Burn The Playbook - B2B GTM Strategies with Marc Crosby

Hiring Top Manufacturing Talent Without Guesswork Today

• Digital Rebels Consulting - Marc Crosby

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0:00 | 37:18

Hiring is getting noisier. Brian Pahl breaks down what still gets people hired in technical manufacturing.
Marc Crosby and Brian call out what leaders miss on succession, interviews, LinkedIn, and remote work.

  • Why succession planning should start before the role is open
  • What hiring managers actually notice in interviews
  • How LinkedIn keywords help recruiters find the right people
  • When remote work expands talent and when on-site still wins
  • Why networking beats resume polish in a crowded market
  • How leaders can look past industry boxes and hire for fit first

[00:00] Intro
[00:41] How Brian got into recruiting
[02:14] Market shifts in chemicals, electronics, and materials
[04:19] The hardest roles to fill right now
[06:03] Soft skills, leadership, and culture fit
[07:41] Gen Z, retention, and clear career paths
[10:32] AI, resumes, and why relationships still matter
[16:18] How companies stop missing strong candidates
[19:17] Internal vs external succession planning
[20:56] Remote, hybrid, and the return to office
[24:09] LinkedIn profiles, keywords, and candidate outreach
[29:45] Why some candidates get hired and others do not
[32:41] Interview prep that actually helps
[35:27] Brian’s advice for leaders and candidates
[37:48] Where to find Brian and Critical Fit Recruiting

This episode is for manufacturing leaders building a stronger bench, candidates trying to stand out without playing keyword games, and commercial or technical teams hiring into specialty markets.

Hosted by Marc Crosby of Digital Rebels. Guest Brian Pahl, President of Critical Fit Recruiting, an executive search firm focused on technical manufacturing and high-growth markets.
Connect with Brian Pahl on LinkedIn and explore Critical Fit Recruiting for open roles and company info. (LinkedIn)
Follow Marc Crosby on LinkedIn and see more from Digital Rebels Consulting. (LinkedIn)

#BurnThePlaybook #ManufacturingHiring #ExecutiveRecruiting #Leadership

executive recruiting;manufacturing hiring;industrial recruiting;technical recruiting;succession planning;LinkedIn;job interview tips;candidate experience;hiring managers;talent acquisition;remote vs onsite work;executive search;specialty chemicals;semiconductor hiring;manufacturing leadership

Most candidates blend in. Brian Pahl explains what actually gets people hired in manufacturing and technical markets. #ExecutiveRecruiting

Remote or on-site? Brian Pahl breaks down when each model helps or hurts your hiring strategy. #ManufacturingHiring

Your resume is not enough. This clip shows why networking and interview prep still decide who gets the offer. #JobSearchTips


Views expressed are our own and do not represent any organizations

© 2025 Digital Rebels Consulting. All rights reserved.


Digital Rebels Consulting (00:01.255)
What are the core principles that differentiate critical fit from other firms?

Brian Pahl (00:07.38)
So who we are, how we do business and how we hire, our core values are everything, right? And so one of our core values is we hear you and we see and we get it. We wanna make sure we're really listening more than we're actually talking and really try to understand the person's story, understand. And that's also just in terms of hiring people that work in my organization. I'm doing the same thing as I'm working.

the higher the person, the qualities of that individual. The second core value is we lead with curiosity. We believe what makes us successful in the market and makes us who we are is our behavior of leading with curiosity, asking questions, trying to understand more deeply a person's story or what a client wants, why they want that. It just shapes everything of how the behaviors that we show.

how we show up in the marketplace. The third core value is people matter. We believe everybody has an equal opportunity and we want to hear everybody's story. We want to make sure we understand before we make a decision in terms of presenting a person with a certain background or skill set. And so that's one of our leading core values just in terms of how we

show up in the marketplace. And the last core value is say what you do, do what you say, right? So it's just really important for everything that we do here is that you say you're gonna do something, do it. And we hire for that type of behavior. We're trying to pull those things out of a person's background. And also we're measuring in terms of people that we work with, in terms of candidates and whatnot, whether they're following through with those values as well.

So those are four core values that kind of make up who we are and determine how we show up in the marketplace with candidates and clients. And we constantly talk about these core values. We have a level 10 meetings as an organization to figure out ways to improve or optimize our business. And core values is certainly a center point of those discussions.


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Marc Crosby - Digital Rebels

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