Rethinking Recruiting in Manufacturing, with Myles Rickerd and Trevor O’Malley of Hire MFG Leaders

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Hiring in manufacturing has always been tough, but today’s labor market has made it more challenging than ever. Traditional recruiting methods—career fairs, job postings, and word-of-mouth referrals—often fall short when it comes to finding skilled, culture-fit leaders. That’s where Hire MFG Leaders comes in.

In this episode of The Manufacturing Employer, host Jon Franko sits down with Myles Rickerd and Trevor O’Malley, the minds behind Hire MFG Leaders. Born out of the MakingChips ecosystem, their recruiting service is rethinking how manufacturers source, vet, and retain top-tier leadership talent. Rather than pushing resumes, they focus on building relationships, understanding company culture, and ensuring long-term fit for both employers and employees.

Myles and Trevor share their personal journeys into staffing and manufacturing, the pain points that inspired them to launch Hire MFG Leaders, and why they believe recruitment should be rooted in service, not transactions. They also discuss the four pillars they use to evaluate opportunities—compensation, work-life balance, cultural fit, and operational meaning—and why manufacturers who want to attract and retain talent must go beyond the basics.

From stories of successful placements to lessons on culture fit, benefits, and servant leadership, this episode offers practical insights for any shop leader looking to strengthen their team. Whether you’re hiring today or just preparing for the future, Myles and Trevor’s perspective will challenge you to rethink the way you approach talent.

Episode Outline

• (0:51) Meet Myles Rickerd and Trevor O’Malley of Hire MFG Leaders
• (1:39) Their paths into staffing, recruiting, and manufacturing
• (3:10) Why traditional hiring methods are broken in manufacturing
• (3:56) The importance of networking and relationship-driven recruiting
• (5:12) Putting candidates and clients first: building trust in recruiting
• (6:20) The four pillars of successful placement
• (9:32) Intake calls and understanding client needs beyond a job description
• (11:20) Challenges unique to recruiting in manufacturing and “aha” moments
• (13:33) Success story: placing an automation engineer after 23 years at one company
• (15:31) Recruiting as service and the importance of servant leadership
• (15:51) Check out the Industrial Marketing Summit in 2026
• (16:26) How Hire MFG Leaders evaluates culture fit and builds rapport with candidates
• (18:35) The value of niche recruiting versus general recruiting firms
• (19:35) Measuring hiring success: retention, turnover, and real-world feedback
• (20:58) Benefits and workplace perks trends emerging in manufacturing
• (23:04) Book recommendations and what the guests are currently reading
• (26:49) Using AI tools like ChatGPT for learning and retention
• (28:22) How to connect with Hire MFG Leaders online and through MakingChips

Resources

• Leading an Inspired Life
• Check out the Industrial Marketing Summit 
• Business Model Generation
• The Employee Advantage
• Think and Grow Rich
• Aion
• Stillness is the Key
• Blood Meridian
• Man’s Search for Meaning
• Man and His Symbols by Jung

Connect with Myles and Trevor

• Hire MFG Leaders
• Myles Rickerd on LinkedIn
• Trevor O’Malley on LinkedIn