Hiring & Assessing Prospective Candidates

Structural Building Components Industry: A Place for You, A Place that Matters from SBCA on YouTube.

Component manufacturers who dedicate time and effort into developing a systematic, ongoing process for outreach and recruitment insist it’s more than worth the investment! While there isn’t one right way to find, assess, and grow new talent, consider the following as you hone your approach to workforce development.


Build Relationships with Schools

Collaboration with local schools is an effective workforce recruitment approach that can result in a healthy pipeline of eager applicants looking for career opportunities. If you haven’t already, consider designating a point person from your company to reach out to high schools, trade schools and technical colleges to build relationships with instructors and administrators. Offering to provide a classroom presentation or plant tour for students has proven to be a straightforward way to increase general awareness of the industry, expose students to the manufacturing process, and spark interest that can quickly translate into internships or seasonal help.

Read more about the variety of approaches CMs have taken to partner with local schools.


Get Involved with Local Events

Participation in career fairs and other workforce development events increases awareness of opportunities in the components industry as well as your company’s exposure as an employer in your community. Think outside the box as you consider underutilized or untapped groups of potential employees.

Learn more about the interesting places CMs are finding qualified candidates.


Develop an Internship Program

One of the most effective ways to determine if a potential employee is a good fit is to offer them an internship. Through an internship program, you can attract better, more loyal applicants who are looking for a career – not just a job – and instill your company’s values in them along the way. 

Read more about how other CMs are introducing a path to the industry. Then download these Internship Program Guidelines to customize an internship program unique to your company’s hiring needs. 


Assess Potential Employees

CMs that have successful recruiting practices claim to spend as much time on hiring as they do on new hire orientation and training. Accurately assessing potential employees, both for their skills and their ability to fit into your existing work culture, is vitally important as it increases the odds of retaining new employees.

Read more about some of the HR tools CMs are using for general assessment.


Tools

CM Perspective on Plant Tours

"The value of plant tours is off the charts. It can't be undersold or overestimated. If the industry could get itself involved in schools that are open to bringing career opportunities, it would be absolutely amazing what the industry would see in terms of applicants." 

- John Puckett, Instructor, Taller San Jose Hope Builders (read more)

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Microsoft Office document icon CM Internship Program Template67.5 KB