Since Glass Magazine began covering the post-Recession labor shortage in 2014, a similar theme has been clear throughout: the process of recruiting and retaining employees is constant and ever-changing. Every aspect of the process—from recruitment tactics to branding to labor pools to internal…
Related Reading | Labor and Automation: How automation and technology make people less necessary, more important
Technology may be enticing and a solution to some labor woes. However, industry companies are faced with many challenges when considering technology investment. Often at the top…
“What is the top question you hear from architects?” This is a question I have asked glass and glazing companies for several years when attending industry trade shows. The responses normally cover topics such as oversized glass use, aesthetics, cost or performance, and the products to fill those…
In the article Investing in the #1 Asset, sources shared insights on how strong personnel relationships build better businesses. Part of the relationship equation relies on how employees see the company they work for. Here, brand awareness comes into play as part of the personnel equation, as does…
Business leaders often say people are their number one asset. People make business run. The industry is feeling this need for people now more than ever as demand is up, but the labor shortage and struggle to keep top-quality employees continues.
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The problem is clear: the construction industry is booming at a time when labor is scarce. The causes are just as well-known: experienced workers are retiring faster than new hires can fill jobs, and skills are going…
A group of new Viracon employees being taught how to safely handle and lift glass.
Onboarding, or the process of preparing new employees for job success, is vital for employee integration and retention. According to a 2007 study by the Wynhurst Group, when employees go through structured…
Editor’s Note: This article is based on a presentation from Janine Driver, best-selling author and body language expert for the Body Language Institute. Driver spoke at the 80th Annual American Architectural Manufacturers Association Conference, held Feb. 12-15 in Phoenix. For more information,…
Ace Glass leads attend a Spider Swing Stage training with sales rep John VanNatta. The company hires and trains new employees from multiple creative channels, including prison transition programs. Photo courtesy of Ace Glass.
Although the worker shortage continues to be a primary…
Business succession is inevitable, but certainly not always well-planned or expected. For a business to survive beyond its current generation, next generation leaders must be willing and able to step up and step into the shoes of a departing owner.
This article tells the stories of three industry…
Economic news in the United States has been positive throughout 2016, including within the construction industry. However, many within the industry, including those in glass and glazing, continue to face one major challenge that could hinder recovery: a worker shortage.
In a CMD webinar, “…
Chris Mammen (pictured at top right with his employees), CEO, and third-generation leader of M3 Glass Technologies, says of growing up in the industry: “The more time I spent at the shop, the more I could envision myself as a glass man like my dad and my grandfather. Dad instilled this interest…
From right to left, Dan, Peter J. and Peter “Pete” DeGorter, current management of DeGorter Inc., stand in front of a photo of John DeGorter, the company's second-generation owner. Pete will be the company's fourth-generation owner. He says of his decision to remain in the industry: "[I've seen…
Editor's Note: This article and the feature Eight Disciplines of a Successful Exit mark part two of Glass Magazine’s multi-part Exit Planning and Succession series. The first in the series is, “A Successful Exit: Capture Business Wealth and Pass the Baton to the Next Generation;” the next article…
Since Glass Magazine started reporting on the glass industry labor shortage in mid-2013, the issue has changed from a concern over finding qualified glaziers to an industry-wide need for good workers. Glass fabricators, metal companies, machine manufacturers and glazing firms report having trouble…
