12 ways to attract and retain skilled individuals in the paper industry

While the sector is predicted to grow in the future, recruitment in the paper industry is a serious problem

At first glance, the paper industry’s prospects are excellent – the sector is expected to grow with 50% of CEOs very confident of revenue growth over the next three years. But there is an obstacle to future success that could derail such an optimistic outlook – the inability to attract and retain skilled talent.

According to PWC’s 19th Annual Global CEO Survey, 73% of CEOs involved in the paper industry are concerned they won’t be able to access the key skills required to ensure growth. While that 73% figure is actually down slightly on last year’s, the overall issue remains a long term sticking point; after all, the percentage stood at only 53% in 2013.

Sadly, there is no single solution to the problem surrounding recruitment in the paper industry. Instead, a multifaceted approach must be adopted that attacks the issue on several fronts including via technology, training and company culture itself.

Only by adopting such a multi-tiered approach to the sector’s attraction and retention issues can CEOs hope to secure their company’s future in the years ahead. Through such focused consideration of the needs and expectations of today’s talent, together with an understanding of what existing staff-members want, recruitment in the paper industry can help fulfil the promise of future growth – and leave their inflexible slow-moving competitors behind.