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Chem majors Raychem's name comes from the phrase "radiation chemistry," the technology that led to the company's 1957 founding and to its first products. Radiation chemistry uses high-energy radiation to change the molecular structure of substances to enable them to withstand a vast range of environmental extremes. Segmentation As time wore on, Raychem's business ventures branched out considerably. Currently, the company draws on its expertise in material science to design, manufacture, and support products in three main business segments. Electronics OEM Components manufactures circuit protection devices and other products for computers, aerospace, defense, and a host of other industries. The Telecommunications, Energy & Industrial division focuses on infrastructure - enhancing products such as copper and fiber cable, as well as offering installation and repair services. The third area, ELO Touchsystems, develops computer touchscreen technology. Patently successful Raychem's current product line also includes items such as electromagnetic protection products, wire harnessing systems for the transportation industry, circuit protection devices, and heat-tracing systems. Little wonder that Raychem holds more than 900 U.S. and 3100 foreign patents. By strengthening its existing markets and developing new ones, Raychem has recently been able to reach record levels of revenue. The company racked up over $1 billion in foreign sales last year, accounting for about 57 percent of its total. The jury's still out In spite of increased revenue for the year, Raychem's net income declined nearly 30 percent in 1998. Financial returns continued to dip through the second quarter of fiscal 1999, but are expected to rebound to some degree in every business segment after the institution of a streamlining program. Raychem's recent fortunes have otherwise been rather mixed. In October 1998 a jury in Los Angeles awarded rival Bournes Inc. $64 million (to be trebled at the end of the appeals process) for fraudulent patent acquisition and anticompetitive business practices. Better news for Raychem, however, came in the form of a $90 million cable accessory supply contract with British telecom concern BT.
Raychem's employment page, located at www.raychem.com/emp/empx.htm, gives information about the kinds of positions available at the company and the degrees necessary for each. Most positions require a B.S. or M.S., usually in the relevant field of engineering. Raychem also offers entry-level opportunities in financial analysis, sales, or marketing management for those with business-related degrees. The Web site gives a brief decription of the company's extensive internship program (internships are offered in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, marketing, finance, accounting, manufacturing, and research and development). Raychem draws new employees from "a combination of job fairs, university recruitment, direct applications from want ads and the company's job listings, and people that the employees know personally." Campus recruiting, however, is "somewhat down from past years." Interviews "are pretty casual for the most part," but can be stressful depending on the area and the level of the position. There is "no company-wide policy on how to conduct the interview process." In general, it begins with a meeting or a phone conversation with the hiring manager, which if successful is followed by a full schedule of interviews with "the hiring manager [again], key people from his department, and a few people from other departments that he works closely with in cross-functional project teams." Each interview lasts from 30 to 50 minutes, and is intended to address both personal and technical ability. Questions may probe a candidate's congeniality, outside interests, and ability to work on a team. On the technical side, "they want to know if you are intelligent, if you know your subject matter, and if you can be creative and innovative." Advises a source, "Be prepared to describe a project that you worked on in detail. Some candidates, especially for research positions, give seminars on a thesis or a paper they've written. Whether in a group or one-on-one, the idea is to see if you are able to communicate what it is to someone who is unfamiliar with the subject. If you can get your ideas across, that goes a long way. If you have difficulty explaining yourself, that's a problem." Applicants are also warned to "be prepared to talk in more detail about the things you mention on your resume." It is also advantageous "if you give examples of original thinking, or problem solving, or something creative." Additionally, "excessive jargon should be avoided - don't try to impress people with big words, unless a smaller word won't capture the meaning accurately." Those who meet all these challenges "get a call from the hiring manager with an offer."
An open bureaucracy Longtime employees note a growing trend of bureaucracy at Raychem. Says one, "Our company is undergoing many structural changes in order to keep costs down and efficiencies up. This often translates to a dehumanized work atmosphere, where people are just pieces of the business." Agrees another, "Upper management is distant from the rank-and-file. Quarterly progress meetings are often political statements; they do not address real problems in an honest and candid manner. Employees are not likely to hear about bad news until it is unavoidable. Not surprisingly, rumors abound." On the other hand, the well-developed corporate structure affords ample room to move up the ranks. Explains one insider, "Employees are free to grow professionally as fast as their initiative and skill allows them. There is always more work to be done than people to do it, and if you show that you can handle new types of assignments and challenges, you will keep getting more." Getting along Raychem offers a "relaxed working environment," where it is "fine to take breaks and to talk with people about weekend plans, job issues, or whatever, as long as you are also productive." There is a "professional attitude between supervisors and subordinates and between coworkers." Moreover, "problems are usually discussed in a dispassionate, factual way - without bickering, quarreling, shouting, or belittling." People on different levels of "the food chain" refer to one another "by first name." Insiders are also pleased with the perks, which include "two weeks vacation a year starting out." Additionally, the company "lets you put 20 percent of your pay into your 401(k) and [pays] for any continuing education classes you might want to take." Raychem "overpays in general," although "yearly raises have been low in the last few years as company profits have declined."
Human Resources P.O. Box 920161 Los Angeles CA 90009-2016 (310) 337-3379
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