My last article, “Standards of Performance for Smarties,” talked about writing Standards of Performance (SOP). Although an SOP uses a job description for guidance, it’s actually a performance measurement document that identifies the employee’s expected level of...

Writing Standards of Performance (SOP) isn’t like writing a job description, but a job description should be used for guidance. SOP is a performance measurement document that identifies the employee’s expected level of performance. When you have a realistic SOP, your employee and...

In a prior life, many moons ago, I experienced different programs when it came to employee reviews and evaluations. Some were formalized, and others happened only when you had enough guts to ask your boss for a raise. Two companies that I worked for had programs which stood out in my mind as...

Before you get the wrong impression—No, I don’t think remote designers are evil, just that some employers are still reluctant to accept them as a viable option. Going beyond the question of if you will use remote designers, let’s get to the reason you should so you can embrace...

The Glass Ceiling is not just a gender or education-based obstacle, it can sometimes be created by career path choices. In our industry, a new Glass Ceiling is coming from Truss Designers deciding to pursue a Home-Based (Remote) position. By remote, we’re talking about at least 4 hours...

At the beginning of this year, the job opportunities JobLine had were mostly for in-office designers. Some employers were looking ahead to the summer rush and made a few proactive remote designer hires in March, but only a few. As the season approached, more remote options were on the table,...

Back in 2006, we created a compensation calculator using data gained since we started recruiting back in 1992. Multiple factors go into determining total compensation and we have calculators for Truss Designers, Sales Reps, and General Managers in the Truss Manufacturing Industry. Every year, we...

With remote going viral and people jumping into it without knowing all of the trade-offs, it’s time to start a conversation about the good, the bad, and everything in between. Let me know what you would add to the following lists, and send me your opinions about working remotely. Some...

I saw an unexpected jump in the spectrum of employers asking for remote truss designers this year. In 2015–16, some of the big companies were looking for remote designers, but not many smaller companies. Smaller clients didn’t feel that they had the resources to manage the process...

Oregon is one of the strongest building markets in the country, and Oregon Truss is preparing for the next chapter of our future. Thanks to our founder Wayne Beebe’s foresight to plan for expansion, we have a brand new factory that enables us to maintain normal lead times while our...