While most AEC firm leaders intuitively understand the many benefits of consistent growth, some drive harder for it than others. From the perspective of recruiting and retention, firm growth is vital, as the vast majority of employees prize the perks resulting from steady increases of new clients and projects. So, just about every firm that wants to attract and keep key personnel has to grow. And the better that hiring managers can make the case for a bright future, the easier recruiting and retention become.

Let’s spell out the benefits of growth for employees:

• Salaries and bonuses go up. Check out industry salary surveys. In almost every case, with adjustments for location, the larger the firm, the higher the salaries.
• Stock and ownership stakes go up. When revenues rise, stock becomes more valuable.
• The firm gets more prestigious clients. Employees can add more high-profile projects to their resumes.
• Jobs become more fulfilling. Higher-profile projects usually mean more interesting work. This improves morale.
• Opportunities for promotions increase. As the workload rises, the firm adds positions. More management opportunities arise.
• Opportunities to learn new skills increase. Often, firms increase the diversity of their work as they grow. This provides employees multiple opportunities to bolster their skill-sets.
• More prestige and visibility for the firm. Impressive growth leads to notice in the trade and general business press. Employees take additional pride in this success.