Why Should I Work for You?

WHITE PAPER WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU? A white paper that captures the outcomes of a workshop that explored how the A/E/C industry, in this region, will attract the workforce vital to its future. AUTHORED BY:

Brent Robertson DATE:

4/4/16

WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU? The purpose of this white paper is to document what was revealed as a result of a February 25th 2016 Construction Institute workshop titled: “Why Should I Work for You?” At this workshop a diverse group of professionals that included those in the architecture, engineering, construction, planning and similar disciplines in the built environment industry tackled the challenge of how to attract and retain the talent vital to their firm’s and their industry’s future success. The Challenge: One of the biggest limiting factors to the long-term success of this industry, particularly in this region, is access to talent. With so many attractive career opportunities in places like NYC or Boston why would the best and the brightest candidates want to work for firms in this region? Not having a compelling answer to that question has put our region at a competitive disadvantage when compared to other locations. As a result, getting access to qualified professionals and trained experts has become difficult. Worse, the industry as a whole is suffering from a lack of incoming talent and enrollment in architecture and engineering and construction programs are dropping. It was abundantly clear that a new narrative for the industry needs to be created. However, this new narrative couldn’t be some hyperbolic and idealistic picture that could never be lived up to, but rather an expression that is inspiring, and also authentic to the reality of what being part of this industry in this region truly means. This led us to one conclusion: It needed to be created by the people who are part of the industry in this region including those with years of involvement and those new to it and from as many different industry disciplines as possible. Intention of the workshop: Create the components of a new narrative designed to attract the workforce of the future through the real-time interactions of a diverse group of industry members.

2 ©2016 Brent Robertson & The Construction Institute, All Rights Reserved

www.construction.org

WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU? The workshop design and facilitation methodology: 1) Establishing diversity The first challenge was attracting as diverse a group of attendees as possible, but also to have a group size that wasn’t too big to effectively facilitate and manage. As a result, the workshop was limited to fifty attendees. Attendees were invited from architecture, engineering, construction, planning and other disciplines in the built environment industry including property owners. The initial invitations were sent to leaders of different firms who were encouraged to attend the event with one of their younger team members. As a result, we had a very diverse group of attendees of men, women, young and old. The attendees were then split up among five tables so that no two people from the same company sat together. Then, each table of 10 was mixed up to create as much diversity in discipline, age and experience as possible. Each group was given time to get to know each other over coffee and breakfast. 2) Inviting contribution The centerpiece of the workshop was a series of three questions - each designed to invite as much honest and meaningful contribution as possible. 1) What is it about this industry in this region that makes it attractive to be part of? 2) What is it about this industry that makes it unattractive? 3) What is missing that if we had would make a big difference in our ability to attract the workforce of the future? Attendees were asked first to write down their thoughts on sticky notes, one idea per note and as many ideas as they had. After that, each table was given time to discuss their thoughts and one person, appointed as scribe, captured the key themes that were revealed trough the course of the conversation. Finally, each table was then asked to describe the major themes discussed for the rest of the room. The facilitators then captured the key themes on easel boards in the front of the room. This same process was repeated for the three questions. 3) Eliciting action All of the attendees were then asked to identify the themes revealed through each question that rose above the rest. Finally, each of those critical themes was used to identify actions that could be taken that would make the biggest difference in either enhancing the most attractive aspects of being part of the industry, addressing the most unattractive parts and creating the most needed elements.



WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU? Outcomes: The primary objective of the workshop was to generate the ideas and story elements vital to creating a narrative for the industry designed to attract the workforce of the future. Of all of the ideas generated, the most important ones, as indicated by the attendees, were used to create the draft of that narrative below (the full output of these ideas are at the end of this document):

Q: Why should I work in the A/E/C Industry in this region? A: Because you can dream, design and realize the world you get to live in. You will be part of something bigger than yourself and join with other artists, scientists, craftsmen, technicians, and practitioners who bring together the people and generate the ideas that inspire the creation of our communities and connect us to each other. We need your help to show us how to do things in new ways so our work can have a greater impact while requiring fewer resources. We need to learn how to come together as a community more interested in creating value for our clients and the world than protecting our own self interests. And we need to establish a business environment that doesn’t require us to sacrifice so much of ourselves to do the work we love. We need you to remind us and help celebrate the fact that our work deeply affects people’s lives. We need to capture and share what we’ve learned and encourage others to join us in our noble work. Most of all, you should work for us because how we exist together, in a world that is moving as quickly as ours is, has yet to be defined. If you join us, you get to have a say in how that will be. Another objective of the workshop was to illicit actions that anyone in this industry can take that will begin to make a difference. Those actions boiled down to three simple ideas:

1) Be Open - to new ways of seeing and doing 2) Be Curious - about what others think 3) Be Engaged - with everyone around you



WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU? Conclusion: Based on feedback from the session, the most important thing attendees realized was they weren’t alone in how they felt about the industry. Everyone was able to share their ideas and together re-kindle their energy for what they do and why it matters. Attendees were not only able to constructively discuss the challenges the industry faces, but also determine and agree upon actions that will make the biggest difference. What came through as a result of the workshop was: 1) There is a compelling narrative for the industry that can and should be leveraged now 2) T here is significant work to be done to enhance the industry environment in this region to continue to attract and retain top talent 3) That working together to confront and generate solutions to our industry’s biggest challenges is not only possible, but essential 4) We are going to need a bold vision and strong leadership to navigate the future successfully By taking action on the ideas generated from the workshop, it is possible to create a more vibrant and prosperous environment for our industry. Complete output from the workshop: The attendees of the workshop generated a lot of compelling ideas that not only gave rise to the narrative and actions above but have the infinite capacity to inspire other insights actions. Think of the ideas below as source code in which to build any number of things. Question#1: What is it about this industry in this region that makes it attractive to be a part of? Top Themes: 1) We get to be part of something greater than ourselves 2) It’s easy to access leaders and members of the regional A/E/C firms 3) You get to dream and design and realize



WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU? Other Themes: • Every day/hour is different • Access to talented and creative people • Ability to bring diverse people together and create • Pride in craftsmanship • Connections to buildings • The ability to share and transfer skills between professionals in region • You get to solve problems - solutions based industry • New England is fast-paced • Plurality of communities - the ones you work for, work with, design, build, and live in • Sensitive to how we change and influence communities • Become part of other communities even if for a short time • Mentorship (connection between students & Professors/young staff/senior staff) • Ability to impact the built environment • Physically connected to what we are building • There is a mix of old and new buildings/communities/aesthetic • A unique culture, the industry is its own family “All in this together, for better or worse” • Variety of opportunities to work with companies from all different places • Ability to have a strong impact on communities, society and the world • Buildings contribute directly to community • Strong connection between members of the industry What actions can we take to continue to amplify these ideas? • Create marketing materials that reflect this new narrative for the industry for both recruiting and promotion • Bring this conversation (the one had at this event) into each of your own firms • Change how we bond from cynicism for how it is, to enthusiasm for what it can be • Engagement at the individual level to strengthen your firm • Letting individuals own and lead their ideas and initiatives • Having greater focus on office culture and team building



WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU? • Create forums to learn and teach • Embracing the desire to build internal relationships • Forum to discuss what’s working and what’s not Question #2: What is it about this industry that makes it unattractive? Top Themes: 1) Fee slashing - bias is toward cost instead of value/quality 2) Lack of trust between each other firms, firms and clients 3) Lack of transparency while putting on a facade that there is transparency 4) Gap between those who are able to use technology and those who are not 5) A disconnect between generations on the question of “sacrifice required for success in this industry” and why there should be a sacrifice at all? Other Themes: • The public procurement process is broken • Debt to income ratio is too high • Cost of living in this region is too high • Disconnect within firms and between firms • Getting access to a talented and skilled workforce • Lack of communication and exposure between various parts of the industry • Slow to adapt to change/trends/new ways of doing things • Fast paced industry doesn’t leave room for strategy or contemplation • Uncertainty on how to forecast and plan for the future • Product based relationships instead of partnerships • Difficulty being strategic as things are moving too fast to put your head up • Vision and strategy grasped differently by different generations • Lack of compensation vs. hours worked • People are finding better opportunities in other industries • Speed of work sacrifices quality • Focus on tech experience vs. field experience • Lots of political boundaries • Things aren’t built to last due to low bid culture • Lack of apprentice programs • Safety is often sacrificed due to impact of costs • Cynical attitude • Lack of work life balance • Conflict between advice of older generation and what’s expected of a young professional • Lack of diversity • Sexism • Unhealthy competition within and between companies • Bias to doing a lot of work vs. working smarter • Multi-national vs. Local firms



WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU? What actions could be taken to overcome these challenges? • Better articulate why quality matters so that we can shift the bias from cost • Openly discuss the idea of “Sacrifice” among different generations within your firm to gain an understanding of what it means to different people, why it matters and what are we to do with the idea • Get a better understanding of the needs of the world in front of us and explore how we as an industry or firm can better be essential to its success • Ask the question why? Why are we doing this, what difference will it make, does anyone care? • Be curious Question #3: What’s missing that if we had would make a big difference in our ability to attract the workforce of the future? Top Themes: 1) Expose people to the industry at a younger age 2) C reate more effective ways to communicate what our industry does and why to the general community 3) Capture knowledge learned by experienced professionals to share with the generations that follow 4) Celebrate more Other Themes: • Show career progression paths • Work smarter - not just harder • Emphasize quality vs. quantity • Include as much diversity as possible in conversations • Re-calibrate a career in this industry that allows for work life balance • Find ways for companies to better align with newer talent within them • More fully leverage the potential of people, technology, other resources • Get more women in the field and in leadership positions • Develop better mentorship programs that invite loyalty • Create more time for reflection • Elevate pay scale to be more competitive with other options • Create the economic growth to drive industry • Cities that are affordable and enjoyable to live in • A balance between technical knowledge and field exposure • More internship opportunities • Welcoming new employees day one • Become thought leaders, instead of victims • Replace cynicism with optimism • Have a shared commitment and vision for the industry What actions could we take to begin to generate these things? • Learn from different generations • Better integrate school and the industry. Use our work to illustrate math, science and art at work • Create desire at an early age • Create academic curriculum that includes preparing students for the reality of working for the industry



WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR YOU?

About Brent Robertson, White Paper Author, Event Co-Creator and Co-Facilitator Brent Robertson works with leaders to design futures worth fighting for. A partner at Fathom, he champions an approach to strategy that prioritizes people and relationships. As a result, his clients don’t simply plan their futures, they bring them to life through the energy of organization-wide involvement in, and commitment to, generating valuable businesses that matter. Besides his client work, Brent is also an advisor to national organizations that support the A/E/C industry including serving on the Board of Construction Institute. Learn more at www.fathom.net

About Sarah Giardini, Event Co-Creator and Co-Facilitator Exposed to the industry through family ties, Sarah M. Giardini has focused her early career efforts on the marketing and business development aspects of the A/E/C community in Connecticut. Her love of business paired with her passion for maximizing both her personal and company’s potential have given her a voice representing her fellow millennial professionals. Winner of the 2016 Professional Women in Construction Rising Star Award and member of both the Professional Women in Construction and Construction Institute Boards, Sarah offers a valuable perspective of the upcoming leaders of the built environment.

About the Construction Institute The Construction Institute is an organization committed to providing resources and forums for cross-industry collaboration to those that serve the built environment industry. It’s members are a network of visionary leaders and skilled professionals who come together to take on the biggest challenges facing the industry. Learn more at www.construction.org

