NWA NAWIC Meeting – ElevateHER

“ElevateHER: A path to a more engaged, sustainable workforce”

The path to building companies that better reflect the clients and communities that we serve is an effort that we at Zweig Group have invested energy and resources to address since the launch of ElevateHer as a way to combat the AEC industry’s recruiting and retention challenges. The additional challenges of 2020 truly have the potential to set this important work back if we do not take seriously the genuine fissures in our workforce and workplace practices. The firm that can find opportunity in the circumstance, though, will be remembered for how they responded as entrepreneurs, leaders, and humans for years to come.

The decisions firm leaders make today will determine the talent available to the industry for the next professional generation. The lessons learned from previous crises tell us that there is a very real threat that diversity and inclusion programs are at risk for receding from the forefront as a strategic priority for organizations unintentionally as companies focus on basic needs to transition to the “new normal,” which could cripple organizations – and, indeed, the entire AEC industry – in the future as they seek to stabilize, flourish, and grow.

Presenter: Jamie Claire Kiser, Managing Principal, Zweig Group