Identifying and recruiting talent in the hyper-competitive rubber and plastics industry is no simple task. It requires creativity and a willingness to play the long game.
Dymotek
Dymotek, a 112-employee, USA based plastic injection moulder and liquid silicone moulding and tooling specialist has adopted a number of approaches to expand its potential field of employees and believes its experience can benefit others. The firm operates two plants in Connecticut –– one in Ellington and one in Somers.
Dymotek –– whose name is an amalgam of Dynamic Molding Technologies –– is growing and frequently searching for talented new employees. “We decided that we needed to develop a talent funnel, in the same way as one develops a sales funnel of potential customers,” explains CEO Norm Forest.
Dymotek recently hired four people to fill posts in its tooling and quality departments and says it continues to strive to build its bench strength by add more high-level engineering expertise related to manufacturing, tooling, processing, and quality.
Dymotek has been recognized for eight straight years as one of Plastics News’ Best Places to Work, and that the company earned the publication’s coveted Processor of the Year Award in 2016. “Such contests take time to enter but we’ve found the resulting recognition to be well worth the investment,” says Forest. The firm also has been recognized six times as a Best Place to Work in Connecticut by the Hartford Courant newspaper.
The 26-year-old Dymotek in 2022 also paid to acquire a recruiter’s license on the LinkedIn social media platform. “The license gives Dymotek access to specific core features offered by the platform,” explained Victor Morando, the firm’s chief innovation officer. “This allows us to search for, connect with, and message potential candidates and job seekers.”
Andrea DeForge –– who is a Society for Human Resource Management - Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) –– serves as Dymotek’s talent acquisition and training coordinator and is prospecting for talent constantly. The company has created multiple channels of potential employees and applies a checklist against all.
“We then invite promising individuals in to see the company and meet the people here,” said Morando, who frequently gives these candidates personal tours of the company and its plant. “We do this even when we don’t have any current openings. It’s important to network and create personal connections.”
Once Dymotek hires someone, Lynn Crane, the firm’s senior HR consultant, onboards them and then DeForge ensures they get proper training for their new role.
“I even recruit young folks we meet who are working at local restaurants and shops,” said Morando. “If someone impresses us, we pitch them on learning a skill, getting paid and building a career.”
Dymotek donates money to local public schools to raise their profile and to promote the promise of good manufacturing jobs. As we like to say, Morando stated: “Come for a job, stay for a career.”