Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated

The good news: It’s very possible to get a raise today, even as the economy slowly recovers from one of the worst recessions in this nation’s history and while unemployment remains stubbornly high.

The bad news: You’ll have to earn it.

That is, before you ever approach your manager about a raise, you already should have earned it. You already should have been making a contribution to your company’s goals above and beyond what is expected of you in your job. You should have been doing the job of someone in a more demanding position and you should have been doing so for several months (at least three or four), not for a few weeks.

But that really is good news, because employers truly do want to reward top workers who do all they can — and more! — to help a business succeed.

However, most employers don’t spend their time noticing which employees are doing more and then automatically giving them hefty raises at annual performance reviews. So, you’ll more than likely have to ask for that raise.

Here’s how to do so:

Document your accomplishments. Prove that you’re going the aforementioned “above and beyond” in your duties. For example, you could e-mail your boss weekly, monthly or quarterly (just do it regularly) with a short report of all the things you’ve accomplished and where you are on major tasks/projects. It could be an e-mail such as “Completed Project A this week, one week ahead of schedule, saving the company several thousand dollars.” Don’t brag, just state the facts, which should speak for themselves.

Keep these reports for yourself. Review them regularly and self-select what you feel are the most important accomplishments. Then summarize them and a) forward them to your boss a few days before your annual review or b) forward them to her each quarter.

Be sure your attitude matches your stellar performance. Don’t complain. Don’t come up with excuses when tasks aren’t completed well or on time (in fact, you should let your boss know as soon as you know about problems or when a project will be late). Own up to your mistakes and work to make sure they don’t happen again. Be pleasant to everyone. Keep any temper you may have in check. If you have a hard time with disruption, work on yourself so that you’re better able to “go with the flow.”

Finally, ask for a raise. Depending on how well your employer is doing financially as well as your relationship with your supervisor, you can suggest yourself the raise amount, or you can ask for a raise and let your supervisor/employer decide upon the amount.

Contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated when you’re ready to raise your career expectations. We have many terrific assignments at some of the Pacific Northwest’s greatest employers.  Contact us today.

If you’re having a hard time getting employee buy-in of your company’s or even department’s mission, here are some tips to help you do so.

First of all, understand that humans pretty much abhor change. Most of us like our lives to remain as they are; it comforts us and makes us feel secure. Even if a change will be good for us, we still balk and dither.

So understand that your mission is a change to your staff and handle your rollout of any changes that will take place due to the new mission slowly and carefully.

Understand that not everyone in your department or company thinks like you do. Don’t start thinking your employees “should” see things your way. Don’t try to force the new mission and consequent changes down your staff members’ throats — you’ll encounter terrific pull back and you may never see the changes you seek. In addition, morale will suffer tremendously whenever you work to “strong arm” your employees into thinking as you do.

Also, understand that human nature automatically asks “what in it for me?” As you craft your new mission and start planning for company changes, be sure to let your staff know the benefits of the changes and how their working lives will improve.

That improvement/benefit must appear relatively quickly, not years down the yard. Many employees today don’t see themselves staying with a business for more than a few years; promising terrific stock options in five years if all goes well may not inspire many of your staff members.

Understand also that no change benefits everyone; some employees will see their jobs, their career, etc. evolve in a way they don’t like (for example, perhaps your goal to streamline processes results in not needing so many employees, meaning some people will lose their jobs). Be sure you can see all the “benefits” and “negatives” from your employees’ point of view, not just from management’s. Extreme empathy is called for if your mission and its subsequent changes does result in negative outcomes for some of your workers.

If your company is located in the Pacific Northwest and you’ve a need for highly skilled welding, HVAC/facilities maintenance, carpentry, production, welding and machinery personnel, contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen, Incorporated. We can find skilled workers for you quickly and easily. Contact us today.

As more and more businesses use more and more temporary employees for short- and long-term assignments — as well as in positions critical to a company’s success — managers and human resources departments in businesses throughout the country are learning the importance of motivating these new additions to their workforce.

Here are some tips to help motivate temporary workers.

First of all, treat them with respect. Nothing says “you’re nothing to this company but working fodder” than just throwing them into their new position without so much as a “Hello, I’m Bob, this is Janice who will show  you around. Good luck!”

Instead, aim to introduce the temporary employee around your company. Show him the breakroom, where the bathrooms are. Tell him a bit about your company and his roll within it.

As you introduce your temporary worker, don’t introduce him as “the temp.” A much more professional introduction — and one that will help the individual feel a part of your team — is to tell those to whom you introduce him his name and the position he’ll be filling at your organization.

Work hard to treat your temporary employees as much as possible just as you do your “regular” employees. Keep them apprised of your company’s goals, challenges and how their work fits your vision for the company. Invite your temporary employees to staff and department meetings and share your organization’s announcements and memos with them.

Talk to the temporary employee about his background. Sure, you hired him to work as a draftsman, but if you speak with him you may find that he recently was laid off from a position as an engineer — could you possibly use some of that expertise?! Ask his opinion when appropriate — he may have some terrific ideas and, at the least, you certainly could get a different perspective on how you do your drafting projects.

Basically, the best way to motivate temporary employees is to view them — and use them — as important and valuable assets to your business. Treat them as you treat your “regular” employees and watch the magic happen.

If you’re on the lookout for top-notch talent in carpentry, welding, machinery, production, HVAC/facilities maintenance and other skilled technical trades in the Pacific Northwest, contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen, Incorporated. We can fill your temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire staffing needs with excellent workers who meet — and exceed — your expectations. We look forward to hearing from you.

Work. Often can’t live with it, always can’t live without it (bills gotta be paid, after all).

But stress at work can be a literal killer. Your body produces a large amount of the hormone called cortisol as part of the fight-or-fight reaction to stress. The body can handle only small and infrequent spurts of cortisol at once; stress-filled jobs mean cortisol is coursing through your body, potentially causing all manner of deadly diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, etc.

Stress on the job truly can be hazardous to your health. But a person has to work, right? So here are some tips to help you relax — and cut back on the cortisol — at work and at home.

Take a minute and think of five things for which you are grateful. Gratitude is a very effective way to appreciate your life and turn a bad emotional state into a more positive one. The things for which you are grateful needn’t be “big” or awe inspiring. Simply taking the time to appreciate the fact that it’s a lovely day outside, the work day is over is in just one hour, how much you love peanut butter, how your cat makes you laugh as she chases a crumpled wad of paper — all can go a long way to cleaning your body of anxiety.

Get rid of the clutter around you. Studies have indeed shown that “stuff” can cause stress. A cluttered desk or home makes for a cluttered and jumbled mind. Just the act of putting papers into neat piles on your workspace can go a long way to a calming mindset. Go a step further and take the time to really organize and tidy up your desk. Get rid of paper, folders, items you don’t need. The same goes for your home. Go through closets, the garage, the basement, the spare room — any room! — and get rid of the stuff. You’ll be amazed and pleased how a clean and organized workspace and home fosters a clean and relaxed mind.

Take 30 deep belly breathes. Sit in a chair with your legs apart and place your hands on your stomach. Using your stomach, breathe in slowly through your nose (you’ll know you’re doing it correctly because you’ll feel your stomach expand). Breathe out slowly through your nose, but use some force so that you’ll feel your stomach pull in slightly toward your back. Do this 30 times and, when done, you’ll be pleased at how calm and centered you feel.

Contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated when you’re stressing about finding a great job. We have many terrific assignments at some of the Pacific Northwest’s greatest employers. Contact us today.

Even though the recession is on the wane and the job market is showing signs of recovery, unemployment remains high and is expected to stay high for several months.

Which means that employers will continue to have many hard-working, talented applicants from which to choose.

That’s a good thing, of course, but many desperate job seekers have been applying for just about any position they “feel” they can do, whether or not they truly have the background and skills to do it.

In addition, a resume and interview often can be poor predictors of a candidate’s ultimate ability to perform well in a position and fit in well at your company. As you undoubtedly know, many hires are made by the “heart,” and not the “head,” sometimes resulting in a poor hire.

There are tools that can help you better assess a candidate’s “rightness” for a particular position.

For example, assessment tools exist that can help you match your most talented candidates to the position’s exact requirements. Such a tool allows you to find these top candidates via a job benchmark, thus removing bias and guesswork from your hiring decision.

In addition, many companies offer candidate assessment tools that assess potential employees’ personalities and candidates’ sales and customer service skills. You also can purchase tools that will help you perform pre-employment screenings and background checks, perform 360-degree employee performance evaluations, job simulation tests (in which candidates demonstrate the actual skills needed to perform a position well, and more.

Assessment companies generally will complete an easy-to-understand report and comparison on how a potential employee scores against values, critical thinking skills and top competencies that have been identified as important — or even critical — to success within the position.

When you need terrific technical professionals such as carpenters, electricians, engineers, draftsmen and project managers for your Pacific Northwest company, contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated. We have a broad-based employee pool with terrific skill sets for just about any light or heavy industrial need.

Here are six questions you should never ask a job candidate (and 10 ways you can still get the information you need:

1) Are you a U.S. citizen? Citizenship legally has no bearing on whether someone can work in the U.S. Instead, ask: Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?

2) What religion are you? A candidate’s religious beliefs also have no legal bearing on their ability or ability to do a job. You legitimately may be wondering if their religious practices may preclude them from working nights or weekends, so instead ask: What days are you available to work?

3) What clubs or social organizations are you a member of? Again, this question has absolutely no bearing on a candidate’s ability to do a job and it can reveal too much about a person’s political or religious affiliations. If you were to decide not to hire a candidate based on his or her political/religious membership, you could be sued. A better question to ask is one that’s work related: Do you belong to any trade or professional groups relevant to our industry?

4) How old are you? This question is bad for so many reasons, particularly because you’re setting yourself up for an age-discrimination lawsuit. A better question to ask: Are you over the age of 18?

5) How many years do you have before you plan to retire? Another loaded question. Even if someone appears old to you, she may have 20 years or more before she plans to leave paid work. In fact, she may be planning to never retire. Instead, ask: What are your long-term career goals?

6) Do you have children? Do you plan to have children? Again, what does this question have to do with a candidate’s ability to do the job? How he handles his childcare situation is his responsibility. Far better to ask: This position requires some/considerable travel and overtime. Is that a problem for you?

Madden Industrial Craftsmen, Incorporated provides skilled carpenters, welders, machine and production workers, HVAC/facilities maintenance personnel and other skilled tradesmen to companies doing business in the Pacific Northwest. As a leading staffing agency, we can help you develop a strategic staffing plan to help ensure your company’s fiscal success.

If your company assigns workers jobs in a warehouse of manufacturing facility, here are some safety issues with which you should be concerned:

You should be sure to conduct regular staff training. Warehouse staff tend to do many different types of jobs, rotating among them constantly. Are your staff members certified to handle certain tasks and equipment, if required? Are your forklift and pallet jack drivers tested regularly to ensure they know how to work these machines? Are  your staff members maintaining equipment for safety issues and filling out the necessary  paperwork that proves the equipment is being maintained? What if OSHA were to come calling tomorrow? Would your business be ready?

All of your staff members should know what procedures to follow in case of fire. Do they know the proper evacuation routes and the places outside your building where they are to congregate during an evacuation? Are all of your staff members trained in how to use fire blankets and fire extinguishers? At the very least, do they know where to find these tools?

Are your data sheets from the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) up to date? Cleaning chemicals, forklift gases and engine oil all qualify for assessment. Are your records up to date?

Are your traffic routes in your warehouse or manufacturing facility kept clear at all times? Do you have policies and procedures for keeping your routes for both equipment and people clear of obstruction?

Do you train — and re-train — your employees in the proper way of lifting items? Whenever possible, do you have pallet jacks, fork lifts and other mechanical tools do the heavy lifting for items of 50 pounds or more?

How thorough is your signage? Do you have the proper signs for your employees, visitors, and outside contractors? Do you have enough restrooms as well as break areas for the people who work at your site? Is your warehouse/manufacturing area clean, well-lighted and well-ventilated?

If your company is located in the Pacific Northwest and you’ve a need for highly skilled welding, HVAC/facilities maintenance, carpentry, production, welding and machinery personnel, contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen, Incorporated. We can find skilled workers for you quickly and easily. Contact us today.

If you hire people full time who were unemployed or working only part time and Uncle Sam will reward you with a terrific payroll tax incentive.

President Obama signed the Hiring Incentive to Restore Employment (HIRE) on March 18. If your company qualifies, under the HIRE Act you could receive payroll tax incentive and a general business tax credit.

Just about every business in the U.S. could qualify. All your company needs to be is a “non-governmental entity.” If you’re a U.S., Federal, state or local government organization, you’re out of luck, although even state colleges and universities qualify for the incentive/tax credit.

Hire someone who starts working for you after March 18 but before December 31, 2010 and you may be exempt form paying the 6.2 percent social security tax on wages to paid to qualified employees. Those qualified employees are those who

Payroll Tax Incentive
Under the Act, employers that hire new employees this year may be exempt from paying the 6.2 percent social security tax on wages paid to qualified employees through December 31, 2010. An employee is “qualified” if she: starts work after February 3 and before January 1, 2011; signs an affidavit that he wasn’t employed for more than 40 hours during the previous 60-day period (which ends the date she starts working for you) ; wasn’t hired to replace another employee (unless that other employee left of his own accord or was terminated for cause; and isn’t one of your family members.

You may claim your payroll tax exemption on your federal employment tax return.

As for the general business tax credit, the HIRE Act allows you to receive this tax credit if you retained the employee for at minimum of 52 consecutive weeks and her wages during the last half (26 weeks) of that 52-week period  were at least 80 percent of her wages of the first 26 weeks of the period.

If the employee stays with you for just 50 or even 51 weeks, you cannot claim the general business tax credit.

The credit is equal to the lesser of either $1,000 or 6.2 percent of the wages you paid to the retained worker during the 52 weeks mentioned above.

If you’re on the lookout for top-notch talent in carpentry, welding, machinery, production, HVAC/facilities maintenance and other skilled technical trades in the Pacific Northwest, contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen, Incorporated. We can fill your temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire staffing needs with excellent workers who meet — and exceed — your expectations. We look forward to hearing from you.

We’re sure you’re aware of the changes the Obama administration and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has implemented regarding its shift to a focus on auditing businesses’ I-9 records instead of raiding workplaces to ensure companies are complying with the law.

Just in case you aren’t: it is true — ICE now concentrates on auditing your I-9 forms rather than using workplace raids to ensure all of a business’ employees have the legal right to work in the U.S.

As you know, penalties can be steep; you definitely don’t want to find that you have inaccurate records regarding your employees’ right-to-work documentation.

However, on March 31, ICE announced it’s giving employers a 10-day window to correct minor errors that are found on the I-9 forms during an audit. Minor errors are considered to be small mistakes such as an incorrect birth date or home address.

Still, you would be well advised to check all current employees’ records, as well as records of former employees (those who left less than a year ago), to make sure there are no “substantive errors.” Examples of these are an incorrect citizenship status of an employee or a missing — or incorrect or forged — signature. Penalties for these mistakes can be quite substantial.

So start checking your employee I-9 forms now. You should complete these forms with your employees when they start working for you and you should keep them on file for three years, or for one year after an employee leaves your firm, whichever comes later.

Do you have a question regarding I-9 compliance? Contact Madden Industrial Craftsman Incorporated today. We stay on top of all compliance requirements that ICE, OSHA and other U.S. agencies continually present to companies. In fact, we are the ones required to keep the I-9 forms of the temporary employees we send you because we’re their employer; you don’t need to worry about ICE audits at all.

Companies continue to search for new ways to become more nimble and thrive in a tough economy.  In Part 1 of this series we shared three ways companies are using staffing to contain costs, reduce risks and increase flexibility.

Today, I’d like to share a few ideas to help you save time and grow your business:

Saving Time
Time may be the most precious commodity in business. The time you spend finding and administering employees is time away from critical job concerns.  Here a few ways staffing firms can relieve your hiring and managing burden:

• Hiring Process–Staffing companies that offer direct placement services can substantially reduce or eliminate the time you spend advertising, screening, interviewing, testing, and reference checking.

• Training–Because staffing firms have access to temporary employees with the skills you need, you’ll spend less time training new personnel. Often, staffing companies have training programs their temporary employees can use to sharpen their skills before they begin their assignment with you.

• Payroll Administration–When you use temporary employees, the staffing firm is responsible for the time-intensive tasks of processing and administering payroll and benefits.

• Non-Critical Activities–Outsourcing non-critical departments or activities to a staffing company with the necessary expertise can free up your employees’ time and lead to improved performance.

Growing your business
Businesses either grow and prosper or stagnate and fail. Staffing can play an important role in facilitating new growth concepts and supporting demands created by an organization’s success.  Here a few ways strategic staffing can help:

• New Ideas–Before you commit to hiring direct staff to implement a new concept, you can test your idea with temporary employees. These temporaries can assume a direct role, or they can fill in for your staff members involved with testing the new idea.

• Rapid Growth–A staffing organization can act as an adjunct to your human resources department. By taking the time to learn and understand your business, they can help you recruit temporary employees and direct hires who will succeed in your work environment.

• Knowledge Infusion–Staffing firms allow you to bring in the expertise you need on a short-term basis. These experts, especially temporary technical and professional staff, can also teach new skills to direct employees in your organization.

If you would like more ideas on how to save time and grow your business please give us a call.  As one of the leading staffing agencies in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, we can help develop a strategic staffing plan to help ensure your success.