Thermoforming Report

Recruiting: DIY’ers, Tools, and Brands

by Keith Brown, President & Owner, Siena Group

It’s summer.  And though Do It Yourself’ers work year-round, this is the time of year when many projects get done.  And it takes tools.  And there are a lot of choices.  And a lot of brands.  [Yes, I’m obviously pulling from my own experiences and making the connection to recruiting!]

The main article in our July Thermoforming Report focused on brand loyalty. We’ve also published a blog (Feb 2023) about choosing the right tool for the right job, which still very much holds true. To expand on these ideas further, I wanted to explore the concept of DIY, tools, and brands in more detail – and the parallels with niche recruiting.

Does anyone remember Bob Vila? He was “America’s Handyman since 1979” and even recently generated a “Best Tool Brand” article. His show, and others like it before and since, talked through how to build things and how to fix things and more. Home Depot’s origin story is all about two “avid DIYers” who dreamed up their store. Lowe’s story started many years prior, but their biggest growth spurt happened in the same late 70’s and 80’s timeframe.

A quick check into the history of DIY was an interesting read and highlighted Barry Bucknell’s TV show from the 50’s.  From there, home “electric tools” came into their own and forged ahead and supported the trend.

I grew up helping my dad fix things around the house – including cars – as a function of pure necessity.  My grandfathers did the same. They didn’t consider themselves DIYers; it was all about being practical. 

Yes, I’m getting to recruiting! 

As a 20-year manufacturing vet, I had a very good knack for identifying talent and putting the right people in the right roles.  And I liked to do that myself and especially for my teams. Good leaders know that it takes great team members to be successful and hiring the right people is where it all starts. 

However, even though I was a “DIYer” when it came to hiring, I had to have help. Why? Because hiring wasn’t my job! I was leading a manufacturing team and had KPIs to deliver. I needed support from HR, from my Admin, and from my team. 

The niche recruiting history has ancient roots as well. I was a franchise of MRINetwork, and their history is similar. An innovator (Alan Schonberg) saw a need for specialized professional recruitment in the executive and managerial world and started a business. Same story: someone saw a need and went for it.

Our story at Siena Group is similar, though on a very different scale! We saw a lack of expertise in recruiting and supporting the thermoforming world and decided to jump in. Our roots are only 10 years old, but we are looking forward to continuing to support the community!

I digress. 

Every DIYer needs support. It comes in many different ways. Some are much more skilled than others and do not require much assistance. However, even those experts are not experts in everything! 

The same holds true in recruiting. People are busy. Companies are busy. HR is crazy busy. It feels like we are all doing more with less. We are all striving to do it ourselves… but we are smarter if we use the right support.

As I’ve shared in recent posts, we are in the process of our own DIY project, our backyard deck renovation. I needed a new tool for this project, so I asked a friend if it was worth it to invest in one (called a multi-tool or oscillating tool), and he said, “Yes! I never realized how handy it has become.” 

So I started to do what I do – research the options. And there are TONS. And those options are all reviewed by experts. And DIYers. And there are rants. And Reddits.  I love to do this kind of research, but, boy oh boy, what an opinionated bunch of people on this topic!

In parallel, the tools of the recruiting trade are many. And you can research all of them as much as you want. LinkedIn is the obvious go-to in the industry. Other tools that have been around include job boards (CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, etc), software & databases to manage the flow, and now, AI is in the mix to an extent. And though they are helpful, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in the results… depending on who’s holding the tool! My first use of my new oscillating tool is a perfect example: it worked, but boy did I butcher things the first several times I used it. 

Larger organizations have an entire team dedicated to hiring. They can afford them. And those Talent Leaders know how to leverage the tools at their disposal. Though they may not need to pick up the unique “tool” on every search, they will turn to specialized and niche recruiters if and when they get stuck, need confidential search support, or for the independent assessment and rigor associated with a retained executive search. 

Smaller organizations are quite different. They commonly do not have dedicated Talent Managers; therefore, their HR team gets a bit overwhelmed when critical hiring needs arise. They tend to rely on trusted recruiting partners because they don’t have time – either to do the research or master the tools. 

In looking for the right brand of tools, I started to do what I do – research the options. And there are TONS. And those options are all reviewed by experts. And DIYers. And there are rants. And Reddits. I love to do this kind of research, but, boy oh boy, what an opinionated bunch of people on this topic! 

Yes, this is an exact repeat of the above!

The research process was very interesting. People were passionate about their brands. There are a number of reviewers out there who literally make their living reviewing. Then there is the every-man DIYer who does his own independent reviews. 

When I dug in, I learned that though there are quite a few brands, you’d be surprised by the much lower number of manufacturers of those tools. This makes sense to all of us manufacturing people out there. A particular manufacturer makes the lower end cheaper models, the mid-range models, and the professional models – in some cases all under the same roof! The synergies are obvious. Even though there are quite a few similarities in a family of products, there are definite differences.

When you read through numerous posts, you realize that most reviewers rely on what they know and who they trust based on their own experiences. This is to be expected. You do come across those who are more willing to explore other options and brands – and sometimes it confirms their first choice or opens their eyes to a better product that they weren’t expecting. And some must make a change out of necessity. 

The same principle applies to recruiting! 

Lots of options. Lots of opinions. Those who use recruiters tend to go back to those they trust. Some kick the tires in the hopes of finding another potential recruiting partner. Some get desperate and just grab the nearest one they can find. 

The fact is that leveraging a trusted brand is HUGE when it comes to recruiting! But buyer beware! The brand on the door is one thing, but it still boils down to the people you work with! I have a good friend who is a Business Partner/Owner and is utilizing a highly recognized and large recruiting agency with a strong reputation… and he is very frustrated. My guess is that my Business Owner friend is getting a talent generalist with the big agency who is trying to support his highly niched need, and it just isn’t going well because that particular recruiter does not bring the right level of experience for that need. The right questions are not being asked. They are not understanding the nuance in the responses. And so on. 

The takeaway here? Know the need, find the right niche recruiter and company, build a partnership, and enjoy success together through mutual collaboration in hiring the best of the best!

It is in our nature to do it ourselves. It is kind of the American way. There is pride in accomplishing a task and seeing the results. This applies to pretty much every aspect of our lives.

As a manufacturing professional, you want to be successful. If you are an individual contributor, you want to contribute at the highest levels for great organizations. 

To do this, you must have the right tools to do the job well. There are plenty out there to choose from, and once you have found the right one, you need to assess the brand to know if it will be a long-term fit. What do you do if you need to make a change? Are you looking for more career growth? More responsibilities? A different location? The question is: Do you have the right tools and expertise to find that next great role… or should you leverage a different tool?!?

The same goes for leaders. They are successful because of their own abilities and in large part the abilities of their team. Finding and hiring the right team is critical to long-term and sustained success. Networking is a critical tool to use, but it is not the only one that can be leveraged.

So, what’s my point in all this?

Do not hesitate to leverage a highly niched recruiting company when the time is right.

The amount of time, energy, and resources spent coming up empty doesn’t do anyone any good! This applies to those looking for a new role and those needing someone new on their team. [Need real number proof of the cost of hiring and continued challenges relevant to it? These two SHRM articles are rich with information: The Real Costs of Recruitment and Talent Scarcity & Skills Gaps Challenge Recruiting.]

As a highly niched recruiting company, we realize that while Siena Group isn’t the only tool in the toolbox, we sure are versatile and provide tremendous value! Reach out!

At Siena Group, we are your Thermoforming Talent Partner! We’re here to help in any and every way possible! With more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing, hiring & recruiting talent, we bring a greater understanding of the companies we partner with and the candidates we pursue. Let’s Strengthen Your Search!

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