On this episode of Verify In Field, we delve into the world of recruiting in the Millwork industry. Our special guest is Vicky Borkowski, a contingency recruiter specializing in project management, estimating, engineering, and drafting roles within the Millwork sector. Vicky shares insights into the unique challenges faced by Millwork companies when it comes to recruiting, given their reliance on outside recruiters due to a lack of HR personnel experienced in this niche industry. She also highlights the importance of social media engagement, suggesting that posting pictures from company events can be an easy and low-cost way to connect with potential candidates. Throughout the episode, Vicky emphasizes the need for companies to offer competitive salaries, benefits, and technological advancements to retain talent in the industry. She also advocates for the establishment of clear career development paths for engineers, without the requirement of becoming project managers. In terms of her recruitment approach, Vicky discusses the importance of collaboration and understanding the client’s pain points. She emphasizes the need for full communication, transparency, and partnership from the clients to ensure a successful search. Vicky also shares her methods for reaching out to potential candidates, including mass emails, social media postings, and phone calls, emphasizing the value of phone conversations in effective recruitment. The conversation also touches upon the challenges faced by the Millwork industry, such as turnover and ownership changes, as well as the opportunities for young people to fill vacant roles. Vicky encourages the industry to be taken seriously as a career rather than just a job and emphasizes the need for companies to create career paths for employees rather than everyone aspiring to be entrepreneurs. The episode concludes with Vicky discussing the importance of job fit beyond just job descriptions and skill matches. She highlights the contrast between the old guard and the new guard in terms of leadership and management styles in the industry. Vicky also suggests that the industry should adapt to these changes and improve their online presence to attract and retain talent. Listeners who are interested in learning more about the Millwork industry or pursuing a career in this field can find valuable resources and mentorship opportunities through websites like AWI. Finally, Vicky urges companies in the industry to proactively recruit and retain talent by showcasing their company culture, people, and work environment through online presence and marketing. Don’t miss this informative episode exploring the unique world of Millwork industry recruiting with our expert guest, Vicky Borkowski.
About Our Guest:
Vicky Borkowski is a sales professional with a background in the construction industry. She has held various management roles, both regional and national, for manufacturers in the construction sector. Her career often involved extensive travel, with Borkowski spending up to 80% of her time on the road. However, feeling burnt out, she wanted a change and was approached by a recruiter for a role in recruiting. Despite her previous less-than-ideal experiences with recruiters, she decided to give it a shot. Borkowski underwent thorough training and learned the ropes of the trade from experienced individuals in the industry. After completing her training, she was offered an opportunity to join the construction team and recruit specifically for the architectural millwork industry. Although initially unfamiliar with architectural millwork, she dedicated herself to researching and immersing herself in the field. Borkowski reached out to professionals in the industry and aligned herself with relevant organizations to gain a deeper understanding. While she was already familiar with the roles of project managers, estimators, and engineers, she had to learn about production leadership. Borkowski emphasizes the importance of continual learning and growth in her role as a recruiter in architectural millwork.
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What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode:
- The Millwork industry primarily recruits for positions in project management, estimating, engineering, and drafting.
- The role of a contingency recruiter in the Millwork industry is to only get paid when their candidate is hired by the client.
- Some recruiting instances in the Millwork industry require working on a retained basis with an upfront fee.
- Many Millwork companies rely on outside recruiters because they lack HR personnel experienced in recruiting.
- While executive-level positions in the Millwork industry are less common, Vicky can still recruit for them if needed.
- Taking pictures at company events and posting them online is an easy and low-cost way for Millwork companies to engage with social media.
- Offering benefits, competitive salaries, and technological advancements are important for retaining talent in the Millwork industry.
- Providing a clear career development path for engineers without requiring them to become project managers is crucial in retaining them.
- Vicky’s approach to recruitment is collaborative and focused on finding the client’s pain points, requiring full communication, transparency, and partnership from the client.
Ideas Worth Sharing:
- “My approach in recruiting is very collaborative in nature. I’m here to find out what the pain point is with my clients and go to the market and find that.”— Vicky Borkowski
- The Future of Remote Work in the Energy Industry: “During COVID and afterward I was inundated with candidates reaching out to me, seeking remote only opportunity. I am still getting a request for that, but not as dominant as it was before.”— Vicky Borkowski
- “I believe the most required skill is somebody that is not pigeonholed in the way they have done things forever. That they are open to change, open to learning, open to listening and taking new lessons and moving forward in their career. I think those are paramount.”— Vicky Borkowski
- Attracting and Retaining Talent: “The number one thing is honor your promises. That is probably the number one suggestion I would offer to your company.”— Vicky Borkowski
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