Top AEC workplaces stand out because employees can see a clear connection between strong performance, growth, recognition, and reward.
Every year, Zweig Group's Best Firms To Work For Award recognizes AEC firms that have created exceptional employee experiences. But I've always been interested in what separates the very best firms from everyone else. So, I took a closer look at this year's employee survey data, comparing the top 10 Best Firms To Work For with all other participating firms.
I expected some of the largest differences to show up in areas we associate with workplace culture – work-life balance, benefits, relationships with coworkers, or pride in the firm. That's not what stood out.
Instead, many of the largest gaps centered on the relationship between performance and reward. Employees at the top 10 firms were substantially more positive about how their firms connect performance with compensation and reward.
But compensation was only part of the pattern. Some of the other largest differences involved professional development and accountability. Taken together, these results suggest that the best workplaces aren't simply places where employees are happier. They're places where performance matters.
Reward strong performance
It's tempting to look at the compensation results and conclude that the top 10 simply pay their employees more, but the survey doesn't tell us that.
What it does tell us is that employees at the top 10 Best Firms are more satisfied with how their firms reward them. Some of the largest gaps involve compensation for extraordinary effort, the frequency and amount of bonuses and raises, and whether compensation reflects workload, ability, and performance.
There's an important distinction between paying people and rewarding performance. Every employee gets a paycheck. What employees want to understand is what happens when they grow their skills, take on more responsibility, or go above and beyond. Does anything change? At the best firms, employees seem more likely to believe the answer is yes.
If greater contribution doesn't produce greater opportunity and reward, employees will notice. The top 10 do a better job of making that connection visible.
Develop stronger performers
Rewarding great performance only works if you're also helping people become great performers. Mentoring, training, coaching, career growth, and professional development all show meaningful separation between the top 10 and other participating firms. The frequency of mentoring and training are among the larger gaps in the survey.
That word – frequency – matters.
Most firms can point to a training or mentorship program. Nearly every firm will tell employees that professional development is important. But do employees actually experience these opportunities consistently?
A mentorship program on paper isn't the same thing as being mentored. A training budget isn't the same thing as regularly learning new skills. An annual performance review isn't the same thing as receiving ongoing coaching.
The best firms turn development from an organizational promise into an employee experience. If you're going to tell employees that performance determines opportunity and reward, you also have an obligation to give them the tools to improve that performance.
Employees should understand what excellent performance looks like. They should receive feedback on where they stand, have access to resources that help them improve, and see a path toward greater responsibility. And when they perform at a higher level, there should be a meaningful outcome.
The best firms develop people, recognize improvement, and reward performance.
Manage performance consistently
Perhaps the most interesting finding has nothing to do with compensation or benefits. Employees at top 10 firms are considerably more likely to say that sub-par work is addressed. At first glance, that might seem like an odd characteristic of a great workplace. It shouldn't.
Think about what happens when an organization rewards its highest performers but ignores poor performance. The people who notice first are often the best employees. They're the ones picking up unfinished work, correcting mistakes, dealing with unhappy clients, or carrying more of the load. They're also being sent a contradictory message: Leadership says performance matters, but everyone's behavior suggests otherwise.
Accountability is part of recognition. When leaders address poor performance, they aren't only managing the person who is struggling; they're demonstrating to everyone else that standards mean something.
The best workplaces don't have lower expectations – they have clearer ones. They help people understand what great performance looks like, invest in helping employees achieve it, recognize and reward people who do, and address situations where expectations aren't being met.
Make performance matter
AEC firms are filled with ambitious people. They want to get better at what they do. They want more responsibility, to work on challenging projects, build relationships with clients, lead teams, and advance their careers. The question for firm leaders is whether the organization reinforces those ambitions or teaches employees that additional effort doesn't make much difference.
Ask yourself:
- Do employees know what exceptional performance looks like?
- Are managers actively helping people improve?
- Do employees regularly experience mentoring, training, and coaching rather than simply having access to programs?
- When someone performs exceptionally well, is there a meaningful difference in recognition, opportunity, or reward?
- When someone consistently underperforms, is it addressed?
- Can employees see a connection between getting better at their jobs and building a better future for themselves?
The top 10 Best Firms To Work For develop people, set expectations, recognize contribution, address problems, and create a stronger connection between performance and reward. They don't just tell employees they're valued. They build organizations that show them their performance matters.
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Kyle Ahern is manager of Data and Analytics at Zweig Group. Contact him at kahern@zweiggroup.com. |
