When you think about the healthcare industry, your brain may go directly to scrubs and lab coats, but for the folks at Cadence, Inc. in Staunton, Va., they’re focused on the devices, blades, and other medical instruments that help clinicians do their job accurately and efficiently.
Cadence is a manufacturer of a variety of clinical and scientific blades. The organization also produces materials outside of the medical industry – think more for companies in the industrial, aerospace and automotive fields. When we spoke to Rachel Brown, a member of the Human Resources Team at Cadence, she described the company as a modern manufacturing operation located in the valley that has a strong employee-focus. She spoke about the positive impacts of working at a company that prioritizes a work/life balance and puts the employee first. And it turns out, Cadence’s reputation isn’t a community secret anymore.
“We organized an open interview event several weeks back, and it was a fantastic turnout. More than 40 people showed up for positions that are typically difficult to fill. We’re going to have approximately 15 employment offers go out from that event alone,” Brown said. “We’re a fairly technical operation, so we hire a wide-range of roles. We are also looking for entry-level machine operators, CNC and Swiss technicians, and of course additional opportunities, all of which are listed on our Careers Page.”
Given the work Cadence does, a high level of skill and attention to detail is needed to ensure the quality of the products are at the utmost level. When we say high level of skill, we really mean a specialized level of skill that can be difficult to find in the immediate area. “If someone is studying mechatronics or has their MS/MT-1 certification, we will guarantee you an interview with our organization. These certifications are truly a stepping stone for someone to come into Cadence and hit the ground running.”
And like many businesses in the area and in state of Virginia, Cadence has its eye on the next generation of workers. Last fall, Cadence worked closely with several other area employers and Blue Ridge Community College to kick off a Job Starter program. The purpose of this program was to provide basic, technical training to local folks in a means to create a pool of qualified workers in the field. Cadence has also become creative in the way that we work with prospective workers to find a flexible way to get into the craft – even as early as high school.
“Right now, I’m working with a high school student that has accepted a fulltime job with us. He’s attending his classes in the morning, and working at Cadence in the afternoon,” Brown said. “In a means to promote and follow through with a strong work-life balance, we’re willing to work with people and their schedules. We’re flexible; different from other manufacturers that may be working their team seven days a week, 12-hour, or even rotating shifts-that’s not that Cadence culture. We’re getting away from the old-school manufacturing mentality.”
Now, that’s what we like to see!
Cadence, Inc. is a supporter of Virginia’s Community Colleges through the G3 Business Ambassador program. If you think you’re a fit for a role at Cadence, visit its website to learn more.
