Customized Solutions Increase Workforce, Retention and Visibility

Client Profile

Our client is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributer of compostable packaging for foodservice, consumer packaged goods and ecommerce applications.

Snapshot

The client was in the process of onshoring part of its operation from China when they were awarded a major project with a domestic customer. Aerotek's use of both unique sourcing strategies and our custom-built workforce solution allowed this customer to increase its production workforce quickly and efficiently in preparation for the newly awarded project. With its facility operating at the necessary capacity, our customer was able to efficiently fill their end-customer's trial order, proving they had the ability to support full-scale production for this customer.

Results:

• Hired 70 employees for our client within 30 days
• Reduced time to fill to less than 48 hours
• Maintained a retention rate of 95%

Challenge

The client was in the process of onshoring part of its operation from China to better support its growing portfolio of domestic customers, when it was awarded a major project. In order to meet forecasted production requirements, they needed to increase headcount from 15 to 70 employees in a one-month timeframe.

The remote nature of the client's new facility, in addition to a sluggish hiring process, were acting as significant roadblocks for the client reaching their hiring and production goals.

As the client's workforce continued to grow, they realized the need for increased visibility into hours worked and payroll costs, in addition to greater oversight of their workforce.

The client needed a partner that could provide the infrastructure and processes required to support a hiring initiative of this size.

Solution

After another supplier was unable to deliver the necessary volume and quality of talent, our client turned to Aerotek to provide a customized recruiting and workforce management program. We began by developing a detailed attraction strategy to drive applicant volume.

Our search began in the local community where our candidates live and work.  As a first step we posted advertisements in the local newspaper, networked in the community and spoke with current employees to solicit referrals. Additionally, we leveraged our proprietary applicant tracking system, which houses more than two million industrial resumes, to source candidates and seek additional referrals. These tactics increased both the volume of inbound applicants, as well as the quality of interested candidates, allowing us to fulfill 70% of our client's open positions.

To efficiently fill the remaining positions, we partnered with:

• A local technical school. Our team presented the client's employment opportunities to upcoming graduates. This allowed us to access candidates with the latest skilled trades training for our client's operation. This partnership also significantly benefited the school, as they received additional funding based on graduation and job placement rates.

Trade and technical school partnerships help us to build sustainable talent pipelines for the clients we work with.

• A downsizing laminate manufacturer nearby. Our recruiters met with Human Resources to find displaced individuals new employment opportunities with our client.

Aerotek offers outplacement services to support companies that are downsizing. Partnering with these companies provides employment opportunities to affected employees, as well as lessens the impact of the layoffs on the community.

Additionally, we helped our client streamline its hiring process by implementing a customized screening solution. Aerotek's recruiters conducted a behavioral interview to test for basic mechanical aptitude and machine troubleshooting experience, as well as critical thinking ability, ownership mentality and the ability to work in a team environment. Candidates who passed this behavioral interview then began a two-day working interview before being offered full-time employment. This allowed our client to get candidates on the production floor faster while limiting the risks associated with hiring unqualified candidates.

We then implemented our on-premise management solution, which provided our client with direct, on-site support for our contract workforce and management of day-to-day workforce operations. On-premise support allows Aerotek to have more consistent and direct access to our contract employees and the client's management team.

Finally, to give our client increased visibility into their contingent workforce, we installed a biometric Kronos timeclock which captures time and attendance data and creates detailed reporting through a web-based tool. This measure provided complete transparency into the hours worked, allowing the client to monitor staffing levels and adjust in real-time. The biometric system utilizes fingerprint scans for employees to clock in and out, which ensured that timecards were not being falsified.

Results

Aerotek's comprehensive recruiting program enabled us to provide 70 employees for our client within 30 days and reduce time to fill to less than 48 hours. Our behavioral interviewing and on-site management processes keep contractor attrition below 5%, and no candidates were lost during the two-day interview period. To support our client's onshoring effort, contract employees were provided on a contract-to-hire basis, and 65 of our placements were converted to full-time employees (93%).

Because of Aerotek's support, our client's facility was able to operate at the necessary capacity to successfully complete this pilot project. Our client's ability to complete this trial project on time gave their end-customer the confidence needed to move into the next phase of production, which resulted in eight production lines running 24/7.