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Focusing on the value of packaging professionals

As packaging professionals, most of us have to deal with the process of hiring new talent at some point in time. We will have to identify a candidate, make an offer, and persuade our candidate to accept.

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So why is it that when it comes down to determining the new hire’s compensation, we let the candidate’s previous employer set our salary rate?

When we’re helping a client place a position, like a packaging engineer for instance, almost every time discussion turns to the salary offer, I’m asked the question, “What does the candidate earn now?” The client then proceeds to offer that packaging engineer five to ten percent more.

Don’t get me wrong, this is obviously an essential piece of the equation, and it helps to put things in perspective. But I think this shouldn’t be weighed to heavily in determining a new hire’s worth.
What candidates earn now in the packaging industry has little to do with the value they’ll bring in the future. As the saying goes: “That was then, this is now.”

Ask yourself these questions when determining a new hire’s worth:

What is your company’s total payroll as a percentage of revenue?

What should this new (or replacement) position’s share of payroll be?

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