Is there something hindering the effectiveness of your manufacturing operation? Is something causing the company to miss projected goals? If that something is people-oriented, if you have high OT, mediocre production, and turnover is keeping your revolving door spinning, your HR team needs help.
Maybe you’ve looked to a recruiting company for help with less than acceptable results. In this full employment economy, staffing companies face the same challenges you do. Except for Breaking Barriers. We approach the challenge differently, and we disrupt manufacturing productivity in a way you will love.
Consumer products manufacturer, Compac Industries, was experiencing exceptionally high turnover at exactly the wrong time. Business was good. The company added a new, larger facility to handle the demand. They had the space but could not find and retain the quality assembly workers needed. The president of the company described the situation as “a revolving door… who wouldn’t show up for shifts that start at $9 an hour.” Compac created an exceptionally attractive work area in their new site and advertised everywhere but could not fill the seats. That’s when they called Breaking Barriers.
In our first week working with Compaq, Breaking Barriers sent four assemblers to interview. All four were hired, becoming the first of twelve Breaking Barriers referred refugee workers added to Compac’s new workforce.
Two years later, Compac still employs 9 of the 12 refugee workers referred by Breaking Barriers, ending the revolving door crisis. Retention is significantly higher than industry average but Compac also enjoys another, unexpected benefit with higher productivity. Based on previous performance, the expected daily quota for baby pacifier clips was 300. After just a few weeks experience, the new refugee workers were consistently making 600-900 clips per day without sacrificing quality. Tripling production numbers means Compac can fill even larger orders, increasing both revenue and profit.
Breaking Barriers has staffing agency operates in four cities of WNY including Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, and Jamestown. Each of these cities have large, and mostly overlooked, refugee communities. At Breaking Barriers, we have connected with, and recruit from, these vibrant and highly motivated refugee groups.
Refugees are not economic immigrants. They did not come here looking for better livelihoods. They fled their homeland because conditions there represented an existential threat to themselves and their families. The freedoms and opportunities they discovered in America are like manna from heaven. This unique view of life in America translates into a grateful and highly motivated community that believes in the American dream.
Refugees are stringently screened by Department of Homeland Security and the UN. They are legal residents with valid Social Security accounts and Green Cards. We verify their status through E-Verify. Nearly half of the refugees speak conversational English, many have postgraduate educations, and all are eager to learn and succeed in America.
The net benefit to our clients is a reliable workforce that shows up on time, dressed appropriately, eager to learn, and takes on OT with a smile. In many instances, their production exceeds that of the regular workforce and actually acts as a motivational influence. If that holds an interest, call us now and let’s chat about how this amazing group of workers can assist your company.