RedViking has been battling for engineering talent ever since the economy started to recover post-recession.
"It was tough a couple of years ago and its tough today," says Randall "Randy" Brodzik, president of
RedViking. "It's a very competitive market for talent."
The 32-year-old company builds manufacturing and testing systems in the automotive, defense, and aerospace industries. The testing systems, which often focus on power train systems, are precise and require extensive engineering. RedViking currently employs 200 people (mostly engineers) after hiring 30 over the last year.
The firm has achieved those numbers by doing everything from winning workplace awards to visiting local college career fairs to hosting open houses. Last year it hosted an open house where half of the attendees ended up getting an interview, and a handful of those were hired. RedViking hosted a similar open house earlier this week and is expecting even better results.
Such events not only allow RedViking to show off how it develops the careers of its employees, but also how it encourages them to improve their personal health. The company has its own wellness program run by an onsite wellness coordinator, as well as offers a variety of onsite fitness classes. The company sponsors a number of local rec league teams and has its own fitness center with its own rec fields.
The idea is to not only recruit top talent who want to make themselves better in a variety of ways, but retain them for the long term.
"The heart and soul of this organization is its employees," Brodzik says.
Source: Randall "Randy" Brodzik, president of RedViking
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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