What Makes a Great Machinist? One Walked Through Our Door and Showed Us

Posted on by Tadhg Hurley

A couple of years ago, someone walked into MAAS Precision’s reception and asked to speak with the CEO.  There was no job advert running, no recruiter involved—just someone with a CV in hand, a quiet confidence, and a direct question: “Are you hiring machinists?”

It happened to be a busy day. I (Tadhg, CEO) was deep into something and, truth be told, not in the mood for surprises. But I went out anyway—and that brief conversation became a turning point, not just for that person’s career, but for how we now define what makes a great machinist.

More Than Skills: The Mindset That Sets People Apart

From day one, this machinist showed the traits that matter most at MAAS. Not just ability, but attitude:

  • A relentless attention to detail—not just checking the work, but caring about the outcome

  • A curiosity to understand why we do things a certain way, and whether there’s a better approach

  • A strong sense of ownership—seeing a job through, flagging issues early, and solving problems at the root

  • A pride in clean, repeatable work that meets not just spec, but our internal standards

They didn’t just adapt to our way of working.  They added to it—offering improvements to setups, suggesting small process tweaks, and making us all think a little sharper.

The Standard Has Shifted

That experience reshaped how we hire. Today, when we look for new machinists, we’re not just looking at CVs or machine hours. We’re looking for people who:

  • Take initiative without being asked

  • Think like the customer—what does this part need to do, not just how is it made?

  • Bring energy to the team

  • Want to learn, improve, and challenge the status quo

Precision is the baseline. It’s the mindset that makes it sustainable.

In Closing

We’ve always believed in engineering excellence—but that only happens when the people behind the machines share the same values.

That day in reception reminded us of something simple: the best people often don’t wait to be asked. They show up, prepared, with a mindset that matches the mission.

That’s who we want at MAAS. And if that sounds like you—we’d love to talk.