Johnsonville Sausage Finds Higher Quality Applicants Using ACT Workforce Solutions

Johnsonville Sausage faced a problem common to many employers these days: many job applicants but few qualified workers. The Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin-based company turned to ACT’s WorkKeys^® and National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC™) to help it find and keep the best people for hourly factory positions.

WorkKeys has helped Johnsonville Sausage team members move into higher level positions.

“We would advertise a job and get 100 applicants, and there was no way we could interview all of them. We needed a tool that measures aptitude, has been proven to work, and would help us bring the right people on board,” said John Schwantes, director of Plant Member Services at Johnsonville Sausage.

Colleagues Jodie Senglaub and Heather Levandusky became aware of a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development pilot program that uses ACT’s WorkKeys assessments and the NCRC and brought the idea to Schwantes.

“We thought these tools could give us more confidence in applicants’ skills and work readiness,” said Senglaub, operations recruiting coordinator. “The fact that testing would be done locally and at no cost to employers or job seekers was particularly appealing.”

Johnsonville Sausage was the first employer in Sheboygan County to implement the Wisconsin NCRC program. It sends applicants and team members (current employees) who have applied for positions to the local Job Center to take the three WorkKeys assessments that power the NCRC: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information. Those needing to brush up on their skills can use the KeyTrain curriculum to prepare for the tests.

Team members at Johnsonville Sausage have been supportive of the company using WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate for hiring and promotion purposes.

Individuals who earn scores of 3 or above on the WorkKeys assessments qualify for NCRCs. To date, Johnsonville has sent 218 people for WorkKeys testing, all of whom earned certificates—the majority at the silver level or above.

An ACT-authorized job profiler worked with the company to evaluate the tasks, skills, and skill levels workers need to succeed in two hourly positions. The analysis for both positions showed that a bronze-level certificate defines the minimum skill level required. As a result, the company prefers that applicants have at least bronze-level NCRCs.

Schwantes said implementation of WorkKeys and the NCRC has been beneficial to the company. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we are getting better quality applicants. Our turnover rate has improved and our team leaders tell me that this is a good tool for the foundation of our hiring process.”

WorkKeys testing is one of three components Johnsonville uses to screen candidates. An outside firm administers integrity assessments, and a local clinic will soon provide pre-hire, post-offer physicals for external candidates. While results of these components are important, the company’s team interview approach is the single most important hiring criteria. Selected team members sit in on candidate interviews.

A Johnsonville Sausage team member checks over a document.

“Existing team members have a vested interest in getting the best possible individuals on their team,” said Schwantes. “We hire to fit our culture. Applicants who are not team players will self select out of our hiring process when they sense the importance of our team approach.”

An applicant’s NCRC level can also make a difference. “If we are down to two equal candidates, but one has a higher-level certificate, that might influence our decision,” he said. “The NCRC is one part of the whole picture. We consider a variety of factors.”

He anticipates eventually using WorkKeys scores to help identify leadership potential among team members and also expanding use of the assessments to Johnsonville’s other locations.

Schwantes recommends WorkKeys and the NCRC to other employers, especially those who are challenged to find quality workers.

“Look at the cost of longer training times and high turnover. Beyond that, consider the cost of a single quality or safety issue, and then ask how you can afford not to add these tools to your selection process.”