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LEADING WITH INTEGRITY, from page 7
To ensure a proper fit for the company, we engage a large number of participants in interviewing candidates and use personality profiles to assist in the decision-making pro- cess. This provides certain assurances that the new hire is in alignment with ATI’s culture and expectations. In ad- dition, in times of short-term support needs, we use our wide range of part-time consultants and staffing agencies for outsourced services. This has been an effective way for our team to monitor short- and long-term backlog against company-wide staff capacity, so that we can assess what our staffing needs will be months in advance and assure that our recruitment is in alignment with the timing of hires. With an eye toward the future, we are constantly evaluating practices, hiring trends, and the latest technology to deter- mine if they are a good fit for ATI. TZL: There is no substitute for experience, but there is pressure to give responsibility to younger staff. What are you doing to address the risk while pursuing the oppor- tunity to develop your team? PD: In short, baby steps. We mentor our younger staff by providing them an opportunity to get experience, develop their client management and presentation skills, and take calculated risks. Each step of the way, our supervisors and their colleagues are there to provide support and mentor along the way. “We embrace a complete transparent work environment. We regularly update our staff on company progress, risks, opportunities, finances, and more. We believe that this promotes trust which is paramount to success.” TZL: The seller-doer model is very successful, but with growth you need to adapt to new models. What is your program? PD: We follow the seller-doer model because it’s proven to be effective in our firm. We’ve learned this the hard way over the years. We grew from a business-oriented practice and then transitioned to a practice-oriented business. Success in this delivery has been the development of a project manage- ment model that overlays the seller-doer team. When de- ployed effectively, our seller-doers have full accountability to meet the commitments made to clients during the sell- ing process. We also employ a disciplined approach of PEER review, cross discipline review, and Principal level Technical Quality Review. Providing an unmatched client experience requires that we deliver what we promise – and do it well. This model becomes even more important as we grow and expand our staff. Involving everyone in the company to become “part- ners” with our clients is not just lip service. Each person plays a vital role in developing a strong, long lasting rela- tionship, even if that interaction is minimal.
TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job responsibility as CEO? PD: Leading with integrity, trust, and confidence. “There’s always an exciting hum of activity here as we strive to maintain the best environment for our employees to create and work in. We are dedicated to life-long learning, work-life balance, and building a strong team.” TZL: What happens to the firm if you leave tomorrow? PD: It has taken me decades of trial-and-error to create a company that is self-sufficient. This is partially due to the amazing transformation of ATI’s leadership structure since May 2013. The beginning of ATI’s senior leadership transi- tion began when I became the single majority shareholder and its new CEO. Since then, the company has repositioned itself to achieve greater market share growth with improved profitability. We have worked tremendously on the leadership and execu- tion team, strengthening it with a broader level of ownership by minority shareholders. Additionally, an extraordinary in- vestment took place in retaining key employees, recruiting and developing a stronger execution team, strengthening ATI’s brand in its primary business and geographic sectors, and continuing development of ATI’s superior reputation. Without me, I’m confident in our team’s ability to continue its strategic pursuits and long-term viability. TZL: If the worker shortage continues, do you see wag- es increasing to encourage more talent to enter the AEC space, or will technology be used to counter the reduced workforce? PD: We do see pressures on salary increases. We also see technology as a key to higher productivity which has result- ed in higher revenue per employee. Revenue per employee has doubled in the last 15 years, in fact, more than doubled while working relatively normal working hours. We believe that compensation, while important, is not as important as retaining the best and most talented. At ATI, we work on team quality, work and challenges provided, weekly ongo- ing mentoring and training, and quality staff supervision. These are all hallmarks of retention. With regard to compensation, the market is very competi- tive, but we are not of the mindset that more money results in better candidates. We use several salary guides, including Zweig Group’s salary and compensation surveys, to deter- mine the market rate and also take into account standard of living cost increases in our office regions.
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THE ZWEIG LETTER May 13, 2019, ISSUE 1296
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