Helbling executive search consultants discusses the talent management strategies and initiatives that are taking precedence among A/E/C firms and the types of professionals who are in high demand in today's market.

1. Facilities Construction Real Estate Engineering
R E TA I N E D E X E C U T I V E S E A RCH
Architectural,
Engineering
&
Construction
Outlook
2012
Part
II Talent
Management
Strategies
As
discussed
in
our
Architectural,
Engineering
&
Construction
Outlook
2012
Part
I,
while
the
A/E/C
industry
remains
in
a
recovery
stage,
there
are
several
market
sectors
offering
tremendous
opportunities.
As
well,
there
are
trends
in
strategic
initiatives
among
industry
players
such
as:
strengthening
competitive
advantage
through
innovation,
offering
alternative
project
delivery
methods
and
improving
business
development
practices.
Helbling
&
Associates
is
an
executive
search
firm
that
specializes
exclusively
in
construction,
facilities
management,
real
estate
and
engineering.
We
have
watched
our
clients
sustain
and
improve
themselves
by
developing
approaches
to
the
concepts
outlined
above.
We
have
also
seen
them
retain
their
focus
on
attracting
strong
professionals
who
can
assist
them
in
achieving
their
objectives
of
these
new
initiatives
and
more.
Within
this
Outlook,
we
outline
the
trends
that
are
taking
precedence
in
recruitment
and
talent
management
strategies.
✴ Recruiting talented professionals.
To
leverage
the
opportunities
being
presented
within
the
industry,
companies
have
to
recruit
and
retain
high-­‐caliber
professionals
who
can
assist
them
in
achieving
their
goals.
Firms
understand
their
need
to
infuse
intelligent,
technologically
savvy
individuals
into
their
organizations
who
can
lead
progressive
initiatives.
Impeding
their
efforts
is
an
aging
population
at
the
executive
management
and
operational
levels,
lack
of
succession
and
transition
strategies,
and
a
shortage
of
competent
professionals
with
specific
skill
sets.
Coming
out
of
the
worst
recession
in
history,
many
firms
had
cut
back
to
just
essential
staff
members
over
the
past
few
years
which
compounds
the
challenge.
Senior Executives
Leadership
talent
has
always
been
difficult
to
find
and
attract
but
now
it
is
more
challenging
than
ever
in
the
A/E/C
industry.
Companies
are
actively
seeking
executives
who:
✓ Are
change
agents.
✓ Are
technologically
savvy
to
lead
by
example.
✓ Understand
strategies
and
execution
leadership.
✓ Can
manage
profitable
business
units
or
regions.
✓ Have
either
broad
or
industry-­‐specific
experiences.
✓ Are
able
to
lead
in
an
inclusive
and
empowering
way.
✓ Possess
the
ability
to
build
and
lead
high-­‐performance
teams.
✓ Foster
a
collaborative
work
environment
that
motivates
employees.
✓ Have
the
ability
to
create
a
culture
of
innovation
and
continuous
improvement.
Executives
who
possess
these
new
desired
skill
sets
are
not
easy
to
find
and
they
are
usually
embedded
in
their
current
organizations
thus
making
it
difficult
to
attract
them
to
new
opportunities.

2. Seller – Doers
Seller-­‐Doers
have
been
sought
after
for
the
past
several
years
and
the
demand
for
them
has
not
wavered.
These
are
the
individuals
who:
✓ Possess
a
strong
business
and
sales
acumen.
✓ Offer
a
“single-­‐contact”
concept
to
prospective
clients.
✓ Are
“tapped”
into
the
marketplace
by
networking
with
existing
and
prospective
customers.
✓ Have
the
ability
to
learn
of
opportunities
before
plans
are
made
public
because
of
their
contacts.
✓ Have
the
sales
acumen
to
sell
a
project
as
well
as
the
understanding
and
knowledge
to
discuss
its
constructibility
and
engineering
issues
which
creates
added
value
to
the
customer,
developing
a
tighter
relationship.
Professionals with specialized skill sets, advanced degrees and certifications
Innovation
and
diversification
are
common
initiatives
within
the
A/E/C
industry
and
companies
are
seeking
individuals
with
specialized
skill
sets
such
as
knowledge
and
understanding
of
BIM,
LEED,
green
building,
energy
efficiency,
IPD,
lean
construction
and
integrating
IT
into
processes
and
procedures.
Advanced
certifications
and
degrees
are
also
of
interest
including
Professional
Engineer,
Registered
Architect
and
Project
Management
Professional.
✴ Giving increased consideration to the Emotional Intelligence of candidates.
Emotional
Intelligence
(EI)
has
been
proven
to
significantly
impact
a
person’s
ability
to
lead
an
organization,
business
unit
or
team.
Post-­‐recession,
it
has
been
given
more
attention
in
prospective
candidates.
EI
provides
a
way
to
understand
and
assess
a
person’s
behaviors,
management
styles,
attitudes,
interpersonal
skills
and,
ultimately,
their
potential.
Characteristics
of
high
EI
are:
✓ Optimism
and
positive
attitude.
✓ Decisiveness
and
self-­‐motivation.
✓ Ability
to
adapt
quickly
to
market
changes
and
to
creatively
develop
new
solutions.
✓ Understanding
of
how
to
effectively
handle
difficult
or
highly
emotional
situations.
✓ “Participative”
management
style
and
adeptness
at
persuading
people
to
“buy-­‐in”
to
initiatives
and
goals.
✓ Understanding
of
how
to
build
relationships
–
with
subordinates,
with
superiors,
with
customers
and
with
teams.
✓ An
appreciation
of
the
importance
of
listening
to
others
and
gathering
their
input
before
implementing
major
changes.
✴ Overlapping roles and responsibilities in C-suite.
Many
companies
are
trying
to
do
more
with
less
and
are
looking
for
individuals
who
have
the
experience
and
capabilities
to
fulfill
multiple
roles
and
to
juggle
diverse
responsibilities.
Chief
Financial
Officers
(CFOs)
are
now
often
asked
to
take
on
responsibilities
normally
for
a
Chief
Operating
Officer
(COO)
and
vice
versa.
COOs
are
expected
to
become
more
knowledgeable
of
available
technologies
and
are
sometimes
tasked
with
the
responsibilities
normally
given
to
a
Chief
Information
Officer
(CIO).
For
General
Counsels
and
Chief
Legal
Officers,
they
are
more
actively
involved
in
decision
making
at
the
executive
level
and
are
expected
to
rely
less
upon
outside
legal
teams.
Chief
Executive
Officers
(CEOs)
must
have
experience
and
knowledge
across
all
functions
to
effectively
lead
organizations.
These
increased
responsibilities
and
expectations
have
made
filling
these
positions
more
difficult
as
well
as
more
critical
to
the
overall
success
of
companies.

3. ✴ Retaining key employees and performing succession planning.
Not
only
is
competition
strong
in
acquiring
work
in
the
A/E/C
industry
but
it
is
also
fierce
in
retaining
employees.
Talented
professionals
with
certain
skill
sets
are
becoming
increasingly
scarce
making
it
difficult
for
firms
to
not
only
find
people
but
to
also
hold
on
to
them.
The
more
progressive
firms
have
specific
strategies
for
retaining
their
key
employees
such
as:
✓ Consistently
monitoring
employee
satisfaction.
✓ Offering
non-­‐financial
incentives
that
employees
find
valuable.
✓ Creating
special
projects
to
challenge
professionals
and
keep
them
engaged.
✓ Identifying
employees
who
are
high-­‐potentials
and
creating
a
professional
development
program
for
them.
Although
retaining
high-­‐potential
employees
is
a
major
concern
of
most
companies,
only
38%
of
employers
have
a
formal
plan
to
retain
those
employees
while
62%
do
not,
according
to
Fails
Management
Corporation.
The
key
thing
to
remember
is
that
money
is
rarely
a
reason
why
top
performers
leave.
The
reasons
usually
revolve
around
future
project
potential,
career
advancement
and
their
ability
to
impact
the
success
of
an
organization.
In
closing,
there
are
many
strategies
being
implemented
among
A/E/C
firms
to
ensure
their
ability
to
continue
attracting
and
retaining
key
players
involved
in
leadership,
operations
and
project
execution.
And
the
companies
who
are
most
attentive
and
progressive
in
these
initiatives
will
experience
the
most
success.
As
we
all
move
forward,
Helbling
&
Associates
appreciates
the
opportunity
to
continue
partnering
with
our
clients
in
securing
talented
individuals
who
have
the
ability
to
significantly
impact
their
organizations.
Sources:
Deloitte
&Touche,
Fails
Management
Corporation,
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Authors:
Sami
L.
Barry,
Strategic
Business
Development
Marc
K.
Datz,
Senior
Managing
Consultant
Matthew
D.
Lesher,
Managing
Consultant
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