Engineering Inc. - November/December 2007 - (Page 17) Recruiting Roadblocks explains Hoffman. “Executives are becoming more frustrated and concerned about the situation.” Keeping Them Lack of qualified candidates High salary demands Our geographic location Specialized company Lack of HR staff Lack of time Competition Poor economy Other Unspecified 0 1 1 1 10 20 30 40 3 13 17 25 33 31 What do you think is your firm’s biggest reason for difficulties with finding and hiring candidates?* 92 Navigating this brave new world of labor and talent shortage requires a change in mind-set and practices. “Companies that rely on the same methods that have always worked are likely to find themselves slipping backwards. They [might] wind up less competitive over time,” says Churchman. For some firms, improved pay is a logical first step, but it won’t necessarily solve the problem. Many employees, particularly younger engineers, are more concerned about the potential for career advancement and skills development than money, notes Churchman. Younger employees also want to feel as though they have a stake in company decisions and outcomes. On the flip side, older engineers and women with young children might seek part-time work, flexible hours and contract employment. “Companies now must view recruiting and retention as integrated, strategic parts of the business,” Oakes-Coyne explains. “It’s important to develop a business plan that addresses human resources and labor issues.” Most important, senior executives must buy into the plan and provide unwavering support for policies and procedures. It does no good to have a flextime policy or mentoring program in place with no formal infrastructure to make such programs work, Oakes-Coyne explains. Susana Florian, vice president of international market development at engineering and construction firm Parsons Corp., and a member of the ACEC International Committee, says the industry’s conservative, often inflexible, mind-set undercuts its effectiveness. For example, the industry has a reputation for being particularly callous toward women, she says. “I have witnessed situations that saddened me immensely,” notes Florian. “Some executives don’t realize that their attitudes and values undermine women.” Though she has never faced outright discrimination in three decades as an engi- 50 60 70 80 90 100 * Percentages for this question total more than 100 because choices were not mutually exclusive. Source: ZweigWhite 2007 Recruiting & Retention Survey of Architecture, Engineering & Environmental Consulting Firms neer, Florian says she has overheard her fair share of sexist remarks and seen too many situations where young talent—particularly women—isn’t allowed to flourish. As a result, “Many women defect to other industries,” says Florian. “They go back to school and get an MBA or law degree.” Another problem, says Chris Swan, CEO at RSMR Global Resources, a recruiting and executive search firm specializing in the engineering industry, is that many “companies do not listen to their employees.” Workers who feel marginalized eventually become dissatisfied and they look for work elsewhere. Swan encourages firms to pay more attention to job descriptions and ensure that technical and business skills match abilities—and desires. Ultimately, a firm might be forced to redefine—even revamp—positions to improve job satisfaction and productivity, he says. Taking the Initiative Neimeyer is such a believer in homegrown talent that he created an invitationbased leadership-training program for three types of employees: emerging leaders (new hires to five-year employees), professional leaders (five to 15 years of experience) and advanced leaders (with more than 15 years’ experience). In all cases, he says, participants receive mentoring, coursework, educational reimbursements and ongoing guidance. ome executives don’t realize that their attitudes and values undermine women. SUSana FLorIan ParSonS CorP. S Harvesting raw talent is one thing; teaching young engineers how to channel that ability is tougher still. At KCI Technologies, Neimeyer says, the goal almost always is to develop talent from within—to constantly groom young engineers in preparation for more challenging and rewarding tasks. NovEmbER / DECEmbER 2007 ENGINEERING INC. 17
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