TZL 1421

TZL 1421

Decembe r 27, 202 1 , I s sue 1 42 1 W W W . Z W E I G G R O U P . C O M

T R E N D L I N E S

Primary work location

A look back at 2021 – and ahead to 2022 – through the lyrics of Billy Joel. We didn’t start this fire either

Zweig Group asked more than 10,000 employees in its Best Firms To Work For survey where their primary work location was in the first half of 2021. Overall, 48 percent of employees said they worked primarily at the office , 43 percent said they worked primarily at home , and the remaining 9 percent worked primarily in the field . When analyzed by department, the focus on field work for those with construction- related roles is evident relative to other roles. Participate in a survey and save 50 percent on the final or pre- publication price of any Zweig Group research publication.

E verything I know about the second half of the 20th century I learned from Billy Joel and his 1989 hit “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” In the space of four minutes, he chronicled four decades of world events. With apologies to one of my favorite artists, here is a look back on just one year – 2021. Within Billy Joel’s other lyrics we can also find inspiration for 2022. ■ ■ The pandemic. Pfizer and Moderna, variants and mutant strains. Second wave, third wave, booster shots, and mask mandates. A year ago, a COVID tsunami was breaking. Then case numbers plunged throughout the spring and early summer, helped by vaccines and social measures. By June, it felt like we were approaching a “return to normal.” Cue the delta variant. Cases spiked again in August and September. As I write this, omicron is dominating headlines. We’ve been living with a persistent undercurrent of existential dread for almost two years now. AEC firms have done a remarkable job adapting, and business by and large has been very good. These are still not normal times, however, as tempting as it is to think otherwise. “I took the good times; I’ll take the bad times; I’ll take you just the way you are,” from “Just The Way You Are,” 1977 Zweig Group surveys AEC employees for its annual Best Firms To Work For Award. 2020 results represented the high-water mark for positive employee sentiment of their firms’ communications efforts. Our 2021 survey results clearly indicated that employers retreated to old habits. We continue to beat our drum on this topic. Frequent, consistent, insightful communication about the state of affairs may have been “extra necessary” in 2020. It is no less important today than it was a year ago. To the firm leaders reading this: Don’t take your foot off the communication pedal. Keep talking to your company. ■ ■ The industry. Return to office, Zoom fatigue, record backlog, steady fees. Talent shortage, rising costs, infrastructure bill proceeds. AEC firms will record excellent year-end financial results.

Tom Godin

F I R M I N D E X MD Architects ........................................................ 12

Pennoni Associates..............................................4

Svigals + Partners................................................. 6

Ware Malcomb ........................................................4

MO R E A R T I C L E S n JOSEPH SPADEA: Technology as a differentiator Page 3 n Stand for something: Jay Brotman Page 6 n LUCAS HAYDEN: Command of >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12

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