In every truss plant, there are three main arteries: the Truss Design Department, Production & Operations, and Sales. While all are vital, the design department is where everything begins—and where you need to keep your pulse. The production floor will build what shows up on their...

Truss manufacturers rely heavily on skilled and experienced professionals, especially truss designers. Yet, retaining these technical workers is a common challenge. Here’s what we have learned over the past few years on why truss designers often leave their jobs, focusing on the most...

This month I’d like to discuss something that’s causing quite a stir in the component industry: how software suppliers are handling the explosion of remote work, and the sometimes blurry line between different types of designers – including their own design centers. The...

People often ask what makes The JobLine unique compared to other industry recruiters. It’s a straightforward question, but the answer is far from simple. While most recruiters rely heavily on resumes to gauge a candidate’s fit, The JobLine takes a completely different approach....

Past articles by Thom and myself have discussed some of the things that make The JobLine stand out from other recruiters. In fact, Thom’s article in this issue also focuses on what makes us different. But, I’d like to shed a more personal light on this difference by sharing my own...

Design teams are made up of people, and as we know, people can drive profits or create costly errors. When your design team is a mix of seasoned and newer individuals, and you add off-shore or subcontract service providers, understanding their individual skill levels becomes essential. Do you...

JobLine periodically updates our compensation calculator, and while I expect some surprises, this time, I was truly taken aback. Recent candidates have reported significantly higher compensation at their previous employers than we’ve seen for job postings. I’ve attributed this to...

Continuing the discussion from my column last month, “The JobLine in Canada, eh,” I thought it would be worthwhile to look at some of the pluses and minuses of using an outside recruiter. Your company or location may have its own resources to use when filling truss and component...

Since I began my column here in July 2022, you’ve gotten to know me as a truss and component designer who happens to live in Canada. Over the months since then, I’ve focused on many design considerations, including “Cost-Saving Measures and Memorable Debacles,”...

For over 30 years, I’ve been placing truss designers with companies for full and part-time employment. In all of that time, I have not placed 1099 subcontractors. Back in the day, this included candidates looking for a remote job, who were out of work, or who simply wanted to make a little...