Recruitment And Retention Of Civil Engineers In Departments Of Transportation

Recruitment And Retention Of Civil Engineers In Departments Of Transportation CHARLES R GLAGOLA, PE, AND CORY NICHOLS, PE W ith the climate of general economic growth and prosperity in the United States over the past decade, it has been a seller s market in the civil engineering design and construction industries This economic boom has made a great deal of work available for the companies traditionally competing for projects and therefore has provided more employment for more companies More companies are working and more companies have greater workloads This increase in the quantity of work has, consequently, led to a shortage of qualified personnel in the workforce in many areas of the country This shortage has occurred at all project levels, from laborers and skilled project craft personnel to engineers and managers Project owners, contractors, and consultants have found it difficult to find qualified engineering personnel to fill the slots for design, inspection, project management, and all other functional areas that typically require a civil engineer In this employment crisis, a battle for finding, hiring, and retaining engineers has developed between the companies and agencies associated with civil engineer works Public agencies, such as departments of transportation (DOTs), have found themselves at a disadvantage in competing for new engineering graduates as well as in retaining current engineering personnel This competition has developed not only between agencies, but also more acutely between agencies and private-sector employers Private-sector employers, not inhibited by the rules and regulations that limit hiring salaries, bonuses, and creative incentive practices in governmental agencies, can continuously adjust the options open to them in attracting and keeping engineers in their workforce In this report, 13 departments of transportation were contacted and 9 responded to a questionnaire seeking information on their recruitment and retention (R 2 ) practices Each responding department was questioned regarding the problems encountered in recruiting and retaining engineers These DOTs have shared their concerns and strategies in addressing this problem, and the results are provided in this article I m grateful for the cooperation and interest of the dedicated staffs of the DOTs that shared this information with us, namely those of Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Texas 30 Leadership and Management in Engineering

Engineering Needs of Departments of Transportation Response 3 25% 2 15% 1 5% 27% 24% 19% 14% 11% 5% Downloaded from ascelibraryorg by 3744206215 on 02/11/18 Copyright ASCE For personal use only; all rights reserved Leadership Technical Collaborative Communica FIGURE 1 - Desired Skills THE SURVEY The survey was divided into three areas: the first explored the needs of the department related to employment of engineers, the second addressed recruitment practices and strategies used by each department, and the last dealt with departmental retention practices, concerns, and plans The question on the needs of the department asked the respondent to list the five skills most desired by the department The response is shown in figure 1 NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT Each of the six categories of needs evolved from subjective responses through the use of affinity diagramming techniques that make it possible to group subjective responses in logical categories For example, the leadership category was generated by grouping the following individual responses, each showing the count of responses: leadership (2), managerial (3), administrative (1), resource management (1), Decision making (1), problem solving (1), and initiative (1) In Percent of Respondents 12 8 4 Career Computer Experience similar fashion, the collaborative category was generated from the following responses: interpersonal (3), personal (1), collaborative (1), adaptability (1), and organizational fit (1) Additional needs revealed in the responses that did not fit into one of the six indicated categories included the ability to become licensed and a knowledge of the particular department s current engineering operations It is interesting to note that in this sampling, the experience of a potential engineering hire represents only 5 percent of the total responses Most private-sector companies will rank experience much higher and this is understandable since much of the privatesector hiring of engineers is based on immediate needs RECRUITMENT OF GRADUATE ENGINEERS Career development: A major part of most recruitment programs employed by DOTs involves career development Most departments have developed broad and comprehensive programs that offer engineers work opportunities leading to 10 10 88% 10 Job Fairs Web Sites Campus Signing 25% Other 88% FIGURE 2 - Recruiting Method Leadership and Management in Engineering 31

Percent of Responses 12 10 8 6 4 2 88% 13% Coop/intern programs 10 early licensure in that state These comprehensive career development programs also offer new engineering hires a broad choice of employment opportunities and a selection of project types when first joining the department This differs somewhat from the private-sector, which usually fills immediate needs within their current workload and initially places more importance on the new engineer s experience than on his or her career development Interview methods: The types of recruitment interviews used by all respondents were the classic face-to-face interviews by department engineering recruiters and human resources personnel Most used telephone interviews as a preliminary or follow-up tool but principally relied on the faceto-face encounter None specified that multimedia tools were being used in the recruitment process other than advertisements on the department Web site, but they did indicate that the unlimited possibilities inherent in these tools would add a further dimension to the recruitment process Some departments envision recruitment where prospective employees could be interviewed from home or some other remote location and meet with a panel of engineering recruiters from the department without having to travel to the state headquarters Recruitment methods: In this part of the survey, departments were asked about the methods used in recruitment, the incentives offered, and the concerns raised in having to compete with the private sector Figure 2 shows the different methods used in the recruitment process as a percentage of departments participating In addition, departments were asked specifically about certain standard or proven methods used to entice prospective engineering graduates These results are summarized in figure 3 Those departments that indicated guaranteed raises as part of recruitment enticement were principally tied to a University Faculty 38% FIGURE 3 - Recruiting Methods Used 63% Guaranteed Raises YES NO unionized workforce that represented the engineering employees as well as other employees of the department One exception was provided by the Florida DOT, which restructured its career service rule to address the increasing difficulty of recruiting against the private sector The revision to the rule allows for a recruitment bonus of up to $1,000m which may be granted to a highly qualified applicant who has accepted employment with the department and who is appointed to a hard-to-fill position as documented by recruitment difficulties These data indicate that guaranteed raises are not the norm in hiring practices unless engineering employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement Florida s rule, however, was changed in this respect to grant an increase in the employee s base rate of pay as a result of a competitive job offer Such an increase may be approved based on the following criteria: 1) a documented valid job offer; 2) documentation as to the value of the employee to the organization; and 3) costs associated with replacing the employee Such an increase may only be approved once in any 12-month period and the job offer must not be an open offer or repeat job offer Starting salary: Perhaps the most significant disadvantage of DOTs in the recruiting battles is the starting salary Most departments of transportation are limited in the range of starting salaries they can offer new engineering hires, whereas private-sector firms can, in theory, offer any amount they wish In a competitive market, they can simply raise the bet, as it were, and win the hand if the competition can t match the offer This disparity can be seen in figure 4 in the sample statistics on salary provided by the respondents No statistical information was generated from the private sector regarding salaries, and these figures will differ depending on location and company size The private-sector salary ranges 32 Leadership and Management in Engineering

Percent of Respondents 35% 3 25% 2 15% 1 5% for our recent graduates, however, have ranged, on average, from $36,000 to $40,000 On a whole, the difference is probably in the range of $3,000 to $5,000 Suffice it to say that private-sector salary offers will inevitably be higher than those of DOTs AGENCY RECRUITING STRATEGIES VERSUS PUBLIC SECTOR DOTs have recognized the need to change their way of doing business in order to be competitive in recruiting and retaining engineers The following quotes from departments indicate the steps that are being taken: NYS DOT: Junior engineers are able to work at locations throughout the state in a variety of assignments that are part of the largest ongoing state public works program in the country These positions provide an opportunity to obtain excellent experience in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of highways, bridges, airports, railroads, and other transportation facilities, as well as more concentrated work in engineering materials, geotechnical and structural engineering, and engineering research and development NYS DOT has an engineering progression plan that supports rapid promotion opportunities to the professional levels in civil engineering New appointees begin as junior engineers and after one year of satisfactory service and attainment of the FE certificate are promoted to civil engineer 1, current starting salary $39,902 After receiving a PE license, civil engineers become eligible for promotion to civil engineer 2, current salary $49,250 There are subsequent opportunities to midlevel and upper-level engineering management positions Georgia DOT: Emphasis is placed upon greater stability, security, benefits such as leave, retirement, quality of life, etc 30-32K 32-34K 34-36K 36-38K FIGURE 4 - Salary Range ADOT: We encourage people to consider the multiple opportunities available within ADOT and the stability of the organization TEXDOT: It is tough! However, we promote family life, we promote benefits, we promote job security, and we promote meaningful career opportunities in transportation engineering available only to DOT employees Where else will a civil engineer get the opportunity to design or build a modern designed bridge that opens roadways to millions of Americans? Caltrans: Civil service job security; excellent benefits; projects; pay increases All respondents provided similar input on how they address the issues of comparing public employment with private employment during the hiring process The general tone in competing against the private sector seems to be to promote the traditional and obvious differences between the two sectors These historically have had to do with job security, benefits, and work-related diversity The Florida DOT has developed a long-term strategy that essentially addresses these same features but also encompasses other features FDOT: What employers see for the future: From most accounts, recruiting in the future will need to focus on the things most valued by the current generation of prospective employees, which differ from the values held by employees in the past Studies show that employees today identify the top five attributes in a job as (1) ability to balance work and personal life; (2) work that is truly enjoyable; (3) security for the future; (4) good pay or salary; and (5) enjoyable coworkers Also, a recent survey of college graduates indicated that, as they search for jobs, most are very concerned with the level of health benefits being offered by an employer Flexibility in the work environment, an opportunity to work on interesting projects, and training and learning opportunities are also important considerations Leadership and Management in Engineering 33

Regardless of the approach used, all the departments of transportation surveyed indicate that they have formulated plans and strategies for competing in the hiring market and will continue to adapt, as necessary, within the constraints placed on them as governmental agencies RETENTION OF ENGINEERS Opportunities for new engineers: All departments of transportation have some sort of orientation program Most have some continuing educational opportunities Figure 5 shows the percentage of respondents who have instituted programs as incentives for both hiring and retaining engineering employees In addition to these programs, many companies provide perquisites, or perks These can range anywhere from a private office or a company car to the selection of projects This survey asked departments which perks, if any, were being used to entice engineers to come aboard and to stay aboard The results are summarized in figure 6 As can be seen in the figure, most respondents indicated that they provide perks in the other category in place of or in addition to those named in the questionnaire These include a chance for better variety of projects; retention bonuses and opportunities for promotion; job rotation; license fee reimbursement; and relief in the area of educational loans Surprisingly, two of the nine respondents did not provide information regarding this question This does not necessarily mean that these departments don t provide any perks; it may mean that those pro- 34 Leadership and Management in Engineering

vided are not official and are offered on the basis of certain understood or ordinary practice criteria Job challenges: When asked about job challenges to promote retention, all departments indicated that project selection flexibility was a key to retention Experienced engineers are offered many choices of projects and locations to ensure that their professional development and sense of accomplishment are considered Caltrans indicated that work on the Golden Gate Bridge would be made available to their engineering employees as part of the retention program Obviously, departments can t always provide exactly what their employee wish, but all respondents indicated that, in most cases, engineers wishing to change locations or projects are usually accommodated as part of an effort to compete effectively with the private sector in the nonfinancial aspects of work Support for professional activities: Departmental economic support for professional organizational involvement by engineering employees was basically split down the middle Four departments indicated that they provided support while four indicated that they didn t and the ninth respondent did not address this question No statistics were found relating to private employment support for such activities, but from my own experience it is probably similar to that of the DOTs: half do and half don t Employee recognition: Most departments recognize the need to let employees know when they are doing a good job This acknowledgment can come in many forms, such as compensation time, small gifts, or even bonuses The responses to the survey concerning recognition were fairly consistent All departments have some type of recognition program The Iowa DOT, for example, has formal programs Other DOTs have years-of-service awards and awards for individual project performance Only two of the nine respondents indicated a program for financial reward based on job performance or suggestions Once again, the public sector has a hard time matching the private sector in rewarding engineers for exceptional performance financially However, the departments recognize this difference and dutifully attempt to at least let the engineering employee know that his or her performance has been recognized and that it is genuinely appreciated Mentoring by senior engineers: When asked if the department had a mentoring program, be it formal or informal, whereby young engineers can look to a seasoned engineering employee for counsel, the response was mixed Although all but one department indicated that they had a program, four indicated that these programs were only informal and the remaining four did not say whether their programs were formal or informal Without an opportunity to follow up prior to preparing this article, my impression is that only a couple of the programs were formal to the degree that they were a requisite part of the development program for new engineers Relocation support: Engineers within a DOT are subject to relocation when the department require their expertise somewhere else in the system Sometimes these moves are by choice and sometimes they are not Regardless of the reason for the moves, there are certainly considerations of expenses and logistics involved in any move, and departments were asked how they supported their employees when a move became necessary Figure 7 shows the responses to this query All but one DOT indicated that moving expenses were covered by the department, with the one specifically indicating that the employee would be responsible for all moving expenses Surprisingly, none of the respondents indicated any Leadership and Management in Engineering 35

sort of relocation bonus; nor was there any program with a supporting sponsor at the other end of the move Only two of the eight DOTs answering this question indicated that the department would help in selling a house if a job-related move became necessary RETENTION SUCCESS Most departments report that they are successful in their programs to compete with the private sector for engineers and feel comfortable with their retention statistics A sample of these statistics is provided in figures 7 and 8 using data from the Florida DOT They refer to these statistics as identifiers used in determining probability of retention Within their Professional Engineering Training Program, an identifier for retention is the time it takes to acquire the required years of postgraduate experience needed to become eligible to take the PE exam The training program lasts for four years and it is expected that the trainee will take exam as soon as he or she is eligible The success rate for trainees taking the exams is high; beyond this, the retention rate is regarded as reasonably high SUMMARY The survey data used for this report do not constitute irrefutable statistically significant findings; they do, however, provide the honest views, as well as R 2 data, from personnel managers and engineers within a representative group of DOTs These are the people who must deal with the problem of recruiting and retaining engineers, which is particularly challenging given the current strong economy Among the findings of this study are the following: DOTs recognize that they cannot compete financially with the private sector, but they can take steps to even the playing field by using other means to entice engineers to select DOT employment over that in the private sector DOTs have worked with state legislatures to change employment and hiring regulations to make them more competitive with the private sector The Florida example presented earlier shows this concern and the actions taken to offset or to change existing statutory limitations placed on hiring and retention DOTs stress job variety and choice in both the recruitment and retention process and feel that this allows them to compete with the private sector by reaching out to the hierarchy of needs that each of us has in regard to our lives and our work DOTs are changing the way that they view employees and employee needs and have recognized that what a person does eight or more hours a day has a significant effect on his or her overall satisfaction regardless of the financial compensation Charles R Glagola is an associate professor at the University of Florida Cory Nichols is a graduate assistant in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Florida on leave from the Florida Department of Transportation, where he is a project engineer LME 36 Leadership and Management in Engineering