Episode 152: ‘We Would Love for Them to be a Part of Our Team’ – A Conversation about Veteran Hiring with Mazda...

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A. Inc. is a new venture that will produce vehicles in Huntsville, Alabama, starting in 2021.
The $1.6 billion manufacturing plant is jointly owned by Mazda Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation and is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs. Mazda Toyota Manufacturing is currently ramping up its hiring effort for team members, with a target to start the hands-on assessments in January 2020 and have those first applicants on the job as early as March 2020.
The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing hiring process is a competitive one. Its recruiting managers estimate between 7% and 10% of applicants will make it all the way through the hiring process and receive a job offer.
This week’s guests are Todd Maloney and Tony Walker from Mazda Toyota Manufacturing.
After a 21-year career in the U.S. Air Force, Maloney joined Kelly OCG as a recruiting manager supporting Toyota North America. After two years at Toyota, Maloney was asked to join the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing partnership to assist in leading recruitment and to drive strategic initiatives in support of Mazda Toyota’s joint venture in Huntsville, Alabama.  
Joining Maloney on this Sitrep podcast episode is Tony Walker. After serving 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Walker landed a job as a team member in the quality control department at Toyota. Through the years, Walker has been promoted and now works as the general manager of quality control at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing. Walker says he lives by the motto, "God, Family, Toyota."
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How Mazda Toyota Manufacturing’s three-step hiring process identifies job candidates
Mazda Toyota Manufacturing’s veteran hiring goal
How the joint venture’s leadership believes veterans will help Mazda Toyota Manufacturing grow to be one of the great manufacturing companies in the United States