Wrangling the Golden Unicorn – World Class Onboarding

Bryan Picard • March 22, 2022

What is a “Golden Unicorn” you ask? This is the slang term we use for someone that fits the organization and role so perfectly that it almost seems magical or too perfect. Whenever we find the Golden Unicorn, regardless if it’s on the temp / staffing agency side or through direct placement, we generally get the same question shortly thereafter. “Any advice with onboarding?” Here is that advice.


Most of the time when we ask someone when they think onboarding starts, they naturally answer, “On the first day”. While this is a common misconception, onboarding starts much earlier. 


Onboarding starts with your first contact. Keep in mind three things. Set clear expectations, make sure you deliver on those expectations, and Golden Unicorns are only attracted to the best. Great companies recognize top talent is highly sought after and they focus on serving the candidate immediately. Be understanding and accommodating. Long gone are the days of, “they are lucky to have a job”. Here’s a simple piece of advice. Complete the entire interview process in less than 2 weeks unless absolutely necessary and communicate more than you think you should. 


Now that you have both agreed on an offer, there is still work to be done from that day to the start date. Every time a big purchase is made, there is some kind of buyer’s remorse. Changing careers is bigger, to many people, than buying a house or new car. Make the candidate feel the love immediately. Stay in touch. Ask questions. Reinforce why they decided to make the move and clearly outline what they should expect day one and beyond. 


The big day is here. Is the office prepped for their arrival? Clean, organized, and their workstation/office prepped? Is the team prepared to represent your brand well or are they surprised when the new hire shows up? Every part of their experience sends a message. It's up to you to ensure the right words are on paper. Think about a world-class hotel. How do they make you feel? Are you rolling out a red carpet or is the new hire wading through the trash. Unicorns will quickly fly away from trash. Don’t be afraid to drape them in your best and give them a letter welcoming them with signatures from adoring fans. Make the important introductions and make them feel at home with a tour.  Put everything in writing.  People fear the unknown. Get rid of the ambiguity immediately. Everyone plays a role in this and its up to you to assign those roles. 


It’s no surprise they made it through their first week. After all, you made them feel like a rockstar. Now we give them a runway to take off and carry the organization to new and greater heights. Make sure they have a mentor. Dive deep into feedback and make sure they know they are on the right track (unless they aren’t and then it’s really important to find out where the challenge is). Reinforce your values and their future. After all, that is why they are there. 


Someone worked hard to find the Golden Unicorn, why wouldn’t we want them to shine their brightest. Some even believe that if you give a golden unicorn everything it needs, one day it will become the sun that will create nourishment and warmth for your organization to thrive.

Reducing Hiring Time: How Efficient Processes Benefit Manufacturers

April 15, 2025
When you’re looking to fill job vacancies, you want to find your next employee as quickly as possible. The more time you spend, the more work that will pile up, putting stress on your other employees, impacting your productivity and bottom line. This is why reducing hiring time is key for manufacturers. Let’s look at the benefits manufacturers can expect as they look for more efficient hiring processes. Benefits of Efficient Hiring Processes Increased Productivity When you have efficient hiring processes, you increase productivity within your company. A faster hiring process translates to lower recruitment costs and overall time spent reviewing applications and conducting interviews. This is why many companies choose to use recruiting agencies to take care of these tasks. By doing so, your team can focus on the other tasks on their list. This increases productivity by allowing them to get their other work done and brings on a new hire quicker to take care of responsibilities so that no one feels overworked and stressed. Improved Morale If there are job vacancies, current staff usually take on a larger workload, which can result in low morale if the situation persists for a long time. When you reduce hiring time, you bring in new people, leading to improved morale and job satisfaction among your current staff. Enhanced Revenue With a streamlined hiring process, manufacturers can respond quickly to market demands by having a full staff. This can help to increase revenue and sales. Attracting Top Talent Efficient hiring processes attract top talent. People who have the skills want to get to work quickly. They see that your company is focused and means business. Those who share the same mindset are attracted to this type of company, resulting in you having the best employees around. Better Candidate Experience When potential candidates see that you are efficient in your hiring, it enhances their experience. They will go into the job with a positive attitude and will likely tell others about their experience. This not only puts your company in a positive light but can also work in your favor to address future top talent. Avoids Losing Top Talent to Competitors If someone is job hunting they are likely applying to multiple jobs at once. If your company is slow with its hiring process or has many gaps in how it handles different steps of the process, top talent is going to be turned away and will gravitate towards a company that has it together. The other company will reach out to them quicker, interview faster, and make an offer, all while you are dragging your feet. By being inefficient, you are steering top talent to other companies. Efficiency will breed top talent which is why more companies are trying to streamline their hiring processes. What is the Best Way to Make the Hiring Process More Efficient? The best way to reduce the time that the hiring process can take is to hire a recruiting agency to find your next employee. They have access to candidates who are seeking various jobs and can take the time to sift through resumés, pre-interview candidates, and present you with only the best matches. They also have automated systems that can help to expedite the process even further. When you are working with a recruiting agency, your team can focus on their other tasks, limiting the impact a job vacancy has on your company. This can help to maintain productivity while a new employee is being onboarded. If you want to learn more about how a recruiting agency can help expedite your hiring process, contact Summit Careers today. We help companies in the manufacturing sector and a variety of other businesses find quality candidates who are ready to get to work. Contact the Summit Careers team today to learn more.

Time Lost In Limited Hiring Pools - Don't Start Looking When You are Desperate

March 15, 2025
Finding the right job candidates can be one of the most tedious tasks, especially if you have a specific niche you’re trying to fill. This process can take longer than you’d like. This is why you want to start your search before it's too late. If you wait until you really need to fill a position, you’re going to find yourself in a limited hiring pool that is quickly going to turn into desperation, which means you won’t find the best candidates. As we take a closer look at how a limited hiring pool can hurt your candidate search, we’re also going to share some tips to avoid a desperate hunt to find candidates. What Does “Limited Hiring Pool” Mean? A limited hiring pool refers to a scenario where there is a small number of qualified candidates who are available to fill a specific opening. As you can imagine, this makes it difficult for a company to find the right employees. Factors like geographic location, industry trends, and a specific skill set, can all play into finding yourself in a limited talent pool. How to Avoid Being Caught in a Limited Hiring Pool Start as Early as Possible To avoid getting stuck in a limited hiring pool, you should put out job descriptions as soon as you know you’re going to need to fill a position. This should happen well before the actual job vacancy occurs. This gives enough time to sift through resumés and find the best fit. This should also give you a larger pool of applicants to choose from. Actively Network Even if you aren’t actively hiring, you could be actively networking. Attend job fairs, local events, and anything else that will put you in front of potential candidates. By taking this step, you will already have some connections to people who may be looking to fill your positions when they become vacant. Update Job Postings Keep job postings updated so that they are ready to go at a moment’s notice. This can be helpful if someone abruptly leaves your company. If you have to waste time crafting the perfect job posting, you may quickly find yourself desperate for candidates. Just having to click “upload” is one of the quickest ways to get your job vacancy filled. Utilize Social Media Social media can be extremely helpful when searching for candidates, but be ready for an influx of people! It can be overwhelming to discover just how many people may respond to your social media post, but this certainly widens your pool of potential candidates. This is a great way to discover many different types of candidates. You may even find people who are perfect for future roles. You can always remove the post if you find yourself drowning in a pool of unqualified candidates. Offer Employee Referral Incentives Offer your current employees incentives if they can find your next superstar. Many times people have friends and acquaintances who are looking for the types of jobs you’re posting. A monetary bonus or some type of incentive for your current employee can be a great way to attract talent and avoid setting off a desperate search for new workers. Plus, it shows prospective employees the type of working culture they may be a part of in the future. This positive atmosphere will reflect well on your company. Work with a Recruitment Agency An excellent way to avoid limited hiring pools is to work with a recruitment agency. They are constantly receiving resumés from people with a variety of skills. The best part is that you don’t have to go through all of the paperwork. The agency does it for you and presents you with only the top candidates to fill your position. This saves you valuable time that you can use to complete other tasks within your company. If you’re interested in working with a recruitment agency that gets results, Summit Careers is here to help. We have a growing database of candidates in a variety of careers who are looking for jobs just like yours. Reach out to us today to see what the Summit Careers team can do for you!

The Future of Manufacturing : Local Investment and Local Talent

February 10, 2025
Whether you’re searching to fill a vacancy in the manufacturing sector or looking to use your skills in a new position, it’s important to be aware of market trends that can impact employment. These trends can influence your hiring and job search methods. At Summit Careers, we can tell you that there is a growing push towards local investment and local talent. What does this mean for you if you’re hiring or in the middle of a job search? Read on to find out. The Push for Local Investment and Local Talent in the Manufacturing Sector As 2025 forward, more companies are looking to form strong relationships with those in nearby communities to find the skilled workers they are looking for. Focus on Local Education By focusing on local education, manufacturing companies can connect with local universities and research centers who have access to those searching for jobs just like the ones they are looking to fill. This type of collaboration helps to form strong ties between the manufacturing sector and the community as they both work to fulfill each other’s needs. New job seekers can benefit from local employers who are looking for their skillsets. Regional Experience Those looking to hire for manufacturing roles are likely to look for applicants with regional experience. This can be useful in certain manufacturing sectors because less time is needed for training since some specialized skills are already present. Many times, those with local ties may also be more likely to stay in a certain job, making it easier to retain employees and spend less time on training a revolving door of new hires. Those in the region who have these skills can have an advantage when they apply for jobs in the area. Since certain manufacturers may be specifically seeking them out, they can rise to the top of the applicant pool. This can be beneficial for applicants who want to stay local and don’t want to look far to find their next career opportunity. Increased Punctuality Focusing on a local pool of applicants can reduce commute times and increase employees’ punctuality. There should be less of a chance of an employee being repeatedly late to work if they have a shorter commute time. Employers like this because it also leads to more productivity. Eliminate Relocation Costs A focus on local investment and local talent can eliminate relocation costs for companies. Since an employee won’t have to move across the country to start work, companies don’t have to worry about moving and other relocation costs they may have otherwise paid. Workers can start promptly, which is always a plus. This trend is a win-win on both sides. Economic Growth Focusing on local investment and local talent can help foster economic growth within communities. By investing in local economies with skilled workers, the economy can grow as manufacturing companies give back to the community. By hiring locals, there is less unemployment and communities can flourish. Increased Productivity You can expect to see a shift towards more local talent because it increases productivity. Those who are from the region tend to have a close connection, making them want to contribute more. This results in more efficiency for the companies that hire these workers. Workers may also have an incentive to work harder if they know that their neighbors will benefit from their expertise. If they are working on structural elements that will help a local roadway that their neighbors use, they will have hometown pride, knowing that their work is benefiting their community. Understanding of Local Challenges Hiring locally benefits manufacturing companies and employees because there is a basic understanding of local challenges. Someone who is familiar with the area will know the history and any challenges that the area has faced. They will be able to see how their expertise can help companies facing these challenges. If you are a manufacturing company looking to fill vacancies or someone on the hunt for a new opportunity, contact Summit Careers to learn more about our manufacturing staffing services.