Workforce Development Playbook

This Playbook outlines pathways to prioritize workforce development, increase outreach to students, and cultivate the next generation of engineering talent to build the communities of tomorrow.

MO Governance Roadmap

Workforce Development Playbook

Talent Retention: Keeping Your Best People

Holding on to great employees takes more than a competitive paycheck. The firms that retain talent best take a holistic approach: they help every employee see how their work drives the firm's success, offer benefits that support physical and mental well-being, and build an inclusive culture where people feel empowered to contribute.

They invest in professional growth, equip managers to lead with trust and clear communication, and keep feedback flowing in both directions, including through "stay" interviews. Read on to learn how these practices can strengthen loyalty, deepen engagement, and keep your incumbent workforce thriving.

New resources on recognition and the latest ACEC Research Institute findings give firms practical tools to retain talent at every career stage.

Building a Culture of Recognition

Feeling valued at work is one of the strongest reasons employees stay. Recognition boosts engagement, morale, and productivity, and it strengthens collaboration across project teams. To work, though, it has to be authentic, consistent, and part of how the firm operates every day.

Implementation Plan: A five-phase roadmap for securing leadershipbuy-in, designing formal and informal recognition programs, training leaders, building recognition into daily work (project kick-offs, safety meetings, team shout-outs), and measuring results. Get the Plan(opens in new tab).

Manager Recognition Workbook: Six training modules that help supervisors give recognition that is timely, specific, inclusive, and aligned with firm values, while avoiding common pitfalls such as generic praise, favoritism, and overlooking quiet contributors. Get the Workbook(opens in new tab).

Recognition Email Templates

Talent Retention: 21st Century Graduates

The Importance of a Robust Onboarding Program: Step-By-Step Guide

Welcoming a new hire goes beyond paperwork and tours. Effective onboarding integrates employees into your organization, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to succeed. Strong onboarding programs lead to higher retention rates, as employees who feel welcomed, supported, and valued are more likely to commit to their career growth with your company.

A robust program fosters relationships and a sense of belonging, boosting retention. Clear expectations from day one help employees understand their roles and set them up for success. First impressions matter. Intentional onboarding shows your commitment to employees and enhances your reputation. Positive experiences shared by new hires can attract top talent.

Effective onboarding requires a year-long commitment from managers, HR, and mentors. Integration into company culture is ongoing, with involvement from various departments helping new employees see their role in the bigger picture. Interaction with different teams allows new hires to observe how others embody your organization’s values.

A supportive environment involves providing access to resources and tools, conducting regular check-ins, and establishing clear pathways for career advancement. By creating a welcoming and supportive environment, you set the stage for the long-term success of both your new employees and your company.

→ Download the Step-by-Step Guide(opens in new tab)

Employee Experience

Executive Summary

Through extensive and thorough meta-analysis of the latest existing data and studies, RetainHER is a comprehensive framework designed to address the critical workforce challenges facing the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. With a focus on supporting employees throughout their career and life stages, this framework empowers firms to reduce turnover, enhance employee satisfaction, and secure a competitive edge in talent retention.

The Challenge: The AEC sector is grappling with a significant workforce shortage. Employee turnover, currently at 14.1%, is costly—ranging from 50% to 200% of an annual salary to replace a single employee. This underscores the urgent need for retention strategies to ensure firms can sustain operations and growth without compromising on project quality.

RetainHER Approach: RetainHER offers a lifecycle-oriented approach that aligns employee support with key career stages:

Me Season (0-10 years): Focus on early-career professionals exploring opportunities, seeking growth, and managing work-life balance. Recommendations include flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities, and recognition programs to foster engagement and loyalty.
Family Season (10-20+ years): Addressing mid-career challenges, such as balancing family and professional responsibilities, RetainHER advocates for paid parental leave, childcare support, and career advancement tailored for working caregivers.
Empty Nest Season: Supporting late-career professionals as they transition into new roles and purposes, with emphasis on mentoring opportunities, wellness programs, and redefining career goals.

→ View the Framework(opens in new tab)

Career Mentoring

Many successful individuals credit mentors for playing a key role in their personal and professional growth. Mentors offer both short-term support—such as solving problems or learning new skills—and long-term guidance. At its core, mentoring is a mutual relationship built on growth, learning, and shared success.

→ Download and use this guide to help you lead and support a successful mentorship program(opens in new tab).

"Stay" Interview Questions

A stay interview is a structured conversation between a manager and an employee designed to learn what keeps the employee engaged and satisfied in their current role, as well as to identify any potential issues that might lead to their departure. Unlike exit interviews, which occur after an employee has decided to leave, stay interviews provide an opportunity to address concerns and reinforce positive aspects of the job while the employee is still with the organization.

→ Get the Questions(opens in new tab)

Onboarding Best Practices

→ Get the Best Practices(opens in new tab)

Retention Insights from the ACEC Research Institute

Nearly half of engineering professionals (47%) name burnout as their top career concern, and firms that address it head-on will have the edge in keeping their people. The ACEC Research Institute's The Workforce of the Future (October 2025), based on a national workforce survey and dozens of in-depth interviews, shows why retention matters so much right now.

Why it matters

More than 40% of staff are early in their careers.
Women leave the field earlier than men.
Engineering earns high marks for job stability and purpose but lags other industries on work-life balance, inclusion, and adaptability.

Three must-haves for every employee group

Managers who provide clear expectations, feedback, and support (97%)
Competitive compensation and benefits (96%)
Leadership that models integrity (95%)

Where firms can act

Early-career on-ramps: Structured onboarding, skills roadmaps, and transparent career pathways.
Workload and flexibility: Realistic schedules, flexible work arrangements, and respect for personal time.
Mentorship: Proactive mentor matching and cross-training for engineers and non-engineers alike.
Inclusive recognition: Recognition programs that value non-billable and non-engineering roles.
Succession planning: Pairing senior leaders with rising talent and keeping leadership pathways visible.

→ Read the Workforce of the Future Report(opens in new tab)

Talent Recruitment

One of the biggest challenges in engineering recruitment is the lack of early STEM exposure in schools, which is crucial for inspiring future engineers. Without a strong foundation in STEM education, many students miss the opportunity to develop an interest in engineering careers, contributing to a shortage of qualified talent. The following section provides recommendations for industry awareness and identifying national early-STEM organizations.

Collegiate Partnerships- Workforce Development Playbook

Creating an Internship Prorgram - Workforce Development Playbook

Building a Successful Internship Program

Attracting Engineers

Beyond education and accessibility, competition for engineering talent is intense, particularly as industries like technology draw young professionals away from traditional engineering fields. Attracting and retaining talent also depends on location, with some areas lacking the natural or urban amenities that appeal to young professionals. To remain competitive, engineering firms must highlight the advantages of their locations, offer strong professional networks, and provide workplace flexibility. A multifaceted approach that emphasizes education, industry engagement, and targeted recruitment efforts is essential to building a strong and sustainable workforce for the future.

Early STEM Exposure

Discover Engineering is a national initiative dedicated to inspiring the next generation of engineers by providing engaging resources that promote STEM education. It offers hands-on activities, interactive games, career exploration tools, and educational videos designed to spark curiosity in engineering among students of all ages. The program also supports educators and parents with lesson plans and outreach materials to enhance STEM learning. Through partnerships with industry leaders and organizations, Discover Engineering helps connect students with real-world engineering applications, mentorship opportunities, and pathways to careers in the field.

Student Mentoring

Student mentoring strengthens the engineering industry by inspiring and preparing the next generation of professionals. ACE Mentor Program provides students with hands-on exposure to real-world engineering challenges, connecting them with industry experts who offer guidance, career insights, and practical experience. These initiatives help bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional practice, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. By engaging students early, mentorship programs not only cultivate interest in engineering careers, but they expand opportunities for all students interested in STEM-based career pathways. Additionally, mentorship strengthens the pipeline of future engineers by providing young talent with the confidence, industry knowledge, and networking opportunities needed to thrive in a competitive field. Investing in mentorship ensures a well-prepared, innovative, and diverse workforce, ultimately benefiting the entire engineering profession.

STEM Teaching Support

NCWIT is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2004 with a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a mission to broaden participation in computing and technology fields based on research foundations and best practices. With more than 1,600 organizational members across the U.S., NCWIT has an exemplary track record of providing the national network and resources necessary for educators and industry leaders to collaborate, increase access to learning, open new career pathways, and foster environments where all students and employees can thrive. NCWIT'S research-based resources and programs offer evidence-backed solutions built by a team of 15 social scientists.

NCWIT offers 503(c)3s and companies the opportunity to build the workforce of the future through philanthropy and volunteerism and provides recruitment through virtual career fairs and a national community of more than 30,000 technologists.

Volunteer or donate to a K12 pipeline program:

Teach Engineering (TE) is a free library of classroom-tested, standards-aligned K-12 STEM resources created in collaboration with educators across the nation. The goal is to help educators put the ‘E’ in STEM by making applied science, technology, and math come alive through engineering design and design thinking. The collection promotes “engineering on a shoestring budget” and features hands-on activities that use easily accessible, low-cost materials.
Counselors for Computing (C4C) empowers school counselors with knowledge, resources, and confidence to promote technology careers to all students. By connecting technology education to essential career readiness skills and providing counselors with up-to-date information about labor market trends and emerging technologies, C4C ensures that students are prepared for the jobs of the future.

Recruit:

Participate in NCWIT’s annual virtual career fair which connects our community of 30,000 technologists with member companies each summer.

Strategic Planning

This Playbook outlines pathways to prioritize workforce development, increase outreach to students, and cultivate the next generation of engineering talent to build the communities of tomorrow.