Bair is the HR manager charged with hiring and personnel at two auto parts factories in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which is part of Mexico-based Nemak, an automotive parts manufacturer. Bair has been on the hunt for new employees for the two factories, but finding them has not been easy.
Bair has eliminated the requirement for a high-school diploma and for hiring recruits with manufacturing experience. He also has been offering jobs to recruits that have failed at prior jobs.
"Some of these changes are really stretching my thinking, honestly," Bair said. It has reached the point where anyone showing up during the work day will get an interview and if Bair sees them as promising, "we'll make an on-the-spot offer."
"As an HR person, you usually are on the conservative side of things, but you have no choice but to try," Bair said.