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Hiring guideHow to hire manufacturing talent.
Define the real job, price it against the market, search beyond the people who are applying, screen for the practical reasons a move makes sense, and stay involved through the offer. This is the search we run for manufacturers across the United States.
A straightforward process with a lot of work behind it.
- 01 · Understand
Define the real job
We learn the role, environment, compensation, must-haves and the reasons a strong person would make a move: the equipment, process, shift, leadership, culture and what success actually looks like.
- 02 · Search
Build the market
We search databases, networks and direct-source talent instead of relying only on active applicants, and we search by the work, not just the title another plant gave it.
- 03 · Screen
Have the conversation
We evaluate experience, motivation, fit, location and the practical reasons the move does, or does not, make sense.
- 04 · Close
Stay involved
Interview coordination, feedback, offer communication and follow-through until both sides know where things stand.
Tell us what a strong person would need to hear.
We want to understand the job well enough to know who should, and should not, be sent to you. That means asking real questions about the equipment, process, shift, leadership, compensation, location, culture and what success actually looks like.
Then we go to market and recruit rather than simply waiting for applicants to appear.
Pay is where most stalled searches start.
National medians from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Every guide breaks the number down by state.
Match the search to the opening.
| Agreement | Fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Contingency | 25%, 30% or 33% | Success-based search with no upfront fee. The rate follows the guarantee: 60, 120 or 180 days. |
| Priority | By agreement | A higher-commitment search for urgent, difficult or high-impact openings. |
| Retained | 20%, 25% or 28% | A committed, exclusive search, 50% paid up front, five points under contingency. |
| Retained + Volume | 15% or 20% | More than five active openings, exclusive, with a 90 or 180-day guarantee. |
| RPO | By agreement | Large hiring projects, expansions, recurring hiring or many placements. |
From our published pricing and search agreements. Every public option pays through secure Stripe Instant Pay.
Hiring, answered
How do you hire skilled manufacturing workers?
Define the real job (equipment, process, shift, leadership, pay and what success looks like), price it against the market, search beyond active applicants, screen for the practical reasons a move does or does not make sense, and stay involved through the offer.
What should I tell a recruiter about a manufacturing opening?
The equipment, process, shift, leadership, compensation, location, culture and what success actually looks like in the role. That is what lets a recruiter know who should, and should not, be sent to you.
What should I pay a CNC machinist?
Machinists earned a median of $28.24 an hour nationally in May 2025, with the middle half between $22.87 and $32.55 (BLS). Pay varies by state: see the machinist salary guide.
How much does a manufacturing recruiter cost?
At Compass, 25%, 30% or 33% on contingency searches with no upfront fee, set by a 60, 120 or 180-day guarantee. Retained searches are 20 to 28% with half up front.
Good hiring starts with an honest search.
Tell us what you need. We will tell you how we would attack it.