Event
What does the “ideal employer” look like to today’s emerging engineering talent? Drawing on insights from the ACEC Research Institute’s Workforce of the Future Study, this session explores the attributes, expectations, and decision drivers that define how engineering students and early-career professionals evaluate firms. The findings reveal a nuanced picture of what truly matters: meaningful work, transparent career pathways, supportive managers, flexible work environments, opportunities for rapid learning, and a culture that aligns with personal values.
This webinar will bring those data to life through a candid conversation with engineering students preparing to enter the workforce and young professionals with three to five years of experience. They will share how they interpret the study’s findings, what influences their employment choices, and how firms can position themselves as employers of choice in a highly competitive talent market.
Joseph Bates, Senior Research Consultant, at the ACEC Research Institute will guide the discussion, highlighting key insights from the national survey and connecting them to the real-world experiences of the panelists. Participants will come away with a deeper understanding of what the next generation wants and actionable ideas for strengthening recruitment, retention, and long-term engagement.
Key Takeaways
• Understand what students and early-career engineers prioritize when evaluating prospective employers—and how those priorities differ from previous generations.
• Learn which factors most strongly influence attraction, retention, and long-term commitment, based on national survey data.
• Hear directly from emerging professionals about the workplace practices, cultures, and leadership behaviors that resonate with them.
• Identify practical steps engineering firms can take to strengthen their employee value proposition and become an employer of choice in a constrained labor market.