Solving a Manufacturing Hiring Crisis Through Employee Insights
UX Research, Rapid Research, Novel Research Methods
Context: Fortune 200 Global Food Manufacturer, 2023
Role: Research Lead, Bionic
Context & Challenge: During the Great Resignation, a Fortune-200 global food manufacturer struggled to fill critical supply-chain roles—even amid high unemployment—putting production lines at risk of stalling.
Approach: As Research Lead at Bionic (now Accenture Song), I immersed myself for three weeks (25+ hours) in 33 in-depth interviews with current and prospective plant employees and local labor experts. My goal: uncover the true drivers of manufacturing talent.
Key Insights:
Flexibility: Candidates craved control over schedules—part-time, ad-hoc, and shift swaps.
Expanded Pool: Rigid job filters had shut out gig workers and part-time seekers.
Recognition Culture: Small, frequent rewards boosted loyalty and morale.
Career Orientation: Personalized growth paths trumped one-size-fits-all benefits.
From Insights to Experimentation
Armed with these four motivators, I partnered with recruiting and marketing leads to craft three distinct ad value propositions—“Schedule Control,” “Paid Recognition Rewards,” and “Career Path Coaching.” Over five days, we ran A/B tests on Facebook and Instagram (457K impressions → 20K clicks; plus Spanish variants at 87K impressions → 5K clicks) to validate which message resonated most.
Impact
40% surge in job applications within one week—outpacing the prior three months combined.
Recruiting pipeline permanently restructured around validated candidate needs.
Supply-chain team honored with an industry award for rapid, culture-driven experimentation.
