In the AEC business, recruiting isn’t just about finding people; it’s about becoming the kind of firm people want to join.
Building your team with the best talent is one of the primary jobs of management. If you are a principal or manager in an AEC firm who is struggling to get the very best people you want, you need to read this. And if this offends you, it probably applies to you!
- If you “can’t find good people,” you’re not a good place to work. Talent hasn’t disappeared. It’s just avoiding you. The market is giving you feedback – listen to it.
- Most AEC firms don’t have a recruiting problem – they have a leadership problem. Weak leaders repel strong people. People leave bad leaders. No amount of HR effort fixes bad principals and ineffective managers.
- Stop blaming the labor market. That’s lazy. Great firms are hiring right now. If they can do it and you can’t, the difference isn’t the market – it’s you.
- If ownership is vague or “someday,” candidates hear “never.” Engineers and architects aren’t stupid. If no one under 50 owns stock, your ownership story is probably BS. Better create some examples you can point to.
- Underpaying staff while demanding loyalty is insulting. Loyalty follows fairness and opportunity – not speeches. People leave when they realize the math doesn’t work. And if there are huge gaps in salaries between the partners and principals versus everyone else, everyone else will find that out.
- If principals won’t recruit, they’re coasting. Owners who don’t sell – to clients and candidates – aren’t building a firm. They’re just harvesting one.
- Your managers are your biggest recruiting liability. Bad managers drive away more talent than low salaries ever will. If you keep promoting technical bullies, expect turnover.
- Slow decisions tell candidates you’re weak. Indecision is leadership cowardice. Strong firms decide. Weak firms stall. Guess which ones attract strong people.
- If your firm isn’t growing profitably, stop pretending recruiting will save you. People don’t join sinking ships. If you aren’t committed to both growth and profitability – and demonstrating that with your performance – you are going to have a problem getting the best people to work for your company. Fix the business first – or accept second-tier talent.
- Recruiting exposes what your firm really is. Candidates see through the brochures, slogans, and “culture” talk. Sure you have casual Fridays and birthday celebrations with cake for everyone, but big deal. What candidates experience during hiring is what they believe – and usually they’re right.
In the AEC business, recruiting isn’t about finding people. It’s about becoming the kind of firm people want to join. Most firms won’t do the hard work required – so they complain instead.
The firms that win the talent war:
- Pay fairly
- Decide quickly
- Promote from within
- Share ownership
- Demand strong leadership
Everyone else gets what’s left!
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Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com. |