The Hiring Challenge in Manufacturing

Manufacturing companies constantly grapple with high attrition, skill mismatches, and recruiting inefficiencies. In 2022, the industry saw turnover rates of 39% or higher in some firms. Fountain

A 2025 survey of manufacturing recruiting teams found that they met only 36% of their hiring goals, with increased time-to-hire reported by 55% of organisations. GoodTime

These challenges are compounded by:

• Roles with both manual and technical demands
• Safety and compliance risks from mis-hired staff
• Large volumes of hiring needs (for line operators, technicians, shift leads)
• Difficulty distinguishing mid-level or supervisory potential

Because of these, HR for manufacturing must adopt more scientific hiring practices rather than relying solely on subjective methods.

Why Psychometric Assessments Are Key to Smarter Manufacturing Hiring

Assessments introduce structure, fairness, and predictive power into the manufacturing hiring process. They also assess employees' soft skills to provide deeper insights. They enable:

• 1. Objective selection:Rather than relying solely on interviews or resumes, assessments measure how someone thinks, learns, and behaves in relevant contexts.
• 2. Better job fit & reliability: They filter for candidates who not only have the aptitude but also the behavioural traits suitable for repetitive, safety-sensitive, or shift-heavy environments.
• 3. Scalable screening: For roles that require mass hiring, assessments enable early filtering, so recruiting teams focus only on the most suitable candidates.
• 4. Reduced mis-hire costs: By improving accuracy, organisations lower the cost of training, errors, and attrition.
• 5. Data for development: Assessment results can inform training, role alignment, and succession planning.

At 9Links, we customise pink & blue collar workforce assessments to align with manufacturing demands, combining cognitive, behavioural, and integrity dimensions.

Types of Assessments for Manufacturing Jobs

To build a robust hiring funnel, HR teams should combine multiple assessment types. Below is a breakdown:

Cognitive Assessments

These evaluate reasoning ability, comprehension, pattern recognition, and decision-making. Especially useful for technical roles and shift supervisors who must troubleshoot on the fly.

Behavioural & Work-Style Assessments

These gauge traits like consistency, reliability, stress tolerance, teamwork, and safety orientation. In manufacturing, behaviour under pressure and compliance matter as much as raw skill.

Integrity & Safety-Orientation Assessments

Manufacturing often involves equipment, hazardous materials, and rules. Tests that assess honesty, rule-following, and safety mindset help minimise incidents and protect assets.

Technical / Skill Aptitude Tests

These are role-specific, e.g., machine operation, mechanical understanding, digital readouts, and quality checks. They validate that a candidate has baseline skills or can learn quickly.

Benefits of Using Assessments in Manufacturing Recruitment

When implemented correctly, assessments deliver measurable improvements across HR and operations:

• Reduced turnover and absenteeism:Better match leads to a more stable workforce.
• Lower training and supervision costs: Because fewer hires fail to adapt.
• Improved safety and compliance: Assessing integrity and behaviour helps mitigate risks.
• Higher productivity and output consistency: Right hires perform more reliably.
• Scalable hiring: For large-volume roles, assessments prevent recruiters from being overwhelmed.

9 Links’ Approach to Manufacturing Assessments

At 9 Links, we believe no two employees or manufacturing roles are identical. This means that organisations need to adopt a personalised learning/assessment approach. Our approach offers:

• Customisable assessmentscombining cognitive, behavioural, and integrity modules.
• Role-mapped testing ensures the supervisor level receives additional cognitive tests, while the machine operator receives strong technical and behavioural layers.
• Feedback and development insights: Beyond selection, we provide training recommendations and performance alignment suggestions.
• Seamless integration with existing HR workflows so assessments blend in rather than disrupt.

We do not just measure; we help you interpret results and build talent pathways, especially in blue-collar and mid-level supervisory contexts.

Best Practices for HR Teams in Manufacturing

To maximise benefits, follow these practices:

• Customise per role — Don’t use identical assessments for every position.
• Pre-communicate to candidates — Explain the purpose of the assessment to improve completion rates.
• Combine with structured interviews — Assessments are part of the procedure, not the complete procedure.
• Use ongoing calibration — Track hires vs performance and refine cutoffs.
• Ensure fairness and accommodations — e.g., language support and accessible formats.
• Use assessment data beyond hiring — for onboarding, training & development, and role rotation insights.

Conclusion

Hiring for manufacturing is uniquely challenging; you need people who are technically competent, disciplined, safe, and reliable. Assessments for manufacturing jobs give HR professionals the data-driven edge to separate fit from hype, reduce costly mis-hires, and build stable teams.

By combining mental, behavioural, integrity, and technical assessments, manufacturers can scale hiring without sacrificing quality. When used strategically with calibration and role-specific insight, assessments become a cornerstone of building a dependable, future-ready workforce.

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