Since 2017, much of America has experienced a fairly consistent sense of turmoil. In spite of this, firms in the A/E marketplace view the remainder of 2020 with a guarded sense of optimism. This encouragement is largely due to the anticipation that a federal infrastructure bill will be passed, funding for clean energy projects and…
Your Career: Are You “Training”? Or Are You Merely “Working Out”?
Part 1 of a three-part series For the better part of my adult life, I have been going to the gym and working out. I’m in good shape, but for many years I have been stuck with this feeling of being comfortable with the results of the effort I was putting in the gym….
What Super Bowl LI Can Teach Us About Recruiting
As a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan, I am an unfortunate expert in understanding the concept of “finishing” or “closing out strong,” or rather, how NOT to. That is, through the course of the last few NFL seasons I have come accustomed to the Eagles failing to “finish” or “close out strong” their opponents, witnessing the…
How to Find that Elusive Purple Squirrel
Stop searching. They don’t exist. Seriously. Waiting for the perfect civil engineer to walk through your office doors can be detrimental to your business and will lead to stagnation, stress, and disappointment. So often times I find employers suffering from “paralysis by analysis” as they struggle in identifying candidates that have the 20 exact skills they are…
What To Expect As A Client From Your Recruiter
An experienced search consultant can be many things to a client they are working with above and beyond just recruiting: adviser, provider of market intelligence, resume screener, reference checker, recruiting coordinator, and expert negotiator just to name a few . One thing you should always expect from your search consultant as a client is honesty. …
What to Expect as a Candidate from your Recruiter – Part 1 in the "Honesty" Series
An experienced recruiter can be many things to a candidate they are working with: career counselor, resume writer, sounding board, confidant, negotiator, interview coordinator, interview coach, and sometimes even friend. One thing you should always expect from a recruiter as a candidate is honesty. Here is how honesty presents itself through the recruiting process and…
Attracting & Retaining Talent :: It’s a War Out There
In November of 2013 Carol & I were invited to host a breakout session at the Rusk O’Brien Gido + Partners Growth & Ownership Strategies Conference in Naples, FL. The Breakout Session that we hosted was titled “Attracting & Retaining Talent :: It’s a War Out There.” The topic was marketed as follows: The day…
CEO or Project Engineer: Value Of Behavioral Assessments
More A/E firms are adding behavioral and personality assessments to their interview process. These tests or inventories “show” tendencies or ways that you are most likely to respond to your surroundings. Proponents say results from the assessments when used with a face to face interview will help predict a good “fit” between you and the…
Slow Hiring Process Like Slow Playing Poker
In the game of poker, slow playing is the tactic of not taking aggressive action when you have a strong hand. The goal is to draw the other players at the table in to keep them playing and to keep building the pot, with the intent of beating everyone in the end after luring them…
Losing Great Recruits to the Competition? Here is Why… (Part 2 in a Series)
Today’s blog is the second in a series of entries that will help those executives in the AEC community understand why they might be losing out to the competition when competing for great candidates and top talent. Having recruited civil engineering and architectural professionals for over 15 years I have witnessed some fantastic interviewing and hiring…