Early in 2021, the leadership team at ELPLAST America found themselves in the same challenging situation as other growing companies. The company had experienced new business growth, and that growth provided the opportunity to install new production lines. The challenge was those lines required new talent. New hires were hard to find and retaining those hires in a competitive marketplace was just as difficult. So, with a new Human Resources Manager, they began making small changes to their hiring process both internally and externally.

“It has taken a great deal of teamwork by all members.  Everyone worked hard at getting us to where we are regarding our growth plan,” said Sheila Schmidt, Human Resources Manager.

ELPLAST America is a leading manufacturer of press-to-close zipper products for the flexible packaging industry. The Poland based company broke ground on their North American headquarters in 2014 with the goal of supporting aggressive growth plans.

Fast forward to the year 2020 and news headlines begin to shed light on workforce shortages due to the ever-evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. The leadership team very intentionally evaluated their hiring strategies and job descriptions to better align with feedback from the marketplace. Their success has led the company to running multiple shift configurations allowing them to run production 7 days a week 24 hours a day beginning in early May.  It’s the first time in the history of their North American operations that they’ve been able to achieve this goal. Getting to this 24/7 schedule would not be possible without several changes to their hiring practices.

“Our business continues to grow and Elplast is looking at future opportunities to add production to the Marion facility,” said Jakub Wronka, Plant Manager for ELPLAST America.

The team at ELPLAST recently shared these small changes that were made to their hiring process:

1. Focus on job descriptions and job titles. “We realized the job title itself sounded too much like a role that could not be obtained by someone new to our industry,” said Schmidt. By making sure the company intentions are clearly stated in a job description and the job title reflects those intentions, the ELPLAST team saw an uptick in interest.
   
   
2. List pay in job descriptions. Listing the intended pay for available roles saves not only the candidate’s time but also the time and effort of the hiring committee.
   
   
3. Efficient application process. “We know applicants could decide to accept other job offers if our process isn’t smooth and efficient. We must follow up with candidates in a timely manner,” said Schmidt.
   
   
4. Utilize New Jobs Training 260E dollars. The company was able to use 260E dollars to train new employees on the job while paying the wages of other staff facilitating the training. This program was made available to assist businesses that are creating new positions that require new employee training. Learn more here.
   
   
5. Be flexible and creative. Members of the management team at ELPLAST can be seen working and training alongside new employees. The company feels it is essential to prioritize teamwork, morale, and internal culture by creating an environment that exudes all hands-on deck.
   
   
6. Ensure employee growth paths are transparent. Upon interviewing at ELPLAST, candidates are made aware of where they can go within the company to continue growing their skills and pay.

By making small and intentional changes, the company has been able to make big strides on staffing needs and don’t plan to stop.

Interested in making similar shifts in your workplace?

Marion Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) strives to bring resources and connections to companies that provide solutions and value. Companies can utilize multiple resources online that MEDCO has developed, such as the MEDCO Workforce Toolkit for Employers that includes strategies to be best positioned for talent attraction and retention, how to hire people with barriers to independence and more at medcoiowa.org/hiringemploymentresources.

Please reach out to Brady Quinn at [email protected] with questions or to learn more.

Learn more about ELPLAST at www.elplasteurope.com.