Recap of Principals Roundtable: Employee Experience, or, How to Win the Talent War
Posted by [email protected] on May. 19, 2019 / Subscribe 0
Finding, attracting, and keeping quality employees is becoming one of the biggest challenges facing owners of AEC firms in San Diego. How to win that talent war was the topic of discussion at a recent SMPS Principals Roundtable held at the offices of Delawie.
A key to success is focusing on the Employee Experience, which is defined by the research company Gallop and Gartner as “the journey an employee takes with your organization. It includes all the interactions an employee has with your organization before, during, and after their tenure.”
According to research by the Principals Roundtable Planning Committee, Employee Experience, or EX, is more than new and improved HR or perks and parties. In order to be successful, employers should develop a plan to map the employee’s journey, identifying key milestones along the way. Developing measurement statistics, conducting employee surveys, analyzing and communicating results, and developing an action plan are also critical for success.
Although it may seem complicated, the effort is worth the investment because finding and hiring an employee costs anywhere from one to three times the employee’s salary.
The EX Power Point presentation generated a lively discussion among the 15 firm principals participating in the Roundtable as principals shared their experiences with EX. Larry Buck of tk1sc said his firm has relied on personality testing such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to see if an applicant appears to be compatible with their organization’s culture. Others said they have done similar testing, but noted that it can become quite expensive.
Sharon Singleton of KTUA has found that writing an accurate job description is important when hiring a new person, noting that a description that does not match an employee’s actual day-to-day responsibilities can result in the under-performance of a disgruntled employee.
This type of problem can be discovered and corrected early in the process, however, if a company follows a comprehensive “onboarding” program for new employees, which requires top management to have a plan for bringing new people into their company.
The initial onboarding process can span six months or so, as the new hire becomes fully acclimated to your company and its culture. The process of onboarding engenders an open channel of communication on a day-to-day basis between the employee and management, thereby creating an environment in which an employee should feel free to discuss potential problems such as a difference between a job description and the actual duties of a position.
Once an employee is fully onboard, the open communication should continue. Letting your employees know you are aware of their interests can help create a harmonious environment in your office. For instance, Ione Steigler of IS Architecture, said she has learned that nothing in her office starts on Monday mornings until the Sunday night episode of Game of Thrones has been discussed.
Recognizing that recent college graduates may have difficulties adjusting to the rigors of a 9-5 job, Elizabeth Barrie of The Barrie Company said her firm tries to incorporate a “fun” element into the office schedule by having meetings offsite at a restaurant or by allowing employees to have their birthdays off.
Ric Davy of Davy Architecture said he recently set up an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) for his company, enabling employees to own 49% of the company’s stock, as a way to retain employees.
Ron Halbert of Ninyo & Moore, however, said that larger companies don’t have the freedom to be as flexible with their employee benefits because everything has to be the same for all employees.
To keep in touch with their staff, Paul Schroeder of Delawie said he regularly conducts one-on-one “Stay” interviews, as opposed to exit interviews, so top management can understand what they are doing that keeps employees at their jobs for a long tenure.
After the meeting, Brian Dersch, President and CEO of Dersch Design and Engineering, Inc., had this to say about the Principals Roundtable: “My hat’s off to you for the awesome/applicable content that you are all putting together. I find the Principals Roundtable format and content to be extremely helpful. This alone is worth the price of SMPS membership, in my opinion.”
This was the ninth in a series of quarterly Principals Roundtables, a program developed by the San Diego Chapter of SMPS to give principals of AEC firms a forum in which to discuss marketing and other business issues that are unique to our industry.
The sponsor firm selects a topic that is then researched by the Principals Roundtable Planning Group. The findings are presented in a Power Point slide presentation of background information and talking points. Following the meeting, the research and slides are available to the attendees.
The Principals Roundtable Planning Group consists of:
Co-Chairs:
- Sharon Singleton, Principal of KTUA, [email protected]
- Terry Casey, Principal Owner of On Target Marketing & Communications, LLC, [email protected]
Committee Members:
- Beth Bateman, Owner of Bateman Communications, [email protected]
- Kamala Kuresman, Corporate Marketing Director of NV5, [email protected]
- Karen Tournaire, Marketing Director of Sillman Wright Architects, [email protected]
The May 2019 Roundtable was hosted by Paul Schroeder and Greg McClure of Delawie. The next Principals Roundtable is scheduled for Tuesday August 6, 2019. If your firm is interested in sponsoring this event, please contact one of the members of the Planning Group listed above.
Written by Beth Bateman, Bateman Communications
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