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drean i
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TZL: How do you evaluate the success/failure of your firm’s marketing efforts when results could take months, or even years, to materialize? Do you track any metrics to guide your marketing plan? NA: Measuring the effectiveness of marketing is difficult to do using hard metrics for ROI. Since we revamped our online marketing approach in 2015, we track a number of KPIs to track our results. We look closely at website traffic and have experienced a large increase in traffic; we have an increased number of prospects that sign-up to receive en- hanced content (webinars, white papers, videos), and we track the clients and projects that originate as a result of the website and our content marketing. TZL: The last few years have been good for the A/E indus- try. Is there a downturn in the forecast, and if so, when and to what severity? NA: I’ve heard more than one economist discuss a pullback in 2019, so we’ll see if they’re right. We’ve worked hard to grow a diversified firm to limit the effect of a pullback on W&M – diversifying our services, geographic reach and the industries we serve. TZL: The talent war in the A/E industry is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline need- ed to retain your top people and not lose them to other firms? NA: We’ve worked hard to develop a strategic human re- sources initiative to provide a development and leadership framework that will allow W&M to continue to grow and evolve. Mentoring our high performers, giving them oppor- tunities, and the freedom to innovate goes a long way. And of course, working with good people and clients – there’s no substitute for engaging projects with great clients. “Our people are great. We give them the flexibility they need and deserve as professionals. We’re casual – unless we have a reason not to be – and we’re flexible when someone has a commitment or if their kids get sick.” TZL: As you look for talent, what position do you most need to fill in the coming year and why? NA: Almost half of our planned hires for 2018 are entry level. We’ve got some great relationships with colleges and universities that allow us to recruit college graduates and get them plugged in to contribute to the firm’s success. As we grow, we promote from within where we can, so we con- stantly need to add recent graduates to support our project teams.
TZL: While plenty of firms have an ownership transition plan in place, many do not. What’s your advice for firms that have not taken steps to identify and empower the next generation of owners? NA: One thing we didn’t expect is the significant impact it has on the firm’s culture. Not only does it communicate that there’s a plan in place, but it shows everyone in the firm that there’s opportunity and recognition for hard work and per- severance. “We have a strong vision and mission that the leaders believe in, and we work together to contribute to the firm’s success. Organic growth comes much easier when you’re all rowing in the same direction, but it’s not always easy to get to that point.” TZL: Monthly happy hours and dog friendly offices. What do today’s CEOs need to know about today’s workforce? NA: It sounds cliché, but our people are great. We give them the flexibility they need and deserve as professionals. We’re casual – unless we have a reason not to be – and we’re flex- ible when someone has a commitment or if their kids get sick. We have high expectations, but we play hard, too. TZL: Zweig Group research shows there has been a shift in business development strategies. More and more, technical staff, not marketing staff, are responsible for BD. What’s the BD formula in your firm? NA: We have a successful online marketing approach that helps our technical team tremendously. In 2015, we totally revamped our marketing approach. Prior to the change, our website was basically an online brochure and now we’re over two years into a successful content marking platform. By sharing our knowledge with the environmental community we’re able to attract more new clients and, as a side benefit, potential new employees, too. TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? NA: We’ve tightened up our vision and shared it with the team. We know what we’re good at and who our ideal cli- ents are. TZL: The list of responsibilities for project managers is seemingly endless. How do you keep your PMs from burning out? And if they crash, how do you get them back out on the road, so to speak? See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8
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rch 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240
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