Employees are becoming much more selective about the kind of leadership they expect and the types of managers they are willing to work for. People are looking to work for someone they can grow under and learn from. They want a work environment that inspires them. Mary Spence, P.E., of Jacobs Sverdrup's Tampa, Florida offices, agrees. She says her firm's ongoing commitment to growth through guidance has encouraged her development and given her direction.
Someone is always there to bounce ideas off of.
In these ways and more, the increasing demand for talented professionals is changing AEC workplaces in ways we might have only imagined just 10 years ago. Today's professionals know what they're worth and are determined to find an employer willing to grant them the personal and professional freedoms today's labor market commands. The best news is that a growing number of AEC firms recognize this trend and are evolving to accommodate the change in philosophy. That's because they know that if they don't, they'll find themselves struggling to attract, recruit, and retain the kind of quality people they need. So out of necessity, employers need to do so as well.