Recruit and Retain: Investing the next generation of engineers, scientists, and surveyors.

• Author: Ringstad, Nicholas

With positive predictions on the horizon for the state of Alaska, hiring is going to be a big priority. The Alaska Economic Trends forecast for 2023 predicts the state will add approximately 5,300 jobs this year due in part to the federal infrastructure bill that was approved by Congress in 2022. The bill will provide billions of dollars to the state over the next several years for engineering-related projects and is expected to boost professional services such as architectural, engineering, environmental, and other consulting services. This is expected to represent more than half of the new jobs.

On top of the federal stimulus, Alaska's capital budget of $2.7 billion for fiscal year 2023 is more than three times higher than the previous fiscal year. An added advantage is that more employable workers have moved to the state as the number of military personnel and their families has doubled since 2019.

This welcome news means engineering and consulting firms across Alaska will need to ramp up employee recruiting and retainment efforts to meet the challenge of improving modern infrastructure to match other states. While traditional recruiting "carrots" like competitive salaries, bonuses, benefits, and profit sharing are a given, today's new recruits have even higher expectations. Outlined here are additional strategies to consider when looking for or retaining employees new to the engineering field.

Start from Within

While job sourcing tools like Linkedin, Indeed, and job postings with universities are crucial, one recruiting practice reigns supreme. For many firms, recruiting starts inside the organization. A tried-and-true adage applies here: great employees beget great employees. Some of our best employees came to us based on an internal recommendation, whether it be from an employee's previous job or someone they went to school with. People like to work with people they know and trust.

While a specific technical role may require specific credentials, don't squander a good candidate just because they don't have all the right credentials. Skills can be learned and taught, but finding the right fit is often harder. The main asset that every potential employee must have is the ability to solve problems, even if this means breaking up a large problem into smaller ones and solving them. Companies must empower their employees to make independent decisions in the field. This is especially important when performing projects in remote areas of...