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.

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.

Jim – Procurement/Buyer – Jim recently completed an assignment with a large, international manufacturer where he was responsible for purchasing raw materials, parts, and supplies.  He has an extensive background in the procurement field having worked for a number of large, well-known companies in the past where he was responsible for determining the appropriate vendor, negotiating the costs, and overseeing logistics.  He has good work history and is looking for a long-term or contact position currently. 

 Walt – Civil Engineer –  Walt has an extensive background in civil engineering and holds the Professional Engineer designation.  Walt has experience with wastewater collection, treatment and disposal, design of storm water systems for quality and quantity, and he has done computer modeling of hydrologic systems including reservoirs, drainage basins and localized drainage. He has also done land-use projects including both residential and commercial, as well as storm water quality and quantity analysis, water and wastewater system design, streets and sidewalks and utility systems design. Walt is available to start right away.

 Kathy – Human Resources Manager – Kathy has eight year’s experience as an HR Generalist having worked as a Human Resources Manager at two manufacturing companies in the past.  In her past positions, Kathy was responsible for all human resources functions.  She is experienced in creating new programs and improving existing processes.  If you are looking for an HR professional with a strong manufacturing background, please contact us to find out more. 

 Paul – Pipe-welder/fitter – Paul is an experienced pipe-welder and fitter.  He is certified in a number of different processes and has a strong background in shipyard welding.  He has run crews of up to 20 people.  Paul can get results for you day-one – give us a call to find out more about his skills.

 Jeff – HVAC Installer – Jeff has a strong background with residential and commercial HVAC installation and maintenance.  He has done new construction as well as retrofit.  In addition, he has experience working with radiant heat systems.  He also has been the lead person in a number of his past positions.  Jeff is looking for a new opportunity and would be a great addition to a company.