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in manufacturing staffing.

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Why Industrial Staffing Fails And How to Fix It

A candid look at why many plant managers distrust staffing agencies Across the industry, we hear the same frustrations again and again. Too many staffing agencies behave like order takers. They rush to fill a req, disappear once the placement is made, and only resurface when something goes wrong. Communication is inconsistent. Follow‑through is spotty. […]

Resolving Conflict on the Production Floor

As a staffing agency, there’s only one group of folks we talk to even half as much as job-seekers: our client HR & Personnel managers. These conversations are more than just how timesheets and job descriptions get traded; they’re our windows into industry sentiment & changes in factory-floor level behavior. Recently, an HR leader shared a story about a conflict […]

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How Chicago Manufacturers Are Using AI (And How They Aren’t)

December 12th, 2025 First: A letter from Jacob Knobbe, Operations and Technology Coordinator at Away Staffing It’s oddly fitting, when one gives it a measure of thought, to begin a new job during the winter holiday season. It’s socially useful – how lucky to be armed with easy conversational ammunition when returning home to face […]

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How to Identify and Build Leaders Within your Manufacturing Company

October 10th, 2025 What makes a leader? How do you identify one? Plenty of people can deal with workflows, production targets and help with underperformance and training. Leaders are more than just those people who do what they need to do to get the job done. We will help break down what makes a leader […]

1920s cartoon-style illustration of manufacturing executives in a boardroom discussing steel and aluminum tariffs, with China and Mexico cargo ships unloading containers labeled steel, aluminum, and electronics.

From Tariffs to Talent Shortages: The 2025 Mid-Year Outlook for Illinois Manufacturing

Thursday August 14th, 2025 It seems like every morning, plant managers across Chicagoland are opening their inboxes to the same challenge: shifting input costs, new supplier requirements, and supply-chain adjustments that are reshaping production planning. The reality is that the manufacturing landscape in 2025 looks different than it did just months ago, and companies are […]

Black-and-white political cartoon of a man in a suit standing with his back to the viewer in a top-floor office, looking out a large window at a single manufacturing plant and packed parking lot below, while colleagues walk by carrying boxes and exit through a doorway, symbolizing AI-driven office layoffs.

AI Layoffs Surge—Why Manufacturing Jobs Offer Stability in 2025

June 15, 2025 Every week brings another headline about artificial-intelligence breakthroughs, and another round of white-collar layoffs. From January through May of this year, technology firms alone announced 74,716 job cuts, a figure already 35 percent higher than the same period in 2024, according to the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Executives are frank […]

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AI and Recruiting, is it all good?

AI is revolutionizing hiring—streamlining résumé reviews and turbo-charging recruiter productivity—yet lawsuits like Mobley v. Workday and EEOC v. iTutorGroup remind us algorithms can still misfire. Discover how to harness AI’s speed without sacrificing fairness, and why human oversight remains the deciding factor in building an efficient, bias-aware talent pipeline.
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How to Choose the Right Staffing Agency

Thursday May 15, 2025 Choosing the right staffing agency is a crucial decision for both employers and job seekers. Employers rely on staffing firms to help them find qualified candidates efficiently, while job seekers often turn to agencies for access to a broader range of job openings and guidance. Whether you’re relocating to a new […]

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Does your HR Need HR? The HR Turnover Problem

Thursday April 10, 2025 HR generalists and managers play a vital role in shaping organizational culture and the employee experience, yet many leave their positions due to feeling as though they are doing anything but. With multiple factors at play, understanding these telltale signs can help companies improve their HR’s retention. In this blog, we […]