Recruiting production managers is a huge challenge. It’s not that jobs are unavailable, as we usually have several Production Manager openings at TheJobLine.com. It’s finding qualified and willing candidates. Most often, it’s a problem when the move is lateral.
Most Production Manager jobs have about the same base pay, at a similar volume, and a bonus that is neither monetarily defined nor guaranteed, regardless of performance. To counter having their Production Manager recruited away, savvy employers are coming up with meaningful bonus plans to keep their productive manager happy, such as production metrics that say if you do x, you get y, and so forth. Still, base pay is about the same and, in a year with high lumber prices and red ink, employers are not paying “discretionary” bonuses. Still, few are willing to leave their current job for a better one that I am offering. If it isn’t opportunity, and it isn’t compensation, then why can’t I find a willing candidate when we get a great Production Manager job that has a reasonable base and a strong bonus plan?
After racking my brain over the past 28 years, I think I’ve overlooked the most obvious reason. Most Production Managers are in their 40’s and have deep roots in the company and community. Most Production Managers start on the line and stay at the same company as their skills grow over time. The more productive managers are extremely organized and run a tight ship. They usually know everyone in the plant as well as their families, friends, and personal life. Some participate in extra-curricular sports side by side with sawyers, builders, truck drivers, and the president of the company – but when the time clock says it’s time to work, they are all business. When the day ends, everyone is back to being Joe or Jane Citizen.
The part I think we overlook is the sense of belonging, when a person has family that is not only related but is part of their lives to the point they are not willing to relocate. What I look for are candidates who are not woven deeply in the social fabric of their hometown. Candidates who grow their value and compensation or advance up the ladder. My job is to show them there is a path for advancement beyond Production Manager, if desired.
For the ones who do advance, the next step is Plant Manager. It has the same duties as the Production Manager at many facilities, but some Plant Managers are the top-level position at their location. In addition to running production, they have a yard, shipping, and customer service duties that include site visits, solving problems, and refereeing between sales on who goes on line first. Depending upon the plant size, they may have one or more Production Supervisors to handle actual production, but they are still the one who manages the schedule, people, transportation, and customer service (along with a boat load of paperwork).
Plant Manager is a good step before becoming a Location Manager. If you have some experience with design, sales, and, depending on the company, administration and HR, the company may invest in training you to manage one of their locations. But then you may need to relocate.
If you were paying attention to the second paragraph, relocation is hard to consider, which is why we see many Production Managers who retire from their company when they could have easily made Plant Manager. Family, community, and personal relationships are part of what make Production Managers effective; add drive, a keen understanding of the production process, and a company willing to reward for results, and you will have a loyal keeper.