Whether you run a small shop out of your garage or a full metalworking production line in a factory setting, finding the right people to join your team can sometimes be a hit and miss process.
Having the requisite skills and experience is one thing, but it’s also important that every member of your workforce should have a personality that fits in with the work environment.
In this post, we will cover the best tips for hiring new team members for your metalworking shop.
1. Create a Job Description
To create an accurate job description, first run a job analysis to collect the necessary data regarding the necessary skills, duties, responsibilities, and outlining the work environment.
This may seem obvious, but it is the very first step in finding the right people for your metalworking team. Whether you need to hire multiple people for various positions or just one assistant, crafting a candidate-focused job description will help you narrow down your choices once the resumes start flowing in.
2. Plan a Recruitment Strategy
Now that you have the job description ready, take some time to figure out a recruiting strategy. For example:
- What platforms will you post your job opening on?
- Do you have a hiring manager or HR department at your disposal?
- Do you need to list the job opening with an agency?
All of these questions will help you properly prepare for receiving applicants’ submissions.
3. Make a Checklist
You should never settle for the first candidate to come your way. Instead, make a checklist of skills and requirements. As you go through the interviewing process, you can mark off each candidate’s skills. This will make it easier to look through your favorite applicants’ skills quickly and compare them.
4. Prescreen Applicants
Before you arrange for interviews, you should thoroughly screen each candidate against your checklist of qualifications. We recommend looking for candidates with a background in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Depending on the open position/s, you may also want to look for college graduates. However, not every metalworker job requires this. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are also high on our recommendation list.
Here are a few things you can also look for when hiring for specific metalworking jobs.
• Machinist – operation monitoring, quality control analysis, and systems evaluation
• Tool/Die Maker – operations analysis and technical design skills
• Robotics Engineer – automation systems, mechanical engineering, and an understanding of pneumatics and hydraulics
It is also crucial that you run a background check and get in touch with the applicant’s references.
5. Conduct an Interview
Once you have narrowed down the applicants to reflect only the cream of the crop, you can begin the interviewing process. This is the part of the hiring process that will allow you to gauge the candidates' personalities to ensure that they are a right fit for your organization.
Be sure to ask the right questions during the interview. You can even conduct a phone or Skype interview before the in-person interview. This is a good idea if you have a lot of worthy applicants but only have time to speak to a few in person.
If you have completed the in-person interviews and still aren’t sure which candidate to choose, you may also conduct a behavioral interview. While behavioral questions can be asked during the initial interview, more information may be needed in order to make the right decision on who gets the job.
Bonus Tip: Have a Backup Plan
Let’s say that you have chosen who you think is the right person for the job. You extend a job offer, and they decline it for whatever reason. You should always have one or two more candidates who you have chosen as backups. This will prevent you from having to start all over again.
Cultivating a Great Work Environment
Now that you have hired new team members, they should be put into training on the first day. Making training a priority will ensure a smooth transition for both you and your new employee.
Make sure that the new team member has all of the necessary manuals, documents, and checklists to go over. If you already have a training officer on your team, he or she can go through the production process with the new hire. It’s also necessary to go over safety precautions and procedures so that everyone is on the same page.
Furthermore, you should encourage and engage your staff by promoting internal collaboration. Not only does this help to smooth out the workflow, but it also helps to cultivate a pleasant work environment for everyone on the floor.
Finally, make sure that your new employees have the correct tools to get started. This doesn’t just refer to metalworking machines, tools, and materials. It also refers to gear. New employees should be provided with wearable safety gear such as hard hats, goggles, hard-toed shoes, gloves, and earplugs.
Make a Great First Impression
The first day of work at a new job is exhilarating and sometimes terrifying. The last thing you want is to invest weeks of training into a new employee just to have them quit because they aren’t comfortable in your shop. That’s why it is important to make a great first impression. How long an employee will stay with your company heavily depends on the first impression.
One way to impress is to keep a clean shop floor with well-maintained metalworking machines. If you are looking to expand your production line, the Dake has the right machines for you. From presses to saws and everything in-between, our products make a great first impression.
Built on cast iron bases, our machines are sturdy, stable, and strong. They are some of the safest machines on the market. We even make custom machines to help you with special projects.
If you would like to request a custom machine or learn more about our current product lineup, get in touch with our experts at Dake today.
