Recruiting and retaining talent is the most important issue facing design firms today. Add to this the fact that four--or sometimes more--generations are working side by side in the profession, and employers are facing a challenge like never before in our industry.

In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other industry analysts predict that the need for civil, environmental, electrical, and mechanical engineers will continue to grow in the coming years, in some cases at a pace well ahead of average professional growth rates. Engineering firms in virtually every state have reported difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff at all levels, from recent graduates to senior engineers with 15 or more years of experience.

The outlook for a steady supply of engineering graduates in the future isn't any more promising. The fact is that fewer students are entering engineering programs in the U.S. than in other countries (relative to populations), and engineering schools across the nation are citing difficulties in retaining the students once they do enroll. According to the Wall Street Journal, the University of Southern California has released statistics recently showing that of the 120,000 students who begin engineering programs in U.S. universities, only half graduate with engineering degrees.

If your firm, like so many others, is feeling the recruiting and retention pinch, you don't need statistics to show you that you've got to figure out a way to attract young engineers and architects or face serious staffing issues that will affect your ability to deliver work to your clients. And you are probably already painfully aware of the frustrations involved in investing in a young engineers' and architects' training and career development, only to lose them to a competitor--or worse, a competing field--just as they are poised to become your key project managers.

In our consulting practices in human resources management and strategic planning to design firms across the country, one topic we hear over and over again has to do with managers' perceptions that younger engineers (as well as architects and other design professionals) take a different approach to their work and careers than those of older generations. Like many design firm leaders, we wondered: What attracts young architects and engineers to a company? What keeps younger workers committed to the company? How do the younger generation's approaches to work and career, expectations, and priorities differ from those of older generations? In 2006, HR Advisors Group, LLC, surveyed 165 young engineers, architects, and other design professionals to probe these issues.

Topics in the 2006 pilot survey included the following:

• Attributes and opportunities motivating the young employees to accept their current position.
• Motivations to accept a new position or to stay at the company with which they are currently employed.
• What they like about their current jobs and companies, and what they would change.
• Characterization of their own work styles and attitudes, and what it's like to work at their company.
• Priorities for training and development.
• How they get along with co-workers of different generations, and how they perceive those co-workers.

We found some surprises among the results. For example, of the 165 survey respondents, just over 66% said that the salary offered was a very important reason for accepting their current position. However, if they had to make the decision today--that is, stay with their current firm or accept a position at another firm--the number citing salary as a very important reason jumps to over 90%. And while the reputation of the firm was a highly rated reason for accepting their current position, cited as very important by two-thirds of the respondents, it doesn't even make the top 15 important reasons to accept a position with a new firm.

The 2007 survey, which opened in April, expands the respondent pool to all engineers and architects with up to seven years of experience at large, mid-size and small companies across the U.S. These young professionals will weigh in on topics regarding their employment and aspirations, as well as providing their perspectives as the younger generation at work today. Like the salary and climate surveys that engineering firms already use to benchmark themselves compared to others in the industry, the results will be revealing in terms of how firms can be competitive in one of their most important markets--attracting and retaining their future leaders.

We are asking employers to send the link to employees and request that those with 0-7 years of experience complete the survey. Click here to participate in the survey.

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HR Advisors Group, LLC is a Washington, DC based consultancy focused on engineering, architecture, and related professions. Barbara H. Irwin is Principal and Founder, with over 20 years of experience in the engineering design and construction industries. Cara Bobchek, co-author of "Strategic Planning for Design Firms" (Kaplan, 2007), is a management consultant with 25 years of experience. For more information on Future Leaders Focus, a Survey of Architects and Engineers with up to Seven Years of Experience, contact HR Advisors Group, LLC at www.hradvisorsgroup.com.