A Guide to Expanding Your AEC Team - Finding, Hiring, and Retaining Top Talent
As an AEC firm, you know that having a highly skilled team can make all the difference in your success. But what if you don't have a team yet? Or maybe your team has grown beyond its current capacity, and now it's time to expand. In this guide, we'll discuss the steps to take when hiring and retaining top talent in all areas of your firm.
The AEC industry is growing at an astronomical rate.
The AEC industry is growing at an astronomical rate. It's expected to grow by approximately 10% in the next five years. This means that you'll need to hire new people on a regular basis if you want your firm to stay competitive and profitable. That means there's going to be a huge need for new talent - and that means you need to be prepared. But where do you start?
In this guide we'll explore four key areas:
Finding great people with the right skillset (and not just anyone)
Hiring them quickly so they can get up-to-speed fast
Keeping them engaged at work so they stay motivated throughout their tenure at your company
Retaining them so they don't leave when the next big opportunity comes along.
To land the best talent, you'll need to focus on a few key areas.
Identify the skills you need: Before you start searching for employees, figure out exactly what kind of person will fit into your company culture and be able to do the job well. This will help ensure that everyone on your team is working toward the same goals and has similar ideas about how those goals should be accomplished.
Set realistic expectations: Recruiters often sell candidates on unrealistic expectations when they describe a role as "fast-paced" or "high-pressure," but in reality, these terms mean very different things depending on what industry or company type they're referring to. Make sure both parties are clear about what kind of environment they'll be working in before making any decisions together!
Make sure they're good fits for your culture: Culture fit is one area where many companies fail miserably when hiring new talent; some organizations don't even consider this aspect until after someone has been hired (which is way too late). Don't let yourself fall into this trap - make sure all applicants understand what makes up their potential new workplace before making any commitments!
Hiring the best people for your company is not always easy, but it can be done with proper planning and effort.
The first step in hiring top talent is to make sure you have a specific position open that needs filling. If you are looking to grow your team or replace someone who has left the company, this is where you will want to start researching positions and making sure there are no other roles available before deciding what type of person would be best suited for your business needs. Once this decision has been made, it's time for research! Do some digging into what kind of skills are needed based on industry standards (or even just common sense) so that when candidates come through their interview process they know exactly what level they need their skill set at in order to succeed at your company.
Be clear about what type of employee engagement and culture you want to create at your company. Do they need to be collaborative, or do they need to be independent? Do they need access to leadership at all times, or can they get by without it? Once you've established an ideal employee profile based on these criteria, start looking for candidates who fit this mold as closely as possible. The more closely aligned their values are with yours and those of other team members--the better off everyone will be!
A great way of doing this is through social media sites such as LinkedIn or even Facebook (though less professional). Asking questions about hobbies, interests outside work hours and even past projects gives potential hires an opportunity to show off their personalities while giving them insight into what it would be like working alongside them every day - leading towards successful long-term relationships between employers/employees which means happy customers!
Building a strong company culture is key when it comes to attracting top talent.
If your employees aren't happy and engaged, they won't be as productive or creative, and they might even leave for another job that offers better pay or benefits, even for benefits that may seem minimal. Building a company culture takes time and effort but can be done if you take these steps:
Define what kind of company culture you want by asking yourself "what would make me want to work here?"
Set goals and create policies that help achieve those goals (e.g., flexible hours)
Communicate these policies clearly to all staff members
Prioritize job satisfaction
Taking the time to consider what will increase employee retention is a major factor in ensuring your firm has the skill sets required to meet the needs of the client.
Finding and hiring the right talent.
When you're on the hunt for new hires, it's important to remember that it's not just about finding someone who has the skill set necessary for the job; it's also about finding someone who fits into your company culture and works well with others on your team. A good way to find out what kind of person fits in with your company culture is by conducting an interview that focuses on soft skills such as communication style or problem-solving ability, in addition to technical knowledge.
Once you've found some promising candidates, make sure that their personalities match up with yours before moving forward with anything else - if there isn't any chemistry between either party involved in an interview process then consider the possibility that, despite their credentials, they may not be the best candidate. It's important that you have a clear understanding of what your company needs from the candidate before they start work so that you can make sure they have all the necessary skills to perform well in their role. Setting the right expectations for each employee from the beginning is another key element for employee retention. Great talent can easily be lost when expectations are not clear during the recruitment process and a team member feels like they misunderstood the position.
How to retain top talent.
If you want to keep your employees happy and engaged, it's important to make sure they feel valued. You should also have a clear vision for the company so that everyone knows where they are headed. Additionally, if you want people to stay with your company for years or even decades rather than just months or years, then provide opportunities for growth and give them the chance to challenge themselves. Finally, it's important that employees feel like they are part of a team--and not just another cog in an impersonal machine (even if this isn't actually true).
If you can provide these things, then you should have a loyal workforce that will stick with your company through good times and bad.
It's important to keep employees engaged and valued - they're the key ingredient in building a strong team!
Engaged employees have higher productivity, are efficient and loyal, often turn into strong leaders, and are less likely to leave. They bring energy and enthusiasm to their work that can help your business thrive. A motivated workforce leads to better results for everyone involved: from customers who receive better service through happier employees; to investors who see improved profitability; and especially firms that prioritize leadership development as a differentiator to their clients.
Avoiding burnout and turnover.
Burnout and turnover are two sides of the same coin. When your employees burn out, they're more likely to leave you in search of greener pastures. And when you lose employees, it can be difficult to find replacements who are as talented and dedicated as those who left.
In order to avoid these problems, there are some things you can do:
Manage expectations by clearly communicating what it takes to succeed at your company--and what kind of support you'll provide along their journey (including opportunities for education and advancement).
Provide regular feedback so that people know how they're doing in relation to those goals--and where there may be room for improvement or growth opportunities within the organization overall.
Stay ahead of the game by investing in your team.
The best way to ensure that your team is successful is by investing in them. This means more than just offering a decent salary - it means ensuring they have opportunities for growth and development, so they can continue to grow as professionals.
It also means making sure that each team member feels valued and appreciated for their contributions, so they want to stay with you for the long haul.
Conclusion
It's time to think about your team. You know that your business will be successful, and it's time to ensure that you're prepared for the future. With this guide, we hope that you feel confident in your ability to attract top talent and keep them engaged within your organization.