Page 65 - MetalForming Magazine June/July 2022 80th Anniversary Issue

utive vice president at New Jersey metal former Weiss-Aug Group. “As we’re cel- ebrating our 50th year in business in 2022, we understand well that longevi- ty, stability and growth require a strong labor force. Being a solid employer through financial stability, strategic vision and visible growth is key to attracting and recruiting new talent.
“Along those lines,” Weissenrieder- Bennis continues, “our strategy includes offering a strong apprentice- ship program, and we believe in train- ing—we invest in our people, identi- fying good performers and providing growth plans. Then, candidates that interview with us can see how others here progress through the company and that there’s a future here, with room for growth.”
PMA member companies and oth- ers face a new frontier as they look to compete for labor among the new breed of alternative employers—Ama- zon, soon-to-come semiconductor plants and the like. “Small to midsized
companies must be creative when it comes to attracting and retaining tal- ent,” says UHY’s Alongi, “branding their companies as forward-thinking and as showcases for leading-edge technology. That’s what’s attractive to the next gen- eration of labor.”
Strategic use of social media and other marketing avenues can make a big difference when it comes to attract- ing talent, as evidenced at metal for- mer Marion Manufacturing, Cheshire, CT. “We’re focused on bringing in younger people to join our team,” says company owner and president Doug Johnson, who also is serving as PMA board chair for 2022. “We’ve commit- ted to using social-media channels to promote our company as a solid employer with great opportunities for young people, and we spend a great deal of time in the local community, to put our face out there and market ourselves. Job fairs also have proven successful at helping us identify prospects. And, we rely on our new
hires to promote Marion Mfg. amongst their friends and family to help recruit new employees.”
Some companies have even taken to the airwaves to recruit, investing in radio and TV commercials. Case in point: Tier One automotive supplier Batesville Tool & Die (BTD), which, per chairman and CEO Jody Fledderman, has “gone way outside of the box to attract employees, moving almost entirely away from temp. agencies and search firms, and instead relying on direct hiring.
“We prefer to recruit and hire people currently employed,” Flederman says, “while temp. agencies work with unem- ployed people. We’ve had great success advertising locally, with TV commer- cials on ESPN, for example.”
Take a Step Back, Fine-Tune the Vision
In terms of developing a vision for the future of their companies, UHY senior manager and strategy consultant
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MetalForming/June/July 2022
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