Skip to content
The Reserves Network
  • Find a JobExpand
    • Find a Job
      People-centered and purpose-driven, TRN offers access to top jobs as well as a true career partnership.
      Search Jobs
      Search Jobs
      • Why Work with TRN
      • Refer a Friend
      • Careers at TRN
      • Job Seeker Articles & Insights
  • Find TalentExpand
    • Find Talent
      Get all the workforce solutions you need in one place, no matter your size and sector. TRN has you covered.
      Request Talent
      Request Talent

      Workforce Solutions

      • Overview – How We Help
      • Staffing Solutions
      • Managed Staffing
      • Executive Search
      • Workforce Articles & Insights

      Specialties

      • Overview
      • Industrial & Manufacturing
      • Accounting & Finance
      • Information Technology
      • Engineering
      • Office & Professional
      • Executive & Management
      • Real Estate
      • Healthcare

      Specialties

      • Overview
      • Accounting & Finance
      • Engineering
      • Executive & Management
      • Healthcare
      • Industrial & Manufacturing
      • Information Technology
      • Office & Professional
      • Real Estate
  • LoginExpand
    • Employee Login
    • Client Login
    • Employee Resources
  • Locations
  • Contact
The Reserves Network
Employer Resources

Why Should I Look for “Soft Skills” in My Next Manufacturing Hire?

Post by:The Reserves Network August 31, 2016

Technical skills have always been the focus when hiring manufacturing clients. Interpret that as you will, but the fact is – manufacturing is dangerous, intricate work and unskilled hands are hazards. Innovations in manufacturing are likewise made by keen, observatory brains and an ability to enlist technical and physical awareness as an ally to equations, CAD drafting, welding, supply chain factory articulation, and engineering. Without technicality, manufacturing cannot be.

So, why the big stink about “soft skills?” Isn’t that just a bunch of Kumbaya that recruiters use to weed out candidates? Are soft skills really important in an industry where proficiencies are so specific?

Well, yes and no.

The infamous “skills shortage”

It came to be, around a year ago, that a soft skills ‘shortage’ was widely identified in our country. It was speculated that manufacturing teams were less able to resolve interpersonal conflicts, less adept in communication and work flow designation, less savvy in management. While we’re not sure we buy that assessment in full, as a recruitment company we decided to be sure that every candidate we represented had soft skills, and that every company we represented knew how to identify and appreciate them. Shortage or no shortage, soft skills are important in every industry – manufacturing included.

“Soft skills are critical, particularly for candidates in a manufacturing or industrial position,” says John Bengal, director of search for The Reserves Network. “Often times, technical skills will become the primary focus in a talent search. In reality, strong soft skills can aid in the development of a candidate’s technical skills long-term. On the flipside, if they’re lacking in key soft skills it can hinder their ability to showcase the other skill sets that initially make them an attractive candidate.”

What we found was that many manufacturing companies and plants weren’t aware of which soft skills they should be expecting in their new hires nor were candidates aware of which ones to boast in a resume. Here’s looking at you:

Soft skills to look for in your next manufacturing hire:

Timeliness. We include this soft skill knowing it may be obvious to most. In manufacturing, timeliness doesn’t only speak to a person’s prompt nature in arriving to work, but also his or her ability to meet deadlines, finish projects quickly, think on his or her feet, and react reflexively. As trouble brews in the world of machinery and production – as it inevitably will – being nimble is crucial.

Communication. Often, mechanical powerhouses are painted as isolationists – hermits working long hours on their craft without collaboration. We reject this notion entirely and assert its inaccuracy. It is important not to coddle this bias because it breeds in our engineers and manufacturing leaders the idea that there are no teams, only individuals working toward a common goal. Manufacturers, however, should know that, just like in all machines, all parts make up the sum. A candidate should possess the ability to work out problems, handle conflicts, and drive action with verbosity.

Adaptability. Production regulations and processes change, fast! Our tech-hungry world turns and suddenly the machines on which we have been trained are obsolete and replaced with new. We innovate so often that the processes and even the mathematics behind our daily activities can be “upgraded” before we’ve grown used to the last version. If a manufacturing candidate is flexible, he or she is immune to this challenge.

Enthusiasm. Not all of us get up every morning enticed by the idea of complex equations, mechanical shutdowns, workflow and logistics debacles and the potential for an industrial disaster – but others of us are truly passionate about the field. Recruiting for your open manufacturing position and expecting all of the candidates to be dry, calculated, and uninspired is all wrong. You can – and should – hire savvy manufacturing employees who are passionate about what they do.

For more guidance or to be connected with top manufacturing talent, become a client of The Reserves Network, an expert recruitment agency that specializes in manufacturing and light industrial staffing.

Post navigation

Previous Previous
Navigating the Grey Area of Employee Absences
NextContinue
Our 8 Step Plan to Get Prepared For New Overtime Laws
866 TRN 2020 Login

TRN is a leading national provider of flexible staffing services, including temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements. It’s not just what we do, but how we do it, that matters.

  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X

Find a Job

  • Search Jobs
  • Why Work with TRN
  • Refer a Friend
  • Careers at TRN
  • Job Seeker Articles & Insights

Find Talent

  • How We Help
  • Staffing Solutions
  • Managed Staffing
  • Executive Search
  • Our Specialties
  • Workforce Articles & Insights

About

  • About The Reserves Network
  • News
  • Contact
  • Locations
  • Employee Resources
  • All Articles & Insights

22021 Brookpark Road, Fairview Park, OH 44126 | moreinfo@TRNstaffing.com  | HTML Sitemap

© 2025 The Reserves Network. Privacy Policy

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

Scroll to top
  • Find a Job
    • Find a Job
      People-centered and purpose-driven, TRN offers access to top jobs as well as a true career partnership.
      Search Jobs
      Search Jobs
      • Why Work with TRN
      • Refer a Friend
      • Careers at TRN
      • Job Seeker Articles & Insights
  • Find Talent
    • Find Talent
      Get all the workforce solutions you need in one place, no matter your size and sector. TRN has you covered.
      Request Talent
      Request Talent

      Workforce Solutions

      • Overview – How We Help
      • Staffing Solutions
      • Managed Staffing
      • Executive Search
      • Workforce Articles & Insights

      Specialties

      • Overview
      • Industrial & Manufacturing
      • Accounting & Finance
      • Information Technology
      • Engineering
      • Office & Professional
      • Executive & Management
      • Real Estate
      • Healthcare

      Specialties

      • Overview
      • Accounting & Finance
      • Engineering
      • Executive & Management
      • Healthcare
      • Industrial & Manufacturing
      • Information Technology
      • Office & Professional
      • Real Estate
  • Login
    • Employee Login
    • Client Login
    • Employee Resources
The Reserves Network
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Meta, LinkedIn, Zoominfo, and Hubspot to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!