• Partner With a Recruiter to Find Your Next Manufacturing Position

    You’re looking for a job in the manufacturing sector, and you’re ready for whatever job search challenges lie ahead. But before you tackle this mountain on your own, consider enlisting the help of a industry-specific recruiter. Professional, established recruiters have dealt with hundreds of job seekers just like you, and if you let them lead the way, they can help you shorten the path to your goals. Here’s how.

    Recruiters Work for Their Clients, Not for You

    This means that no reputable recruiter will charge you for their help. Since they’re hired to find matching candidates for open positions, their interest is rarely insincere. If you seem like the right match for a given job, they’ll tell you. If not, they won’t sugarcoat a pairing that isn’t likely to pan out. Sometimes it’s easier to trust someone who isn’t asking you for upfront cash.

    Recruiters Succeed if you Succeed

    Again, since they’re motivated to find great matches and help their manufacturing employers staff open positions and stay on track, recruiters genuinely want you to succeed. Their reputation rides on their ability to present you to their clients and watch you shine. Help them to help you; Always be honest with your recruiter about what you can do, what you’ve done in the past, and what you’re looking for. They will know how to highlight your most important skill sets to the managers who can hire you.

    Recruiters Know What Works and What Doesn’t

    Experienced recruiters have been immersed in the manufacturing employment arena for years, and as a result of their connections and their deep backgrounds in the field, they have a strong understanding of the traits and credentials that managers tend to look for. They also have a sixth sense about the small details that are commonly viewed as red flags. They know which candidates seem promising on the surface but don’t tend to last very long, and they know which candidates are likely to perform well and thrive on the manufacturing floor.

    Recruiters can Help You Edit and Polish Your Resume

    Even if a specific open position doesn’t ultimately prove to be a match, the help and guidance you gain from a recruiter can shift your search in a better direction. They can give you pointers on your resume and a few key interview preparation tips that help you forge ahead and land the next position if this one doesn’t work out.

    Partnering with a recruiter can help you expand your reach, improve your access to potential employers, and drive your job search forward. For specific career development tips, contact the manufacturing staffing team at Lift Temp .

  • Health and Safety in the Workplace: Supporting a New Generation

    The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety recently sponsored the first International Youth Congress as part of the triennial World Congress on Health and Safety. Young people from all over the world were represented by the congress, from countries including Japan, Azerbaijan and the UK as well as Canada, and these promising future contributors to the global manufacturing industry were invited to speak and learn about manufacturing issues that impact their generation.

    Through a series of educational programs and interactive exercises, the 42 delegates involved in the program gained an opportunity to learn about the global trends that will shape the manufacturing industry in the near future, and they were provided with opportunities to discuss how their generation will drive the industry forward.

    Some of the topics that received the most attention dealt with health and safety issues and the programs and policies that protect workers from illness and injury on the job. And within this category, the delegates discussed how current health and safety standards and policies do and don’t apply to the needs of younger workers.

    Diversity in Workplace Health and Safety

    One of the prominent concerns for health and safety experts can be considered an issue of diversity. Despite policy changes and workplace adaptations designed to benefit “generation Y”, it’s become evident that this generation isn’t defined by a few broad blanket statements and assumptions. The generation currently entering the manufacturing workplace is the most diverse one on record, with employees representing a countless variety of ethnicities, backgrounds, races, genders, and personal histories. A one-size-fits- all approach to worker protection won’t work in the manufacturing industry of the future. Instead, worker protections must be customized to adapt to specific workplace conditions, skill sets, cultural backgrounds and physical requirements.

    Will your workplace be ready for a new wave of talented employees with highly specialized skill sets and diverse health and safety needs? Will you know what to do when these talented young applicants arrive at your door?

    Maintain Flexible Workplace Policies

    Health and safety polices will need to stay flexible and will need to evolve rapidly as the needs of new employees grow and change. Managers and business owners will need to keep pace with new forms of technology that will streamline incident reporting and new forms of safety technology that will protect workers from exposure to dangerous conditions. The new generation of manufacturing talent will appreciate employers who can stay compliant with changing regulations and adapt quickly to an evolving business climate.

    For more on how to attract, retain, and protect the health of a younger workforce, contact the staffing experts at Lift Temp.

  • Workplace Safety: Four Environmental Conditions to Avoid

    Workplace hazards can be filed into several categories, including threats that cause immediate injury as well as those that cause harm from long term physical stress or exposure to toxic chemicals. Many dangerous workplace conditions fall into the category of “environmental hazards”; under these conditions, workers are exposed to air quality issues, temperature extremes, and other circumstances that surround them during the working day and may cause serious illness or injury. Four of the most dangerous workplace environmental concerns are listed below—If any of these potentially impact your employees, take a closer look and find ways to avoid the threat or implement stronger protections.

    Noise Pollution

    Loud, sustained, or stressful sounds can harm employees in three distinct ways: First, a sudden sharp burst of sound can cause trauma to the tympanic membrane or the sensitive anatomy of the inner ear. A traumatic form of hearing loss may be temporary or permanent, and it may be resolved through quick and appropriate medical intervention. Second, long term hearing loss may be equally damaging, and tends to take place when employees are exposed to ambient noise that exceeds safe decibel levels. Sustained stressful sounds can lead to psychological harm as well. All three dangers can often be prevented with proper noise control and policies enforcing the use of protective gear.

    Heat Exposure

    Employees who work under very hot or humid conditions, especially those who are required to wear uniforms or protective gear that can exacerbate heat stress, must be monitored and protected from hyperthermia, dehydration, and heat exhaustion. Fans and cooling systems can keep air in circulation and keep indoor temperatures down. Employees who work outdoors should be provided with adequate break periods and access to drinking water. Skin protection and shelter from the sun may also be necessary. Employers must take responsibility for providing these resources and enforcing their use.

    Cold Exposure

    Cold conditions can expose employees to hypothermia, skin damage, and poor judgement which may lead to injury. Like heat exposure, cold-related hazards can be kept at bay with proper indoor climate controls. But under outdoor conditions, employees must be presented with protective clothing, including hats and gloves. Use of protective gear should be monitored and enforced, and break periods should be mandatory.

    Light Conditions

    Employees who work under low light conditions or outdoors during nighttime hours must be protected from the hazards and injuries that result from compromised vision. Proper traffic signaling and working signal lights on forklifts and shop floor vehicles are a must. But lights at workstations should also be sufficient to prevent employees from harming themselves or others while operating equipment or completing their assigned tasks.

    For specific guidance and more information on protecting your employees from environmental threats in the workplace, contact the Ontario staffing team at Lift Temp.