Towards the end of 2010, there was a huge amount of excitement surrounding the launch of a Heavy Industrial manufacturing initiative for branded on-road trucks that were designed especially for the Australian market.
Our client is a joint venture between two well-known parent companies and is a manufacturer of heavy trucks and engines. Their goal was to manufacture and distribute commercial trucks on a global scale outside of the USA and India.
BACKGROUND ON OUR HEAVY INDUSTRIAL CLIENT:
This was our first Manufacturing Assembly client, so it gave us the opportunity to build our foundation and develop in that sector by creating a portfolio of employees in that industry. We were one of two Heavy Industrial Manufacturing suppliers for this client and partnered with our client from the beginning of the project.
Being part of a project from the outset is enormously beneficial because we’re able to gain that next level of understanding during the set up of the facility. This means we become part of the growth and establishment of the company. During the planning phase of a project, we can also thrash out ideas and provide extensive consultation.
BECOMING THE PREFERRED SUPPLIER:
During the peak of this project, we needed to recruit 60 - 70 qualified and experienced manufacturing tradespeople such as trade assistants, boilermakers, and of course general assembly staff. We also supplied higher level staff like Leading Hands and Supervisors to our client.
We were able to attract many of our staff through word-of-mouth because of the positive experience people were having on-site through Zoom Recruitment. We were out on-site at least 2 or 3 times per week for a couple of hours each day and every time we had new staff starting, we were there to greet them and ensure they had their PPE. We also provided regular safety talks as part of our candidate care.
On top of this, many people viewed this project as iconic and it was exciting to be part of a national first with this well-known brand. We received a lot of referrals from our external workforce and as a result, we were recruiting a high calibre of candidates for this project. The staff on-site were consistent and we experienced almost no staff turnover. In this way, we became the preferred supplier for our client and the preferred agency for candidates on this project.
People were proud to be a part of this project and to be affiliated with this specific brand.
WE MAKE PEOPLE MATTER:
We looked after our people on-site. Our site presence was high, we maintained strong communications with our workforce, and we offered a high level of our candidate care. Of course we were there to assist with any work-related queries but when our team spoke to our on-site staff, it wasn’t only about work – it’s important to talk to people about the really personal things. For us, finding out the details about people really helped to build solid relationships. We don’t just value people as employees but actually as people - and it’s important to us that we show that next level of care.
By building rapport and familiarity, we encouraged our workforce to give us any feedback and we fostered the type of relationships where our on-site staff felt comfortable enough to approach us with anything. Over the 4 years that this project lasted, our Zoom Recruitment team built good relationships with our external workforce. However, due to manufacturing costs in Australia, this project was moved back to the USA.
We deployed all our workers into other projects – we looked after our people.
We consulted with our staff to place them in jobs where they could use their skills. This project helped tradespeople to upskill and acquire transferrable skills that allowed them to continue working in the maintenance and trade sector with Zoom Recruitment. We worked with our people and helped them with building their resumes so they could transition into other employment when this project ended.
One of our core values at Zoom Recruitment is that we never leave anyone behind. We understand that if we treat our people with respect, they will realise that we live the values in the guidebook that we provide when they start working with us. Although working on this project meant being part of a national first, we also made sure we were the last team standing and supporting our people until the end of this project.
If you have any Heavy Industrial or Manufacturing projects, we have been working with people for years who have the skills and experience that your company requires: