PCCA Journal|3
rd
Quarter 2015
9
T
he engineering and construction industry
is notoriously competitive. You often hear
people say, “We work harder,” or “We are
more focused on our clients,” or “We can beat
anyone’s cost.” A healthy sense of competition
can characterize success throughout the industry. However,
when it comes to winning in the war for talent, many organi-
zations overlook the critical nature of beating their competi-
tion in this domain. The best organizations know that firms
with the best people have a clear competitive advantage.
To succeed over the next decade, organizations will need
to not only attract great people, but also retain their existing,
high-potential leaders. This requires an intentional effort to
address two key issues. The highest performers want to (1)
be recognized and rewarded for their contributions and (2)
receive continuous opportunities to grow and develop. Many
organizations tend to focus mostly on the first of the two
and reward high potentials through raises or bonuses. While
this may generate short-term motivation, a monetary-based
strategy won’t help retain your employees if your competitors
can offer more. To build long-term loyalty and deep levels of
motivation, organizations must do more than simply offer
monetary rewards for good work. Offering opportunities
for high-potential employees to grow and develop is a more
strategic and more effective tool for retaining top talent and
maximizing their potential.
A recent FMI survey found that only 43 percent of orga-
nizations surveyed in the construction industry are using a
consistent process to identify and develop the next genera-
tion of leaders. That means the majority of organizations do
this inconsistently, or not at all. To win the war for talent,
organizations will need to master the art of identifying and
developing high-potential talent, yet far too many have not
even started the process.
While less common, the best organizations in the industry
have identified a clear and consistent process for identifying
and developing high potentials. They have built the inter-
nal systems and structures needed to ensure that their next
generation of leaders is continually developing its skills. This
greatly contributes to longer-term loyalty because leaders
who believe that you are investing in their long-term poten-
tial have a greater sense of commitment to your organization.
By helping leaders clarify their short- and long-term devel-
opmental goals, you are sending a strong signal that you are
interested in their career growth and potential to take on ad-
ditional challenges and roles. This type of proactive develop-
ment is an intentional, focused, and purposeful process that
is planned out and implemented. This approach takes time
Winning theWar for Talent:
Developing Your High-Potential Leaders
By Emily Livorsi and Tim Tokarczyk
Continued on page 10