Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated

How do you retain your employees after you hire them and prevent high employee turnover?

These are problems faced by all sizes of business.  You need to anticipate what kind of turnover you might have, but it’s a hard thing to do.  For that reason, the recruiting process should be ongoing.

Turnover also has its advantages – new people bring in new and innovative ideas.  But you need to keep in mind that excessive turnover is usually a sign of some fundamental problem with the business and so steps should be taken to address the problem.

Turnover also has a financial cost to the company – estimates of the total cost of employee turnover range from 50 percent to 150 percent of an employee’s annual salary.

Turnover is usually more of a problem with blue-collar and younger employees.  One way to reduce turnover is to offer incentives to stay with the company.  These can include such things as  more vacation time, flex time, job sharing and wellness time.

It’s also important that company leaders share with employees the vision and direction of the  company and communicate with employees the benefits of staying with the company.

It’s also important for the company to understand the reasons for turnover.  Companies have set up different ways of doing this, including exit interviews for employees leaving the company, employee surveys, employee focus groups, and post-employment interviews.

To reduce the amount of turnover, some companies have modified their compensation packages, while others have made changes to their interviewing process.  They are focusing on the fit between the person and company.  Does the candidate share the values and goals of the company?  Some companies are emphasizing career development more.  They have ongoing career development programs, tuition reimbursement programs and skills training to try and retain workers.

Other businesses have become more employee oriented in an effort to retain workers.  They actively try to engage employees and get them involved in ideas for improving the company.  They let employees know they have a voice within the company.  In addition, the companies emphasize recognition of employees.

Also, companies are working on compensation packages that include long-term incentive compensation and bonuses.  They are being more creative with their compensation to retain employees.

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.

There is an extensive array of regulations and laws in the United States designed to protect people from discrimination in employment.  Because the laws are so numerous, it may be confusing as to what questions are acceptable to ask during an interview.

When interviewing, it is important to keep in mind that questions should pertain only to the candidate’s ability to do the job in question.

Here are some brief guidelines to follow regarding the areas to avoid when interviewing job candidates:

First, questions about an applicant’s age should be avoided because the laws prohibit discrimination based on age.  The only pertinent information is whether or not an applicant is old enough to do the job.

Questions involving an applicant’s family situation are also not allowable.  For example, questions about a person’s marital status, living companions, and children are off limits.

Concerning race or ethnic origin, the only legitimate question to ask is whether the applicant is legally authorized to work in the United States.

Also, to prevent discrimination based on past criminal activities, questions regarding past arrests are prohibited as well.  However, the employer can ask about criminal activity if it relates to the job opening.  For example, an employer is entitled to know about past record of embezzlement if a person is applying for a job at a bank.

All questions relating to an applicant’s racial or religious background are illegal.

Also, it is not permissible to ask about an applicant’s affiliations with any organizations.  However, an employer may ask if an applicant belongs to any organizations that the person considers relevant to their ability to perform the job.  This usually concerns professional groups.

Personal questions involving height and weight should also be avoided – unless they relate  to the applicant’s ability to perform the job in question.

Another area that an employer needs to be aware of is the legal guidelines relating to disabilities. Any questions about a person’s disability, health, or worker’s compensation history are illegal on their own.  So, for example, you cannot ask if a person has a disability or if they have had any recent illnesses or operations.  You cannot require them to fill out a medical questionnaire.

But you can ask about the applicant’s ability to perform the job in question adequately or specific functions of the job.  And you may test the applicant to see if he or she can perform the job, with or without any special accommodation.

You may also require the person to take a medical exam, but only after a job offer has been made.

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.

Ah, the performance review. Few like giving them; fewer enjoy receiving them. Still, objective performance criteria can go a long way toward achieving your company’s business goals.

Here are some tips to help you create performance objectives which will help make the performance review process go much more smoothly and happily for everyone.

Make sure your objectives are measurable. Just about every objective can be measured, either by quantity or quality. Decide how you will measure your objectives. For quantifiable (countable) objectives, what kind of “numbers” will you use? are the benchmarks you will use? For the more esoteric (quality) objectives, decide on the different types of benchmarks you’ll use to measure performance. You’ll need to decide what kind of data you will use to measure employee performance and you’ll want to be sure it will provide you and your employees ongoing feedback regarding their performance.

Be specific. What do you really want your employees to achieve? Look beyond actions and focus on results. Being specific makes your objectives clear to your workers and helps keep confusion and disputes to a minimum. If your objectives are complex, aim to break them down into specific sub-objectives. This helps employees focus their efforts on achieving the specific results you seek.

Who is accountable for your performance objectives? Some objectives may be the responsibility of managers, who then should set objectives for line workers. For example, if a foreman is responsible for making sure so many widgets are produced in three months, he’ll want to be sure he creates performance objectives for his team members that  include seeing that those widgets are produced.

Are your objectives realistic? Taking the example above, can your employees make X number of widgets in three months? Efficient businesses know that performance objectives link back to the company’s strategy and business plan. You should set objectives that make your employees stretch and keep them challenged, but your objectives should be attainable.

Speaking of strategy, be sure your performance objectives relate to your company’s business plan and overall goals. Good performance objectives start with the “end in mind.” That is, they create a link between what individual employees are expected to do with the ultimate goal of the company. All objectives should be alignment with at least one other.

Deadlines are gold. Set time frames in performance objectives; deadlines help employees focus.

Contact Madden Industrial Craftsmen Incorporated for top-notch employees eager to meet your objectives. Whether you need industrial workers on a temporary, temp-to-hire or direct-hire basis, we will meet or exceed your objectives every time.

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.

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.

Even though some positive economic signs begin to emerge, these three goals will still ring true for nearly every business throughout the country.

Through using a planned approach to staffing, companies are saving an average of roughly 10% (and in some cases up to 30%) of labor costs with temporary staffing and reducing financial risk.  Here are some ways you can have similar results:

Better Contain Costs
All businesses need to control expenses. When used effectively, staffing services can save far more than they cost. Staffing solutions can reduce overhead and manage operating costs in several areas:

• Fixed Expenses–By using temporary employees for special projects or during peak workload periods, you get the experience and skills you need without increasing your fixed payroll costs.
• Benefit Expenses–Using staffing services can limit your benefit expenses. Most temporary employees receive only limited benefits paid by the staffing firm.
• Overtime Costs–By using temporary employees, you can reduce the amount of overtime you pay your direct staff.
• Unemployment Claims–Because staffing companies provide temporary employees, none of the unemployment claims affect your rating.
• Reduce Your Financial Risk – Staffing firms can help your business thrive by reducing the risks inherent in hiring and human resource management:
• Bad Hires–All hiring decisions are risky because bad ones are so costly. To help protect yourself, consider a temp-to-hire option to try out a new employee. If you’re pleased with the temporary employee’s performance, you can offer him or her a direct position. If you’re not, you can terminate the assignment without consequence.
• Burnout–As the workload increases, tension in the workplace rises, and so do absenteeism, workers’ compensation claims, and the need for more management. Adding temporary employees during peak work periods can help relax the demand on your direct staff.
• Legal Issues–Staffing firms are well-versed in employment law, so they comply with all federal, state, and local regulations. They can also help ensure that you’re following non-discriminatory hiring practices.
• Layoffs–By using temporary employees on an as needed basis, companies that experience frequent variations in workload can reduce or eliminate the need to lay off direct personnel during slow periods.
• Increase Flexibility – Today’s organizations are challenged to meet market demands quickly, without committing to long-term expense. Staffing firms can provide the support and expertise you need to get your work done within time and budget constraints.  Temporary employees are an ideal answer to situations with short-term staffing requirements, including special projects, seasonal work, vacation and maternity leaves, and tight deadlines.

Improve Operating Efficiency
Business functions outside of your core competencies can be outsourced to staffing companies. Outsourcing normally translates to decreased expense and increased efficiency.

Overcome Hiring Restrictions
If your company has instituted a hiring freeze, temporary employees can help you with the workload without increasing your direct hire headcount.

In Part II of this series, we’ll cover a few additional tips on driving performance and lowering cost in your organization.  In the meantime, if you would discuss any of these topics in more detail please contact Madden Industrial today!