Our ability to grow and thrive is a result of Zweig Group’s tireless support in allowing ElevateHER® cohort members to dream big and move the needle in ways that one single person or entity cannot accomplish alone. During this time ElevateHER has also connected and partnered with professional organizations that share the same vision, and supported their mission the best way Zweig Group could. With our focus on Return on Investment, I would like to shed some light on what Zweig Group’s investment on ElevateHER has brought to those that are involved, as well as those who benefit from the program through its ripple effect. In more ways than one, ElevateHER is the platform for AEC recruitment & retention resources. The projects and programs created by ElevateHER teams over the last five years are hosted on our website as open source resources for the public. The goal is to provide frameworks and/or tools that can be easily accessed and adapted. And through Zweig Group’s very own Best Firms to Work For Employee Survey, as well as partnerships with research partners like illuceo and the ACEC Research Institute, we are spearheading industry-specific employee sentiment research. This is Zweig Group doing what we do best—providing market research that equips AEC firms and industry organizations with the data and tools they need to make informed decisions when it comes to talent acquisition and retention. This brings me to the next phase of ElevateHER. In that same impact survey, another prominent theme emerged in response to the second question—everyone wants to see the projects widely implemented. So, that’s what Zweig Group has committed to do. With your help, Zweig Group will be selecting some of the projects to invest in and bring them to market. We ask that you pay close attention to the ElevateHER presentations on the main stage, as well as the at exhibit hall, of the 2024 ElevateAEC Conference; your feedback on which project(s) are most feasible to implement at your firm will
help determine if/when they will move forward. With that, let me introduce you to the five projects by the 2024 ElevateHER® cohort: • #AECIRL whose mission is to deliver a readily implementable social media toolkit aimed at recruiting the next generation of AEC professionals. • The AEC Language & Communications report analyzes and quantifies language and communication of a sample group of AEC firms with the goal of creating a definition for AEC-literacy, which can be applied to improve educational programs. • TEACHER builds upon two past ElevateHER® projects and focuses on go-to-market and retail strategies for a mass rollout of the AEC character library kits. • RetainHER stays razor-focused on curating a comprehensive guide for AEC employers to properly and meaningfully support employees through the different seasons of their career and life, so they can sustainably retain talent. • MentHER+ also builds upon past ElevateHER® team projects, refining the mentoring program framework previously created and adding current mentor training. The group is hopeful to officially launch a pilot mentoring cohort. Much gratitude and appreciation for the following ElevateHER alumni advisors who have stayed on to offer continued support and guidance to the 2024 cohort: Amanda Roehl, Angel Farley, Chad Coldiron, Dawn Kopecky, Jennifer Ridd, Kellie Delaney, Lauren Kirschbaum, Shelby Harvey, and Stephanie Teetes. ElevateHER could not have accomplished any of this without the support of our sponsors, a heartfelt appreciation for our sponsors.
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Elevate AEC 2024
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