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NEW FROM ZWEIG GROUP WELL INTO 2022, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION REMAINS A TOP CHALLENGE FOR AEC FIRMS ACROSS THE U.S. Zweig Group’s recently released research publication, the 2022 Policies, Procedures & Benefits Report focuses on Zweig Group’s industry data on all things relevant to human resources and the policies, procedures, and benefits firms in the industry are using to entice the industry’s talent to work at their organizations, and keep staff engaged, motivated, and working productively. Hot topics in this report include how spending on HR departments and department composition has changed over the past year. Latest figures indicate
that the top areas for HR spending are HR labor (60 percent of total spend) and training (17 percent of spend). Overall, HR spending has reached a 10-year high, at a median 1.9 percent of net service revenue. Other important findings explored in the report include what AEC firms are doing about flexible and remote work policies, the latest trends in paid time off, and what benefits are most important to the workforce by various demographics (age, gender, job role). For more information on Zweig Group’s 2022 Policies, Procedures & Benefits Report , click here . Zweig Group explored these findings and more in an in-depth webinar, available on demand here.
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CHRISTINA ZWEIG NIEHUES, from page 1
benefits that go into creating the systems that make an individual feel as though they are succeeding or able to achieve their purpose at work. Work is a lifestyle for many. Even for those working from home, work in the AEC industry is still “fun” with scores of an average of 4.2/5 (agreement on 1-5 scale) for employees at Zweig Group’s 2022 Best Firms To Work For Award winning firms. The AEC Workforce survey asked respondents to rate the level of importance of various factors involved in their choice of workplace. It’s clear that personal connection at work is extremely important, with the highest rating scores tied for both statements, “It is important that people at my workplace will notice my efforts” and “It is important that I have a mentor at my organization.” Looking at the environments that affect productivity, respondents rated very highly (score of 4.2/5), “I am more productive when I know other members of my team depend on me,” while “I am more productive when working by myself,” received a low score (2.9/5). Authority is important because it gives people a feeling that they have a measure of control in their lives. Authority can be a motivator to move up in an organization and gives additional purpose to work. Those feeling that their level of responsibility is high, but that they have no authority to make decisions that impact their work environment, will feel overworked, frustrated, and may experience burnout. Looking back at the Best Firms To Work For, the employee survey asks individuals to rate their agreement with the statement, “My level of authority accurately reflects my level of responsibility.” While average scores for this were high (around 4.5/5), the results examined by race and age indicate some disparity, with African Americans (3.9/5) and those in the younger age group feeling less positive about this statement than older, white employees. If you’re looking to improve recruitment or retention at your firm, look to some of the above slightly more intangible factors that are affecting your employee sentiment. Perks and benefits won’t fix a culture problem, but providing an environment where people feel that they can succeed in the way that is most important to them will. The AEC Workforce of the Future Survey is still open for participation and any scores or responses cited in this article are based on current level of participation prior to date of publication. Click here to participate in this survey, or contact us if you’d like to send it out to all members of your organization and receive a free report. Christina Zweig Niehues is Zweig Group’s director of research and e-commerce. She can be reached at czweig@zweiggroup.com.
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Chad Clinehens | Publisher cclinehens@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Senior Editor & Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Shirley Che | Contributing Editor sche@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent landreassen@zweiggroup.com Tel: 800-466-6275 Fax: 800-842-1560 Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: zweiggroup.com/blogs/news Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Facebook: facebook.com/Zweig- Group-1030428053722402 Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/year). Free electronic subscription at zweiggroup.com © Copyright 2022, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
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THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 26, 2022, ISSUE 1458
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