For Employers

Ready to Make Your Next Hire?

We know what skilled manufacturing talent looks like, because we've done the work. Direct-hire recruiting for CNC, automation, quality, engineering, and leadership roles.

Looking Past the Resume

A resume shows where someone has worked. It doesn’t always show what they can do. That’s what we look for.

Skills, not keywords.

Resumes all look polished now. We look past them to what a candidate has actually done in their field, whether that’s at the machine, in the quality lab, or running the floor.

Fit for your operation.

The right hire for a high-mix job shop isn’t the right hire for a high-volume line. We match people to your equipment, your parts, your pace, and your team.

The right person at every level.

From apprentices with the right attitude to leaders who have run the floor, we know what to look for at each step.

Roles We Fill

Precision machining companies, contract manufacturers, and OEMs, from small teams to large plants, on every shift.

CNC Machining & Programming

Machinists, setup machinists, CNC programmers, tool and die makers, and mold makers.

Automation & Robotics

Robot programmers, automation technicians, and controls specialists.

Quality

Inspectors, CMM programmers, quality engineers, and quality managers.

Engineering

Manufacturing, process, and applications engineers.

Production Leadership

Supervisors, shop foremen, and plant leaders.

Built on Both Sides of the Industry

Our background is on the shop floor and in machine tool sales. We understand the work your people do and the business reasons behind every hire, so we recruit for what your operation needs, not just what the job description says.

How a Search Works

1. We learn the role.

A real conversation about your operation, your team, your standards, and what success looks like once the hire is in the seat.

2. We search and evaluate.

We recruit through the Manufacturing Talent Network and our industry relationships, including skilled professionals who aren’t actively looking. Every candidate is evaluated on hands-on experience in their field before we bring them to you.

3. You receive a Keyway Candidate Brief.

Each candidate comes with a recruiter’s brief: their experience, what they’re looking for next, and why they fit your role, so you know who you’re meeting before the first interview.

4. You interview and hire.

We coordinate interviews, keep candidates engaged, and stay involved through the offer and start date.

Senior machinist at a CNC machine

The Skills Gap Is Real

Skilled workers are retiring faster than new ones are being trained. U.S. manufacturers could need as many as 3.8 million new workers by 2033, and up to 1.9 million of those jobs could go unfilled.

Source: Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, 2024

On the floor, that looks like a machine sitting idle on second shift, or a senior employee retiring with nobody trained to take their place.

Experienced machinist mentoring a newer team member

Build Your Next Generation

We also place entry-level candidates who are ready to learn from your experienced team, so that knowledge stays in your operation when they retire.

Questions From Employers

We work on a contingency basis, so fees are only earned if you decide to hire. Every candidate we present is vetted and guaranteed.

Yes. Off-shift roles are often the hardest to fill, and we recruit for them.

Yes. Roles that job postings haven’t filled are where a recruiter adds the most, because we reach candidates who aren’t applying.

No. Keyway Solutions makes direct-hire placements only. Candidates go on your payroll from day one.

A job description helps, but a phone call is enough.

Southeast Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Kenosha, plus the Fox Valley and Northern Illinois.

Ready to Talk About a Role?

Contingency-based • Vetted, guaranteed candidates • Direct hire

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