How To Hire
Millwrights
Some of the Facts
Manufacturing Is Back and Good Millwrights are hard to find
Many of the manufacturing jobs that were lost in the late 90’s and early 2000’s to overseas manufacturing are returning to Canada and the USA. Manufacturing currently makes up close to 10% of the American Work Force and just over that in Canada. That number is expected to grow and Millwrights, Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technicians are going to be in high demand.
Due to a decline in Manufacturing, particularly in the early 2000’s, many chose to avoid the industry when choosing a career. The number of Millwrights that went through a formal apprenticeship dropped considerably. We are now in a situation where over half of the current qualified Millwrights are nearing retirement age and there are very few that have been coming up through the ranks. This will be felt by manufacturers throughout Canada and America especially as the demand for Millwrights is projected to be an increase of 19% which is more than double the average industry.
Machinery is also becoming more and more advanced requiring skilled individuals. To hire a Millwright it is very likely that you will have to look beyond the job board. Rockstar Millwrights specializes in finding the passive candidates that you need.
* Statistics from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Government of Canada JobBank
What To Look For When Hiring Millwrights
Length of time in the industry as well as what they have worked on are equally important. The world of Millwrights encompasses a lot and while no one knows everything it is important that the experience they have is transferable. A lot of the times even machines that seem very different can work similarly and the skills gained can transfer over. For example Hydraulics work the same regardless of the machine it is on so if you need someone with strong hydraulics experience focus on that as opposed to looking for someone with experience on a specific machine.
If you require your Millwright to travel to various locations then make sure to check that they have a valid driver’s license. If you require them to drive a company vehicle, ensure that they have a clean driving record. At Rockstar Millwrights we can provide a driver’s record/abstract as part of the screening process if you require it.
In Canada look for technicians with Journeyman certification, Red Seal as a Millwright or Industrial Mechanic. In Ontario this is also known as a 433A.
Millwrights, Maintenance Technicians and Industrial Mechanics often work project based jobs and as such can have long resumes that look very jumpy. When screening keep an eye out for this. If they jump around a lot because they are getting terminated or do not get along with their boss, this can be a major red flag. If they are moving around a lot because they are working on short term projects that come to an end, this is very normal and should not be used as a determining factor against them. Often a Millwright will work on what is available and that can just be projects, that doesn’t mean they are unwilling to settle down and stick with a company long term.
If your company provides tools then you can skip this but if not, then tools are a very important part. A Millwright is only as good as the tools that they have. During the screening process be sure to ask about what tools they have and provide a list of tools that will be required of the job. This way they can be prepared and will not take the job if they are not able to complete it.
Hire Fast Or Lose Out
The duration it takes to bring new talent on board has witnessed a notable increase in the past five years. According to the Society for
Post & Pray Is Not A Recruiting Strategy!
Many companies rely on a rather passive recruiting strategy that involves posting a job ad on major job boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter and waiting for applications to roll in. Unfortunately, this “post and pray” approach is not the most effective way to attract top talent. At best, it may lead to hiring candidates who are simply looking for a way out of their current situation.
Recruiting Millwrights is Hard
Rockstar Can Help
Whatever you call them (Millwright, Industrial Mechanic, Maintenance Technician) the truth is there is not enough qualified technicians for all of the openings.
Rockstar Millwrights actively engages with technicians that are not currently looking for work but who could be a perfect fit for your shop.