BENEATH THE SURFACE T Two Rs of Company Success: Recruitment and Retention here are a number of ways at looking at what makes a company successful. Agreeably, one of the vital or key factors is finding and then retaining good people, ergo the two Rs. Undoubtedly, this may be one of the most difficult to achieve. Based on interviews conducted with leading executives in the fields of civil engineering and civil construction, as reported in Engineering News Record, there is a dearth of qualified people at almost every level across the job spectrum, from entry level to the very top segment of management. For the purposes of this analysis, I will focus on the design and field management levels in engineering and construction companies. The good news is that the industry continues to realize an increase in projects in an improving economy. Moreover, if the current U.S. administration can make good on its expressed commitment to addressing the needs of the nation’s infrastructure, the opportunities will only grow. Based on ASCE’s latest grading of the country’s infrastructure, this key economic driver has a long way to go. Initiated in the early 2000s, the ASCE Infrastructure Report Card in its earliest iteration bestowed a grade of “F” on the condition of the nation’s infrastructure. Unfortunately, this critical sector remains in the “failure zone.” While showing a slight improvement on ASCE’s most recent report card, from a grade of “F” to “D,” there is still a long way to go. Interestingly enough, the transportation sector has shown the highest improve- ment, coming in with a “C-,” which is not great by any stretch, but is better than the last time ASCE published this report card. One can argue about the vitality of the U.S. economy as politicians and economic pundits tend to do, but, overall, there is no doubt it has come a long way from the doldrums of the recession of 2007-09. As it applies to public sector activity, where much of the types of work readers of this publication are focused, we see evidence of overall improvement. According to an Associated Press Report dated 5/7/17, the latest statistics from the Federal Highway Admini s t r a t ion indicate that the U.S. has an $836 billion backlog of needed repairs and improvements to roads and bridges with an additional $90 billion backlog for public transit systems. If or when this happens, there will be an even greater need for finding and keeping engineering and construction personnel. Finding Quality Personnel An important factor to keep in mind is that, while the needs of civil construction and civil engineering firms may be different, both entities are quite specific as it relates to requiring a high level of education and/or experience. With an overall U.S. unem- ployment rate of about 4.5%, where can these specially focused people be found? Traditional recruitment protocols still work, which include attending university and industry job fairs, advertising in publica- tions that reach the target population, word- of-mouth, industry conferences, offering internships, and, increasingly, taking advantage of opportunities offered through social media. Most of you are already familiar with LinkedIn, but there is a host of other avenues that are worth pursuing. I admit to not being conversant with all such social media, but suggest that whoever in your company is involved with recruitment become familiar with them and learn how to best use their audience access. It is critically important to refine your “selling message.” Remember yours is probably not the “only game in town.” What makes your company special? What can you offer that will appeal to a potential employee? Do not lose sight of the fact that there is a generational component to the substance of your message. For example, when it comes to the much-studied and largest population segment, the 71 million millennials (ages 20- 35), it is not “all about the money.” They are also very tech-savvy members of the workforce. While compensation is a key AUTHOR S. Scot Litke, Hon. D.GE component for millennials, it is equally important to stress the methods and time for advancement, the work environment as it relates to physical and interactional opportunities, and, increasingly, doing something important that contributes to society. In addition, millennials are oriented to working in teams, taking on challenging assignments and having flexible schedules. They are very concerned about the “life balance” in which one’s work is only one component. Moreover, it is important to realize that many of these folks have little faith in company loyalty. This is because they have seen and heard what has happened to their parents and, even, grandparents, relative to how they have been treated by traditional companies in terms of job security, guaranteed retirement programs, forced and intentional turnover (known as “churn”) to hire younger and cheaper workers, and a corporate “what have you done for me lately” mentality. Since they have little faith in job security with any given employer, they are often open to other opportunities without any sense of guilt. Moving from company to company is a way of life. Clearly, this is painting the picture with a broad brush, but it is based on behavioral evidence. I suggest that this offers an opportunity for companies that DO value loyalty to demonstrate rather than just give lip service to this increasingly absent value. Not all of your potential employees will come from the millennial age group. This group most likely will be Gen-Xers (ages 36-56) who are already in the profession’s workforce or whose skill set is transferable. Many of the same recruitment tools, as previously stated, apply here. The “selling message” may be a bit different and would DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2017 • 97
