of the activities that people do in that job could be automated. While 30 percent may sound dauntingly significant, this act simply means that employees will be able to work smarter, not harder.

With nearly a third of the average employee workload being alleviated, this leaves significantly more time to dedicate to the important work that cannot be automated, such as strategy, business planning, and leadership.

“Skills, such as creativity, empathy, listening, and vision, […] not digital or technological ones, will hold the keys to a company’s future success,” Tom Perrault shared in Harvard Business Review.

Because such a significant portion of this work is held at the executive level, this is a further positive for businesses that are looking to expand their operations and need to expand their executive teams accordingly. Finding the right executive candidates, who understand cross-cultural challenges or understand key differences between hiring in the US or Europe, will remain paramount for any business looking to expand internationally through the increased adoption of automation technologies.

If your company is within the manufacturing sector and seeking to recruit for a key executive position such as CEO, COO, President, VP, or other Senior level roles, contact us.

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