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“We take the time to educate the staffing agency first, and this has proven to work well for us,” said Mike Karceski, president of Atlas Components, Inc. in Rockford, Illinois.
Atlas Components aims to set themselves apart and has found a unique formula for recruiting new staff. Atlas initiates the recruitment cycle by providing a tour of their facility to representatives from the temporary staffing agency handling their business.
Atlas opens their doors and the plant supervisor walks the representatives through the different areas of the facility, giving the staffing agency an opportunity to learn about and gain a better understanding of the work being done. “This increases their knowledge about us and our probability of receiving better candidates for the plant positions we seek to fill,” explained Karceski.
Based on the distinctive job descriptions provided by Atlas and following the plant tour, the temporary staffing agency conducts an initial screening of applicants. Final interviews by the Atlas plant supervisor and the temp agency are held with a select few candidates. The chosen recruits begin work through the agency and, if it’s a good fit, the position evolves into a full time job with Atlas.
In the past, Atlas recruited designers right out of tech schools. Today, Karceski places great importance on developing good relationships with staffing agencies. Of course, he pointed out that it’s not all black and white in dealing with them. Although Atlas preferred working with just one staffing agency, the extensive collaboration process now in place has led to relationships with a couple of locally-based companies as well as a national agency.
Karceski supports being realistic—even brutally honest—about how the work is presented during the hiring process. “It may be difficult for us to present the work for what it is—hard work—but that is our responsibility,” said Karceski. He firmly believes there is untapped potential among the young generation and individuals going through a rehabilitation process, despite a great number of challenges. Realizing that potential means training employees who know what they’re getting into.
According to Karceski, the quality and service of Atlas depends on employees taking pride in the work that is produced. “We need to be sincere with them about the industry, that this is hard labor, but we can offer them a stable environment where they can come to work each and every day. In the long run, that’s best for them and us,” he said.
