TZL 1327 (web)

T R E N D L I N E S J a n u a r y 1 3 , 2 0 2 0 , I s s u e 1 3 2 7 W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M

Benefits strategies

“For those of you running AEC firms – if I were you, I’d focus on recruiting in 2020.” Focus on recruiting in 2020

F I R M I N D E X Chicago Design Network. .....................12 Derck & Edson, LLC. ............................10 GLY Construction....................................8 Pennoni. .................................................8 VHB........................................................4 Ware Malcomb......................................10 MO R E A R T I C L E S xz MICHAEL CARRAGHER: Priorities for employee-owned companies Page 3 xz BRIDGET SHANE: Nice girls can finish first, too Page 5 xz Doing what’s right for the client Page 6 xz JANE LAWLER SMITH: Personalize your marketing Page 9 xz LEO MACLEOD: Testing leadership Page 11 In Zweig Group’s 2019 Best Performing Firms in the AEC Industry Report , benefit strategies were analyzed between industry norms and the highest- performing firms. Paid time off created an interesting divide while comparing these best performing firms to all other firms. Seventy-seven percent of fast growth firms and 83 percent of very high profit firms allowed their employees to take unearned PTO on credit, outpacing the industry standard of 65 percent. Additionally, these best performing firms are more likely to buy back unused PTO from their employees at the end of the fiscal year relative to the rest of the industry. Different strategies work for different firms with regards to PTO, but it’s important to continuously weigh the options as the years progress. Participate in a survey and save $320 on any Zweig Group research publication. Visit bit.ly/TZLsp to learn more.

F or those of you running architecture and engineering and environmental consulting firms – if I were you, I’d focus on recruiting in 2020. We are absolutely in the midst of a battle – a battle to hire the people we need to do the work our clients are asking us to do. And the people shortage that was predicted for years is well underway. But let’s be honest, we can’t use just anyone. Besides technical and/or design competence, we desperately need people who have good communication skills – people who can write reports, give instructions, develop proposals, make presentations, communicate through email, and more. And we need people who work well with others. Little we do as companies is a one-person effort. Egos have to be kept in check. Emotional intelligence is crucial. So, how best to find and actually hire these outstanding people who will succeed in whatever roles we need them in? Here are my thoughts on how AEC firms can make it happen: ❚ ❚ Have a budget for recruiting. Stop thinking you are going to be able to make serious inroads to solving what your top management keeps saying is their biggest single problem without committing any financial resources to solving it. Look at what businesses in other industries spend on recruiting and then look at AEC firms. We spend a fraction of what is needed to actually solve this problem. We have to have a budget and it has to be realistic. And yes, you CAN afford it. We see the profitability’s day return on equity of firms in the AEC business today and it’s high. Spend what has to be spent. ❚ ❚ Assign one person to manage the process firm-wide. This is one of the keys to an effective hiring effort. You need one person driving the process – someone who is super-responsive, and someone who can really sell. Having ONE person manage the process ensures all of the steps are taken and that legal compliance is maintained. A consistent process is also more likely to yield consistent results. And this person needs to review all offers and offer letters. I cannot overemphasize, however, that you don’t want a bureaucrat in this job. You need someone with a zeal for recruiting. It has to be someone who “gets it” and who helps the individual managers with needs get those jobs filled. ❚ ❚ Create a candidate >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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