As we just wrapped up our annual AEC TalentMAX conference, where hundreds of AEC talent acquisition, development, and knowledge management professionals gathered to explore what is working right now to build a stronger team, we’re devoting this issue to some tips to help you improve recruiting, engagement, and development of your professionals.
See something here you want more info on or maybe even a tip that you just completely disagree with, let me know!
Employee referrals are still your best source of leads, so pay more for them.
Some firms are (happily) paying $10k+ employee referral fees for key positions. Your employees are your best ambassadors for the brand and often have the strongest intel on who might be a good fit. Create a scale where you pay more for higher-level positions. Remember, you only pay if you hire them (and they stick around...most firms wait 90+ days to pay the referral fee).
Professional development programs aren’t optional anymore.
Top talent is looking at how you can help them grow (and, now more than ever, you don’t have 20 years to create a 20-year professional). Even more important, one-size-fits-all training programs just aren’t enough anymore. Employees want to see exactly where they are and what their growth track looks like. More firms are leaning in on this to upgrade their corporate universities to reflect more growth tracks, more learning formats, and more opportunities to leverage this program as a recruiting tool. Shout about it loud and proud on social media and your firm’s Careers page.
Don’t just use your recruiters for recruiting.
More and more firms are hiring in-house recruiters and finding tremendous success with this approach. But in-house recruiters shouldn’t just sit on their hands until they get a job requisition. Top firms are tapping into their recruiters to translate business goals into hiring needs, coach technical staff on being brand ambassadors at industry events, and lift the candidate experience.
If your job posts are more about what you need than what they’ll gain, that might be the problem.
More and more firms are hiring in-house recruiters and finding tremendous success with this approach. But, in-house recruiters shouldn’t just sit on their hands until they get a job requisition. Top firms are tapping into their recruiters to translate business goals into hiring needs, coach technical staff on being brand ambassadors at industry events, and lift the candidate experience.
Knowledge management is a risk management tool for generational transition.
As senior leaders, principals, and technical experts retire, they take with them decades of institutional knowledge. Much of that knowledge isn't documented in project files or procedure manuals. It lives in relationships, judgment, lessons learned, and an understanding of how the firm operates. Every ownership transition plan focuses on transferring stock. Every leadership transition plan focuses on transferring authority. But the firms that transition most successfully also focus on transferring knowledge.