Helbling discusses the talent management strategies and initiatives that are taking precedence among A/E/C firms and the types of professionals who are in high demand in today's market.
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Architectural, Engineering & Construction Outlook 2012 Construction Real Estate Engineering Facilities RETAINED EXECUTIVE SEARCH Talent Management Strategies As discussed in our Architectural, Engineering & Construction Outlook 2012 Part I, while the A/E/C industry remains in a recovery stage, there are several market sectors offering tremendous opportunities. As well, there are trends in strategic initiatives among industry players such as: strengthening competitive advantage through innovation, offering alternative project delivery methods and improving business development practices. Helbling & Associates is an executive search firm that specializes exclusively in construction, facilities management, real estate and engineering. We have watched our clients sustain and improve themselves by developing approaches to the concepts outlined above. We have also seen them retain their focus on attracting strong professionals who can assist them in achieving their objectives of these new initiatives and more. Within this Outlook, we outline the trends that are taking precedence in recruitment and talent management strategies. Part II ✴ Recruiting talented professionals. To leverage the opportunities being presented within the industry, companies have to recruit and retain highcaliber professionals who can assist them in achieving their goals. Firms understand their need to infuse intelligent, technologically savvy individuals into their organizations who can lead progressive initiatives. Impeding their efforts is an aging population at the executive management and operational levels, lack of succession and transition strategies, and a shortage of competent professionals with specific skill sets. Coming out of the worst recession in history, many firms had cut back to just essential staff members over the past few years which compounds the challenge. Senior Executives Leadership talent has always been difficult to find and attract but now it is more challenging than ever in the A/E/C industry. Companies are actively seeking executives who: ✓ Are change agents. ✓ Are technologically savvy to lead by example. ✓ Understand strategies and execution leadership. ✓ Can manage profitable business units or regions. ✓ Have either broad or industryspecific experiences. ✓ Are able to lead in an inclusive and empowering way. ✓ Possess the ability to build and lead highperformance teams. ✓ Foster a collaborative work environment that motivates employees. ✓ Have the ability to create a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Executives who possess these new desired skill sets are not easy to find and they are usually embedded in their current organizations thus making it difficult to attract them to new opportunities.
Transcript
Architectural, Engineering & Construction Outlook 2012
Construction Real Estate EngineeringFacilities
R E T A I N E D E X E C U T I V E S E A R C H
Talent Management Strategies
As discussed in our Architectural, Engineering & Construction Outlook 2012 Part I, while the A/E/C industry remains in a recovery stage,
there are several market sectors offering tremendous opportunities. As well, there are trends in strategic initiatives among industry players
such as: strengthening competitive advantage through innovation, offering alternative project delivery methods and improving business
development practices.
Helbling & Associates is an executive search firm that specializes exclusively in construction, facilities management, real estate and
engineering. We have watched our clients sustain and improve themselves by developing approaches to the concepts outlined above. We
have also seen them retain their focus on attracting strong professionals who can assist them in achieving their objectives of these new
initiatives and more.
Within this Outlook, we outline the trends that are taking precedence in recruitment and talent management strategies.
Part II
✴ Recruiting talented professionals.To leverage the opportunities being presented within the industry, companies have to recruit and retain high-‐caliber professionals
who can assist them in achieving their goals. Firms understand their need to infuse intelligent, technologically savvy individuals
into their organizations who can lead progressive initiatives. Impeding their efforts is an aging population at the executive
management and operational levels, lack of succession and transition strategies, and a shortage of competent professionals with
specific skill sets. Coming out of the worst recession in history, many firms had cut back to just essential staff members over the
past few years which compounds the challenge.
Senior Executives
Leadership talent has always been difficult to find and attract but now it is more challenging than ever in the A/E/C industry.
Companies are actively seeking executives who:
✓ Are change agents.
✓ Are technologically savvy to lead by example.
✓ Understand strategies and execution leadership.
✓ Can manage profitable business units or regions.
✓ Have either broad or industry-‐specific experiences.
✓ Are able to lead in an inclusive and empowering way.
✓ Possess the ability to build and lead high-‐performance teams.
✓ Foster a collaborative work environment that motivates employees.
✓ Have the ability to create a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
Executives who possess these new desired skill sets are not easy to find and they are usually embedded in their current
organizations thus making it difficult to attract them to new opportunities.
Seller – Doers
Seller-‐Doers have been sought after for the past several years and the demand for them has not wavered. These are the individuals
who:
✓ Possess a strong business and sales acumen.
✓ Offer a “single-‐contact” concept to prospective clients.
✓ Are “tapped” into the marketplace by networking with existing and prospective customers.
✓ Have the ability to learn of opportunities before plans are made public because of their contacts.
✓ Have the sales acumen to sell a project as well as the understanding and knowledge to discuss its constructibility
and engineering issues which creates added value to the customer, developing a tighter relationship.
Professionals with specialized skill sets, advanced degrees and certifications
Innovation and diversification are common initiatives within the A/E/C industry and companies are seeking individuals with
specialized skill sets such as knowledge and understanding of BIM, LEED, green building, energy efficiency, IPD, lean construction
and integrating IT into processes and procedures. Advanced certifications and degrees are also of interest including Professional Engineer, Registered Architect and Project Management Professional.
✴ Giving increased consideration to the Emotional Intelligence of candidates.Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been proven to significantly impact a person’s ability to lead an organization, business unit or team.
Post-‐recession, it has been given more attention in prospective candidates. EI provides a way to understand and assess a person’s
behaviors, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills and, ultimately, their potential.
Characteristics of high EI are:
✓ Optimism and positive attitude.
✓ Decisiveness and self-‐motivation.
✓ Ability to adapt quickly to market changes and to creatively develop new solutions.
✓ Understanding of how to effectively handle difficult or highly emotional situations.
✓ “Participative” management style and adeptness at persuading people to “buy-‐in” to initiatives and goals.
✓ Understanding of how to build relationships – with subordinates, with superiors, with customers and with teams.
✓ An appreciation of the importance of listening to others and gathering their input before implementing major
changes.
✴ Overlapping roles and responsibilities in C-suite.
Many companies are trying to do more with less and are looking for individuals who have the experience and capabilities to fulfill multiple roles and to juggle diverse responsibilities. Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are now often asked to take on responsibilities
normally for a Chief Operating Officer (COO) and vice versa. COOs are expected to become more knowledgeable of available
technologies and are sometimes tasked with the responsibilities normally given to a Chief Information Officer (CIO). For General
Counsels and Chief Legal Officers, they are more actively involved in decision making at the executive level and are expected to rely
less upon outside legal teams. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) must have experience and knowledge across all functions to
effectively lead organizations.
These increased responsibilities and expectations have made filling these positions more difficult as well as more critical to the
overall success of companies.
✴ Retaining key employees and performing succession planning.
Not only is competition strong in acquiring work in the A/E/C industry but it is also fierce in retaining employees. Talented
professionals with certain skill sets are becoming increasingly scarce making it difficult for firms to not only find people but to also
hold on to them. The more progressive firms have specific strategies for retaining their key employees such as:
✓ Consistently monitoring employee satisfaction.
✓ Offering non-‐financial incentives that employees find valuable.
✓ Creating special projects to challenge professionals and keep them engaged.
✓ Identifying employees who are high-‐potentials and creating a professional development program for them.
Although retaining high-‐potential employees is a major concern of most companies, only 38% of employers have a formal plan to
retain those employees while 62% do not, according to Fails Management Corporation. The key thing to remember is that money is rarely a reason why top performers leave. The reasons usually revolve around future project potential, career advancement and
their ability to impact the success of an organization.
In closing, there are many strategies being implemented among A/E/C firms to ensure their ability to continue attracting and retaining key
players involved in leadership, operations and project execution. And the companies who are most attentive and progressive in these
initiatives will experience the most success. As we all move forward, Helbling & Associates appreciates the opportunity to continue
partnering with our clients in securing talented individuals who have the ability to significantly impact their organizations.
