Most millwork companies are fighting the same talent war the same way: by poaching experienced drafters from each other, paying top dollar, covering relocation costs, and throwing in recruiter fees for good measure.

And then they wonder why retention is terrible.

I’ve watched this same cycle repeat for years. Companies pay a premium for someone who already has their own way of doing things, who still needs to learn your standards and processes, and who often brings habits that are tough to unlearn.

The companies that actually win this game stopped trying to buy talent and started building it.

Two Pipelines, One Strategy

The best operations I’ve seen don’t rely on luck. They build two steady talent pipelines:

• One that pulls from the shop floor.
• Another that develops fresh graduates and interns.

And both meet in the middle.

Take your CNC operator who’s been programming machines for a few years: they already understand how engineering output hits the shop floor. They know the software, the workflows, and the people they’ll be building for.

That’s not just a machine operator. That’s a future drafter who just hasn’t learned CAD yet.

The Friday Afternoon Test

Here’s how you start making that transition happen: pick one person, and give them Friday afternoons after lunch to learn CAD.

That’s it.

Most companies say they don’t have time to train from scratch. But a couple of hours a week? You can make that happen.

Give them a six-month window, a clear goal, and a path to slightly higher pay. If they’ve got the drive, they’ll earn it. Apprentices who complete structured training programs have a 91% retention rate.

That’s not a training cost; it’s insurance on your talent pipeline.

The Second Pipeline

The other pipeline comes from outside. Partner with local colleges that offer drafting or manufacturing programs. Bring in interns. Let them rotate through estimating, drafting, and the shop floor before they graduate.

These students already know CAD but don’t understand millwork.

Your shop employees know millwork but don’t know CAD.

So meet in the middle.

Have your shop-trained apprentice start with engineering projects that are already drawn. Let your new grad start with submittals that get reviewed before production. As they both grow, they eventually meet in the same place: confident, well-rounded engineers who actually get how the whole process works.

The Culture Nobody Talks About

None of this matters if your culture doesn’t support teaching.

Too often, experienced drafters guard their knowledge because they’ve been burned before or they don’t see what’s in it for them.

That’s a leadership problem.

You have to make the benefits of teaching visible. When I share what I know, my job gets easier. My drawings get cleaner. My team makes fewer mistakes. And if I can develop others, that’s a skill that makes me more valuable. I can only produce so much work myself—but if I can replicate myself, I can get promoted and earn more.

Companies that reward teaching see retention jump: to 72% for mentees and 69% for mentors.

You can’t just expect people to teach. You have to make it worth their while.

The Compensation Reality

If you’re waiting for someone to get an outside offer before giving them a raise, you’ve already lost them.

The companies keeping their best people are constantly evaluating compensation, not just once a year, but in regular one-on-ones with real feedback.

Pay should reflect role, output, and growth, not tenure. When someone becomes faster, smarter, or starts training others, acknowledge it.

Career development, not pay alone, is the #1 reason people leave. Don’t give them that reason.

The Technology Baseline

Modern drafting software isn’t a competitive advantage anymore; it’s the bare minimum.

If you’re still running on 20-year-old software and trying to attract young engineers, you’ve already lost that battle.

Technology is the entry ticket, not the prize. Young professionals expect modern tools, and they bring perspectives your company needs—fresh ways of thinking, collaborating, and learning.

The Diagnostic Question

Here’s the gut-check: can you name one person in your shop, install crew, or office with the potential to become a drafter or engineer?

Just one.

If you can’t, your problem isn’t drafting. It’s your entire talent strategy.

If you don’t have a single early-career person anywhere in your company, start there. Hire someone eager to learn. Build around them.

The companies winning the talent war aren’t competing for the same shrinking pool of “experienced” people. They’re investing in new ones: giving them structure, direction, and opportunity.

Stop recycling talent. Start building it.

Jacob Edmond

CEO