LVI Associates

  Covering the state of diversity in the transportation market, LVI Associates Principal Consultant Sarah Davis discusses the challenges hiring managers and job seekers face within engineering, as well as how firms can attract female talent in a competitive market, and the importance of retention. 60% of women say they have never negotiated their salary according to CNBC, and women make  .83 cents  to every $1 a man makes. Those stats make for somber reading, so companies need to ask themselves if they have women as part of their executive leadership team? When you look at some industries numbers in terms of diversity, it can make levelling the playing field feel like an uphill battle. However, there is hope. Female enrollment in the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee has increased by  60%  since 2008, so the future seems to be looking brighter. In the meantime, engineering firms need to discover ways to attract and retain female talent, especially in an indus

  Sourcing the right talent at the right time can prove arduous for any company. But the process becomes even more challenging when you work within a niche industry or sector. In these situations, a specialist recruiter can help find the perfect candidate for a hard-to-fill role. There are several benefits a specialist recruiter can offer when looking to find niche talent: Deep Sector Expertise A specialist recruiter will hold valuable expertise in your sector. This deep market knowledge will include knowing ‘who is who’, and where the best talent is located. Specialist recruiters can also pull on their niche expertise to provide guidance on market trends such as salary expectations, desirable skill sets, new technologies and employee expectations within your sector. Help with specific and hard-to-fill roles Across the engineering and infrastructure sectors, teams have roles to fill with very specific requirements and have a small talent pool in which to recruit. Roles with ‘essential

  ​ Engineering a sustainable future.   The world relies on engineering and infrastructure, but both disciplines can have an impact on the climate, with estimates pointing to 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions that stem from infrastructure.  How can engineering and infrastructure be a catalyst for meaningful change and scale down the atmospheric temperature rise? The answer could lie in getting the right people in place to collectively tackle the climate crisis.   Our latest guide,  The Case for Sustainable Business Practice , explores our key insights and topics covering:  Global Initiatives: The Next Phase of Sustainable Transformation A New Dawn for Engineering Auditing the Carbon Footprint Companies Leading the Charge A Concrete Case for Digitalization Green Jobs: New Ways to Conduct Business

  The global engineering and infrastructure sector has a busy market where skilled candidates, particularly with those who have experience in new and emerging technologies, are high in demand. If you face a note of resignation in your inbox, it is tempting as an employer to send back a counter-offer to retain your most valuable employees on the payroll. The sad reality is that those who wish to leave your company most likely don’t have salary as their only or primary motivating factor. Often there are underlying issues behind the reason why they have handed in their resignation, and these won’t be solved with the money of a counter-offer. In fact, most employees who accept a counter-offer leave a company anyway within six to twenty-four months of accepting that offer. This article covers the reasons why you should rethink your choice to make a counter-offer to a leaving employee, and why counter-offers are ultimately a waste of time and money for your company.

  ​Starting a new role in the global infrastructure and engineering sector is a time of optimism and potential, so it makes no sense to waste it on making a bad first impression on your first day of work. It is important to view your first day as an extension of your interview, and arriving on time and looking your best will only make a positive impression. However, there is more to a first day in a new role than good grooming and time-keeping. It is a vital first opportunity to learn about your company culture, introduce yourself to your new team members and start the foundations on which to build your important new working relationships.

Jennifer Keegan, Director of Building & Science in Roofing & Waterproofing for GAF joined LVI’s Sarah Lazar to discuss how to break the glass ceiling in this male dominated industry as part of International Women’s Day celebrations.  Progression and opportunities to learn ​ Wherever there is an opportunity to learn and problem-solve on the job, Jennifer accepted and took on, continuing to step our of her comfort zone and recommends to ask lots of questions throughout your career.  ​ When asked how Jennifer progressed in her career, one point to note is that she attended and shadowed in meetings, which eventually lead to her first leadership role at ASTM.  ​ Jennifer managers a team of experienced enclosure consultants, architects and engineers. She translates all of their experience to support the design community. The science behind how building enclosures perform well is crucial as it helps to understand the problems, and influences building design to ensure it prevails.  ​