Read the original article “Controls’ 2022 Salary Survey: Above the Flood” on salary, hiring, and recruiting post COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite supply chain disruption, inflation, and the wake of COVID-19, Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) Diane Haig shares that AMT has had a successful recruiting year in 2022. What’s the secret? A solid recruiting strategy.
“We tap staff expertise, human resources and marketing to help with recruiting,” said Haig. AMT has seen great success with policies like a substantial bonus in the employee referral program. Haig also contributes hiring success with social media platforms such as LinkedIn, which is the most popular recruiting strategy among respondents in a 2022 survey by Control Magazine. These efforts coincide with AMT’s education approach.
Outreach with schools for recruiting young talent is critical, and the company’s strategy is to get as close as possible to schools and educators. AMT gets involved with students’ capstone projects, sponsors guest lectures, and provides advice on curriculum at Lake Superior State, Oakland University, and several community colleges. “Our clients tell us their headcount is limited, too, and they’re asking us to get involved with students before they graduate.”
“When we go to schools, we bring along recent graduates we’ve hired, who can also talk to prospective candidates about projects and working at AMT,” explains Haig. In addition to getting involved with schools, the company has returned to in-person interviews. The AMT staff’s enthusiasm for their positions and available training is contagious. Haig comments, “once we get prospects in the door, we
usually succeed in hiring them.”
Haig pointed out that while consistency is important with training, instruction isn’t written in stone. AMT has learned the value of breaking some rules. “We’ve come to understand its crucial to recognize the people are different and absorb information in different ways,” said Haig. Consequently, AMT has committed to present instruction in the best possible ways for employees to learn from it. AMT offers an Automation Academy program which allows senior staff to teach and mentor new employees with a structured curriculum.
“Online courses and videos are OK, but hands-on with a mentor on the plant-floor is better,” said Haig. With the Automation Academy, AMT has developed a strong culture with members that support each other. “We all do continuous development. Our president values and encourages continuous learning. And our senior engineers always try to keep learning and then mentor others. It’s a very cultural thing.”
Finally, communication is key in keeping employees happy and productive. When the pandemic started, AMT’s Chief Operating Officer Craig Salvalaggio held daily standup calls and met twice per week on certain issues. Meanwhile, President Mike Jacobs provided daily emails to staff on status updates, projects, and personal news. “We all communicated on a daily basis for six to eight months, and the
staff really seemed to appreciate it.”
For more information on how to build your automation career with AMT, visit https://appliedmfg.com/careers/ or check out their career opportunities.
You can read the original article here.