Talent Acquisition Specialist

About the Role

This position leads the full-cycle recruiting process for both hourly and salary manufacturing positions at our Long Prairie, MN facility. You will partner directly with plant leadership to assess hiring needs and execute short- and long-term strategies to maintain optimal staffing levels.

Responsibilities

• Partner with hiring managers and operational leadership to understand hiring needs and develop comprehensive recruiting strategies that support growth goals while aligning with the Company’s core values and culture.
• Actively lead and support all activities in the recruitment life cycle, including proactively sourcing candidates, screening, selecting, interviewing, offer management, administering pre-employment screening, and onboarding.
• Drive recruiting process best practices, continuously optimizing processes to improve efficiency and candidate experience.
• Coordinate and/or attend off-site and onsite job fairs. Utilize social media and other outlets (e.g., local colleges, trade schools, local publications) to attract talent.
• Collaborate with VP of HR to develop and align national search and marketing strategies, building an effective Company brand and candidate experience.
• Consistently achieve hiring goals by setting clear expectations, tracking progress, and leveraging data-driven insights to drive continuous improvement.
• Lead data and reporting efforts, establishing and tracking key recruiting metrics to measure success and identify areas for improvement. Maintain recruiting reports (production staffing, interview, rehires, etc.).
• Deliver an exceptional candidate experience from initial contact through onboarding and new hire orientation.
• Partner with HR to coordinate new hire benefits such as housing/lodging as needed.
• Serve as company advocate; research, contact, and build rapport with agencies (community services, colleges, high schools, employment agencies, recruiters, etc.) to identify new talent, provide company information, opportunities, and benefits.
• Develop and maintain a 90-Day Recruiting Plan, approved by VP of HR and VP of Operations, detailing events, targets, hiring campaigns, and KPIs.
• Utilize the applicant tracking system (iCIMS) to maintain all job postings (internal and external) and candidate/applicant data for the entire recruitment, selection, and hire process.
• Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices in recruiting and implement new ideas and innovative solutions to drive better recruiting outcomes.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in full-cycle recruiting of hourly (non-exempt) manufacturing employees.
• Associate degree or bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field, preferred.
• Ability to effectively communicate in English, Spanish, and/or Haitian-Creole (speaking, reading, and writing). Bilingual preferred.
• Prior experience in high-volume recruiting in beef, protein, or food manufacturing.
• Current knowledge of employment laws and regulations.
• Previous experience using iCIMS applicant tracking system.
• Strong work ethic and sense of personal responsibility for outcomes.

Skills

• Self-starter with the ability to multi-task, prioritize effectively, and integrate with the broader HR team in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Professional, results-driven, and able to perform duties with minimal direction.
• Excellent interpersonal communication (verbal and written) skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Suite products including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Effective negotiating skills.
• Ability to work independently and within a team environment and exercise mature judgment.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and secure information management.
• Ability to work flexible hours, travel to other company locations, and attend recruiting events. Overnight travel is expected.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills, with a professional demeanor and the ability to interact with all levels of management, colleagues, front-line employees, and vendors.
• Organized with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage shifting responsibilities in a dynamic, cross-functional teamwork environment.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and excellent verbal and written communication.