Machine Shop Staffing
CNC machinists, programmers, setup operators, inspectors. Screened by people who know the difference between "5 years of CNC experience" on a resume and someone who can actually hold a tolerance on Monday morning.
Roles we place
CNC Machinist · CNC Programmer · CNC Setup Operator · Manual Machinist · Machine Operator · 5-Axis Machinist · Swiss Machinist · Toolmaker · Welder / Fabricator · QC Inspector · CMM Programmer / Operator · Shop Supervisor · Production Manager
The problem with hiring machinists off a job ad
You post the ad, you get forty applications, and thirty-eight of them have never touched the kind of work you do. The two that look decent get interviewed by whoever has a spare hour, they say the right words, and one of them is gone in ninety days. Every shop owner has lived this at least once.
The machinists you actually want are working right now. They move when somebody they trust tells them about a better shop, better machines, or a shorter drive. That's a network-and-phone-calls job, not a job-board job.
How we screen
- Trade questions that can't be faked. What they ran, what materials, what tolerances, what they did when a part started drifting mid-run. Vague answers end the conversation.
- Documentation habits. We build ISO 9001 systems for shops, so we ask how they handle travelers, first articles, and out-of-spec parts. A machinist who fights the paperwork will fight yours too.
- Reliability first. Skills matter, but most shop hires fail on attendance and attitude, not ability. We check the boring stuff.
- Fit for your shop's size. A guy who's only run one op in a 400-person plant may drown in a job shop where everybody does everything. We match for that.
Terms
Direct hire on contingency. No fee until you hire. Written replacement guarantee on every placement. Shortlists of 3-5 candidates with our screening notes attached, typically starting within two weeks.
Common questions
Do you do temp or temp-to-hire?
Our focus is direct hire. For short-term coverage we'll tell you straight if a temp agency is the better tool for that job.
What do machinists cost right now?
Depends on market and machine mix. In Texas, experienced CNC machinists mostly run $25-38/hr, programmers and 5-axis hands above that. We'll give you a straight read on your spec before you commit to a number.
Can you help us keep them?
Retention usually comes down to the shop, not the hire. Clear work instructions, fair reviews, and a system that isn't chaos. That's the consulting side of our house, and it's the reason our placements stick.