Case Study: 4 Hires in 2 Months at Metron Machining

Metron Machining is a Lakewood, Colorado shop that builds aerospace and defense components. Like a lot of machine shops, they had open roles they couldn't fill. For months they tried job boards and outside recruiters, and none of it produced the people they needed.

Then Metron signed a three-month retained search agreement with hireCNC. Four hires followed in the first two months. Metron then posted about the experience on LinkedIn, which is why we can tell this one with their name on it.

Where Metron started

Before hireCNC, Metron had been trying to fill these positions for months. The other job boards weren't working, and neither were the recruiting arrangements they'd tried. That's a common spot for a shop to be in. The work keeps coming, the seats stay empty, and every month of searching without a result makes the next month of searching feel more expensive.

The mix of roles is worth noticing too. This wasn't one hard-to-find programmer. It was a range of positions on the floor and in quality, which is exactly the kind of search that doesn't fit neatly into a single job post.

What we did

Metron signed a three-month retained search agreement, and the hireCNC job board was part of the package so their openings were also in front of machinists searching for work. A dedicated hireCNC recruiter ran the search. In the first two months, four roles were filled:

• CNC machinist
• Quality inspector, full time
• Quality inspector, part time
• Shop hand, part time

We keep client pay and fee details private, so none of those numbers are in this post.

What it cost compared to the usual way

The standard way to hire through a recruiter is contingent. You pay a percentage of each hire's first-year salary when the person starts. With four hires, that adds up quickly. Retained search works differently: you pay a flat monthly fee for a dedicated search, no matter how many people it takes to fill the roles.

We priced out what the same four hires would have cost at standard contingent rates. Compared to that, Metron's retained search came in about 80% lower. That's an estimate, not a quote, but the gap is real, and it grows with every additional hire the search produces.

What Metron said made the difference

Metron's LinkedIn post says it better than we could. In their words, the hireCNC team understands CNC machining and the talent market, and knows the difference between filling a position and finding someone who can actually succeed in the role. They called the team tenacious, professional and reasonable to work with, and singled out the recruiter for keeping the pipeline moving and learning what Metron needed. Their summary: "The client experience has been excellent."

Metron is still hiring. Their Senior CNC Programmer / Manufacturing Engineer (Mastercam, 5-axis) role is open on hireCNC now.

When retained search makes sense

It isn't the right answer for every shop. If you have one opening that fills easily, a job post or a contingent search may be all you need. Retained search tends to fit when:

• You have several roles open at once, or expect to
• The roles have been open for months and the usual channels haven't worked
• You want a recruiter working your search steadily, not only when a candidate happens to match

If that sounds like your shop, take a look at how hireCNC recruitment services work, or reach out and tell us what you're trying to fill.

About this case study: Metron Machining shared its experience publicly on LinkedIn, and two short lines from that post are quoted here with credit. Pay rates and fee amounts are not disclosed. The savings figure is hireCNC's estimate of what the same four hires would have cost at standard contingent agency rates, compared with Metron's retained search fees. Results vary by role, market and search. This is one client's experience, not a guarantee.