Facts and figures from the class of 2015 award winners. Presentation was made at the 2015 Hot Firm and A/E Industry Awards Conference

1. Analysis of
award winners
Presented by: Christina Zweig

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4. Hot Firms Profile
➡ 25 Firms were new to the list!
➡ 38 Firms have previously been on the Hot Firm list, but were
not in 2014
➡ 29 firms were both Hot Firm Award winners and Best Firms To
Work For
➡ Average movement on the list by Hot Firm alumni was down
5.2 places

5. How has firm size changed on the list?
• Firm sizes ranged from 14 to 17,000
• Median firm size of 175 people
• Average Firm size 610
Hot Firms Profile
• Firm sizes ranged from 20 to 9,200
• Median firm size of 186 people
• Average Firm size 454
2014 2015

6. 0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
A/E
(prim
arily
A)
Architecture/Interiors
D
esign/Build
Env
C
onsulting
FullService
Eng
M
ultidiscipline
Eng
Engineering
O
ther
11%
5%
35%
22%
12%
2%
9%
4%
Who are the 2015 Hot Firms?
Hot Firms Profile

7. How Hot Firms’ 3-year revenue growth has trended
Hot Firms Profile
Average Median

8. How Hot Firms’ 3-year revenue growth has trended
Hot Firms Profile
2014 2015
Average Growth Rate 108% 115%
Median Growth Rate 74% 88%
Top 10 Average Growth Rate 345% 232%
Top 10 Median Growth Rate 218% 135%

9. What’s your top concern right now?
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11. What firm leaders are saying…
Hot Firms Profile
“Our%success%has%been%based%on%our%commitment%to%being%a%'Best%Firm%to%Work%For'%for%
our%staff%and%a%'best%firm%to%work%with'%for%our%Clients.%Coupled%with%a%strong%
entrepreneurial%spirit%and%a%commitment%to%do%it%right%the%first%@me,%this%has%
posi@oned%us%to%add%people,%projects%%and%capabili@es%through%the%oil%and%gas%
resource%boom%of%the%last%few%years.”%%
~Lee%Jordan,%Opera@ons%Manager,%GATE
Multidiscipline#1 #8

12. What firm leaders are saying…
Hot Firms Profile
LJA's%success%is%aMributed%to%our%strategy%of%diversifica@on%of%services.%We've%
accomplished%this%by%expansions%through%acquisi@ons%and%organic%growth,%both%
geographical%and%by%discipline,%affording%us%the%opportunity%to%capture%addi@onal%
market%share.%%Diversifica@on,%along%with%key%new%hires,%places%LJA%in%the%posi@on%to%
increase%our%market%and%client%base.%%Addi@onally,%a%key%factor%to%our%success%is%that%
LJA%is%an%employeeRowned%firm,%and%we%believe%in%a%"grow%or%die%philosophy”%
~Calvin%T.%Ladner%PE,%President,%LJA%Engineering
Multidiscipline#2 #15

13. What Hot Firm leaders are saying…
Hot Firms Profile
“O’Neal’s%professionals%average%over%21%years%of%experience%and%specialize%in%complex%
design%and%construc@on.%As%an%employeeRowned%company,%our%people%are%our%biggest%
asset%and%dedicated%to%our%clients.%Unlike%most%in%our%industry,%O’Neal%can%guarantee%a%
cost%and%schedule%for%project%delivery%during%the%reconstruc@on%phase.%O’Neal’s%
exper@se%and%due%diligence%and%our%proven%CAP%Process%allows%us%to%be%confident%in%
our%cost%and%schedule%for%total%project%delivery.”%%
~Kevin%Bean%PE,%President%and%CEO,%O’Neal
#3

14. Guess the percentage of firms on the 2015 Hot
Firm List who grew using M&A?
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16. Hot Firms Profile
Percentage of 2015 Hot Firm List grew by
Merger and/or Acquisition
38%

17. Organic growth is BIG for Hot Firms
Hot Firms Profile
Percentage of 2015 Hot Firm List grew by
organic growth alone during the three-year growth period
62%

18. Organic growth is big for Hot Firms
Hot Firms Profile
0
1
2
3
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
2015 Rank vs. # of Transactions
+

19. Best Firms To Work For Profile
✓ 67% have won a BFTWF Award before
✓ 62% of the 67% who won an award before, received an award last year
✓ Oldest firm was founded in the year 1900; Average was 1981
✓ 48% of BFTWF Applicants have received a Hot Firm award before
✓ Size ranged from 12 to 914 employees
✓ 99% of firms hired at least one person in 2014

20. Best Firms To Work For Profile
✓ 87% Have an HR Department or dedicated HR staff member
✓ 91% Collect formal feedback from their employees
✓ 99% Use this feedback for business functions
✓ 72% Share a working strategic business plan with staff
✓ 77% Share revenue data with all employees
✓ 64% Share profit data with all employees

21. What’s your best source for new hires?
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23. Best Firms To Work For Profile
Employee profile - Age
Total employees surveyed
9600+

24. Best Firms To Work For Profile
Employee profile - Job roles
Total employees surveyed
9600+

25. Best Firms To Work For Profile
Employee profile - Gender
Total employees surveyed
9600+

26. Of the following options, what are
employees least satisfied with?
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A. Mentoring program
B. Periodic pay increases
C. Training opportunities
D. Career growth/advancement opportunities
E. Opportunities for increased responsibility
F. Excellent benefits
G. Challenging work

28. Best Firms To Work For Profile
Employee profile - Satisfaction (1-10 scale)
Less satisfied More satisfied

29. Best Firms To Work For Profile
Employee profile - Satisfaction (1-10 scale)
Less satisfied More satisfied

30. Best Firms To Work For Profile
Employee profile - Satisfaction
• Overall, employees in the under 25 and over 67
age range gave more positive responses than
other age ranges.
• Overall, people in management were more likely to
give positive responses than other job roles.
+

31. Best Firms To Work For Profile
Words that describe Best Firms To Work For
Most popular choices

32. Best Firms To Work For Profile
✓ 93% Offered flex time/flexible working hours
✓ 99% Offered at least one type of retirement plan; 94% offered 401K plans
✓ 97% Offered bonus plans to full-time employees
✓ 89% Allow employees to carry PTO from one year to the next
✓ 92% Of firms provide maternity leave (average & median of 6 weeks
paid, 12 weeks unpaid); 70% of firms provide paternity leave

33. Best Firms To Work For Profile
• Most&popular&response&was&“Nothing”&&
• Be6er&mentoring/training&programs&
• Childcare&
• Gym/exercise/workout&areas&&
• 4/10&schedule&or&opCon
What have you experienced or heard about at other firms that you
would like to see implemented at your firm?
• Hawaiian&Shirt&Fridays&
• Pool&table&
• Take&all&employees&on&vacaCon&once&a&year&
• Nap&Cme&
• Rest&Pods

34. Best Firms To Work For
✓ Full&kitchen&stocked&with&fresh&fruit,&soN&drinks,&frozen&dinners,&espresso,&etc…&
✓ Flight&training&allowances&for&pursuit&of&private&pilot&licenses&
✓ Capital&Bike&Share&and&Zipcar&
✓ Community&supported&agriculture&&&&
✓ OnSsite&car&wash&&&
✓ Massage&therapist&every&quarter&&&&
✓ Dry&cleaning&pickup&&&drop&off&
✓ Happy&hour&for&new&employees
What&other&types&of&benefits&do&you&offer?&
Some&of&the&best:

35. Why should your firm be honored
among the Best Firms To Work For?
“As%an%almost%century%old%company,%Garver%has%been%rooted%in%its%core%values%R%honor,%
integrity,%trust,%and%respect%R%while%progressively%seeking%ways%to%provide%a%flexible%
and%suppor@ve%work%environment%that%accommodates%all%genera@ons.%Our%culture%is%
what%makes%Garver%unique,%and%that%uniqueness%has%allowed%us%to%grow%and%diversify%
by%service%offerings%and%geography.%It%is%a%vibrant%culture%that%aMracts%top%talent%to%
join%us%and%that%compe@tors%want%to%emulate.%Garver%is%a%Best%Place%to%Work.”%
#3 Multi-Discipline
~GARVER Corporate survey response

36. Why should your firm be honored
among the Best Firms To Work For?
“We%foster%an%environment%of%open%communica@on%and%we%welcome%sugges@ons%
and%new%ideas%from%our%employees.%%Whether%it%be%through%our%Town%Hall%
Mee@ngs,%employee%engagement%surveys,%or%sugges@on%boxes%–%employees%have%
shared%their%ideas%and%have%helped%our%firm%evolve%to%where%it%is%today.”%
#6 Multi-Discipline
~LANGAN Corporate survey response

37. Why should your firm be honored
among the Best Firms To Work For?
BRPH%has%always%been%a%firm%dedicated%to%its%people.%Projects%come%and%go,%
opportuni@es%come%and%go,%but%the%one%constant%is%our%people.%Flexible%work%
schedules%and%work%from%home%op@ons%are%now%part%of%our%tradi@onal%
offerings…and%making%our%office%loca@ons%more%comfortable%for%team%members%
has%become%a%big%part%of%our%culture%including%Friday%Fun%Days%and%small%touches%
like%fresh%Cuban%coffee%breaks%at%10%a.m.%and%2%p.m.%every%single%day.
#28 Multi-Discipline
~BRPH Corporate survey response

38. Best Firms To Work For
➡ How big is big enough?
➡ What do you expect for the future/what are your plans for future? (Very common)
➡ Ownership transition plan?
➡ When will we move out of this dirty, badly managed office building?
➡ Do you know I'm here?
➡ Why do you keep things a secret so long?
➡ How do you get your hair so perfectly coiffed?
➡ Why are we so bad at holding people accountable and calling out bad behavior?
➡ Do you ever REALLY go on vacation? (Without your phone for email)
➡ You guys want to go surfing this weekend?
➡ Why are we okay with making no money?
If you could ask your leadership just one question, what would it be?

39. What is your most effective marketing tool?
(Ex. Email, word of mouth, website, etc)
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41. What differentiates your firm from the competition?
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43. #BFTWF#HotFirm2015