Transforming workforce stability for an aviation ground support equipment manufacturer

Challenge: high turnover rates disrupting operations amid surging business.

The company, a U.S. manufacturer specializing in aviation ground support equipment, was struggling with severe staffing challenges. Despite priding itself on its positive work environment and modern facilities,  turnover rates among production staff had soared to more than 75%, peaking at 90% under their previous on-site staffing partner. Despite successfully filling roles, the candidates often failed to integrate and remain long-term, forcing the company into a continual recruitment cycle that impacted monthly output and operational stability. This situation intensified as business surged on both the commercial and military production sides,
amplifying the company’s need for reliable talent. 

Solution: flexible workforce model designed to meet production needs.

As an expert in workforce solutions, Kelly® approached the partnership with a tailored, data-driven methodology. Through frequent site visits, facility tours, and stakeholder discussions, our experts gained deep insight into the company’s culture and engagement activities. This helped recruiters craft compelling narratives for candidates, ensuring that new hires arrived well-informed about the roles. When tasked with building out a full second shift in a compressed timeline, Kelly quickly collaborated with key operational leaders to deliver a custom staffing model. Within weeks, we fully staffed the new department with a team of eight — including a team lead — assembled specifically to match the company's evolving requirements.

Result: 62 employees placed; turnover rate dropped nearly sixfold.

In total, Kelly has now placed 62 employees across critical roles such as assembly workers,  material handlers, assembly specialists, and maintenance workers, while maintaining a zero-safety-incident record. Our focus on fit and engagement reversed the revolving door pattern.  Turnover rates dropped from 75 – 90% to just 15.2% and continue to drop: a nearly sixfold improvement. Twenty-five of our employees have been hired by the company after 90 days, greatly surpassing the conversion results of the previous vendor. Additionally, we have recently met urgent warehouse needs for the company by filling six open roles in less than 48 hours — reinforcing our flexible, responsive status on high-priority staffing projects.