Study III: Manufacturing Company needs 70 qualified employees for 3-month project

Background/Situation: Manufacturer of commercial dispensing units acquired a large order from a national food chain to replace existing dispensing units with a new model, in all of their locations across the United States. Project was so large that the client had to rent a warehouse, set up production lines and increase staff from 0 to 70 within a very short period of time.

Issues: For the client company, quality of product and ability to meet promised dates were essential to attaining repeat orders. Setting up multiple production lines in a warehouse not designed for production caused many delays in targeted start dates. Temporary staff had to be recruited, hired and assessed on a timely basis, only to wait for pushed start dates. This resulted in the need for ongoing recruiting and qualification efforts. In addition, once staff was assigned, shipment delays caused uncertain work schedules and a hectic work environment, which created turnover issues.

Actions: To ensure that all positions were filled on a timely basis, additional internal staff members were assigned to the account to manage the heightened recruiting efforts. To qualify candidates, a customized assessment routine was implemented. In addition, a Furst representative was available on-site to meet and orient all employees, as well as coach and counsel when necessary. Clear expectations were set with each candidate prior to starting the assignment, and continuously throughout the assignment. These efforts ensured that positions were filled on time and turnover issues were minimized.

Results: Client was able to concentrate on meeting the production demands of the project, rather than devoting time to human resource issues. Project was completed successfully, having met quantity and quality goals by set deadline. This success has allowed the Client to continue to enjoy a growing relationship with its customer.