Aug. 08, 2005—When print shop owners consider hiring, many other management issues, aside from the actual hiring, come into play. They might think about the cost to hire more personnel, or about what downsizing will do to their production schedule. Perhaps they look at training and technology costs as part of the overall process.

What it all boils down to is finding the right employee for each job. This encompasses the spectrum of hiring, training, and ultimately getting the right person to do the right job at the right time. Trends show that the industry is picking back up?an upswing many sources have declared is a full-scale recovery that is here to stay?which means there are more jobs and more positions out there. This, in turn, means more competition for those right people.

"The pool of candidates has become very shallow, as many workers previously laid-off because of plant closures, M&A activity, and downturn in volumes ?have had it' with printing," says David Clark, president of the printing recruitment firm of Sprout/Standish and online job board HireSkills.com, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. "Thousands have migrated to other jobs in other industries."

Tracing the Trends
What are the actual trends? What is the big picture? What segments are currently hot?and not?

"Digital print environments have been very, very strong," says Arnold Kahn, president of PrintLink. "People who really understand the digital print workflow, who are good managers, these are positions...[print shops] are seeking."

The increasing use of on-demand services, Mr. Kahn notes, is a big factor driving this growth. Shops are looking for individuals with the knowledge and ability to do more than just one type of job. They want managers?people who can control the workflow, handle scheduling, coordinate production, deal with any administrative problems, and more.

"The focus...seems to be pointed more heavily towards digital printing, with more and more firms taking such an interest in the technology," Mr. Kahn adds. "It's getting to be more of a mature process, so more people are accepting it and becoming more aware of the capabilities, particularly in the short-run color areas."

The trend toward more digital technology in the print shop also requires a host of skills and requirements that were not previously necessary. Individuals with skills in areas such as IT, Web design, and technical trouble-shooting will become increasingly important in the coming years for this industry.

However, the graphic arts market is not the only one looking for talented individuals in this arena. Unlike with the current skill set, print shops will have to compete with a host of industries and markets for the best talent.

Digital print is not the only segment of the industry to see growth; the design segment is picking up, as well. With more and more shops offering some type of design services on-site?whether it is a full-service graphic design studio or just retouching and color correcting?this is a type of employee for which print shops must now compete.

In a letter that accompanied the AIGA/Aquent Survey of Design Salaries 2005, AIGA Executive Director Richard Grefé noted, "The design economy is slowly recovering. As overall economic growth continues, designers are likely to see increased demand for their services."

For the commercial printer who wants to bring one or more designers on staff, this is good news. It points to the fact that people are looking for professionally designed pieces once again, and the top-notch staff who can provide it are still available. However, this won't always be the case. If this trend continues, good designers will be harder to come by in a few years, unless a shop is willing to pay agency-like salaries.

Besides designers and managers, the graphic arts community has a wide range of other needs. On www.gain.net, the official site of the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF), a variety of job types are listed, with companies across the region and country seeking employees to fill those needs. These include positions in prepress, production, sales, and binding and finishing.

The old idea of hiring an individual for just print production is fast becoming outdated. Mr. Kahn notes that his company has seen an increase in shops looking for solutions providers instead of printers. This mimics the general industry trend of moving away from the classification of print providers, and more toward communications providers.

Tips for Hiring
Once a shop knows what it needs in terms of new hires, there are a few things that can be done to ensure a perfect match of skills and ability.

Be a good listener, notes Mr. Kahn. Find out the mindset of the candidate. Encourage the individual to share his or her views on print in general, and your shop in particular. Focus on what the expectations of the job are, and what will be expected of the candidate from the outset.

Another way to determine whether or not a candidate will fit into a shop is to give a personality profile. For examples of tests that will work, try sites like www.mackayedge.com, which specializes in helping companies identify the right candidates for the job, or www.personalitypathways.com, which explains the classic Myers-Briggs personality test and how to interpret the results.

All-in-all, this is a good time to be in the graphic arts industry. Print orders are picking up, advanced technologies are becoming easier to use, and the market looks like it will remain strong moving forward into the next few years, if trends continue. This means that the time to hire the right personnel with the right skills to move your business forward is now.