Compensation benchmarking for Sand Casting Foundries: why moulders on similar work earn different pay
Sand foundry wages are often fixed by habit and paid in cash. Benchmarking makes the pay logic visible, so people on similar work stop earning very different amounts without a reason.
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Share your requirementsWhy compensation benchmarking matters in sand casting foundries
Pay in a small sand foundry grows by favour. One moulder asked for a raise in a good year, another did not. A newer worker was hired at a higher rate to fill a gap, and now earns more than his senior. Nobody can explain the differences, and word still travels on the floor. Some people leave when they learn what a colleague earns, others sulk and slow down.
Start by listing every person with their role, years of service, skills and current pay including cash allowances. Check what comparable foundries nearby pay for moulders, core makers, sand plant staff and pouring crew. Then create simple bands for each trade with steps for skill and responsibility. Place each person in a band, fix the worst gaps first, and write down the rules for moving up so that pay talks are less personal.
How to set it up
1. Make a full list of current pay
Record each person, role, years in the unit, what they can do and every payment they receive, including cash and extras. Note who has never had a raise.
2. Group people by real work
Put hand moulders, core makers, sand plant staff, pouring crew and fettlers in separate groups. Within each, mark the people who can do the harder or heavier jobs alone.
3. Compare with nearby foundries
Gather pay ranges from comparable sand foundries and small engineering shops in your area. We would look at how pay varies by skill, and not only by job title or age.
4. Create bands and steps
For each trade set a lower and upper pay and two or three steps linked to skills you can observe. Keep the rules short enough to explain at the gate.
5. Place people and plan the gaps
Fit each person into a band, note who sits far above or below, and phase corrections over a few cycles. Use benchmark findings to explain changes calmly.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- List moulders with similar skills and compare what each is paid
- Check which people have had no pay change in the last two years
- Ask your accountant how much cash pay sits outside any written record
- Note which recent hires started above the pay of an existing, equal worker
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach compensation benchmarking in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
No. The aim is a reason for every difference. Pay can vary by skill step, tenure or responsibility, as long as the rule is written and applied the same way.
Speak to your accountant about moving it into a proper record in a planned way. We do not give legal advice, but a clear, documented pay structure is easier to defend and to explain to workers.
Some at first. People who sit low will ask. Prepare an answer for each case, with a step they can reach and the timeline. Showing the path is better than refusing the request outright.