“The goal is not to check the box but make a cultural change that changes the shape, color and outlines of the “boxes” themselves with a sweeping paradigm shift in how we understand the potential of our teams.”
– JAIME CLAIRE KISER | Principal, Zweig Group
The ElevateHER Inception Story
On a 2AM, mid-week flight, Jamie Claire Kiser found herself contemplating the solution to the workforce inconsistencies in the AEC industry. The vision for ElevateHer was put into words via an email draft to partners. From 2AM to 5AM, she identified the pain points and rigorously planned for the solution to the issue at hand. Jamie Claire was fully enthralled and energized by the purpose. She sent the first draft to her business partners, Chad Clinehens and Christy Zweig Neihues. In apprehension, she waited for feedback on her gut feeling that the time is now to speak up and to confirm the intent for ElevateHer. The data came after the concept but the results were staggering.
After I meekly shared this idea with Christy Zweig and brought her and my colleague, Jaden Anderson, into the fold, they wisely did some research from Zweig Group’s own data. The results are crushing. I wish I could lead with the data, but that isn’t true to the events (I have a history degree; these things matter). Here’s what we learned within half an hour of re-distributing our survey responses based on gender:
- 100%. That’s the number of women principals who have ever considered leaving the AE industry. This number compares to 49% of men. I cannot get over this figure. Every single woman in a principal role who responded to our survey has considered leaving this industry. Every. Single. One.
- 0%. That’s the number of women who were given any portion of their ownership for free. One in three men (33%) answered yes to this survey question. Not a single woman was seen as contributing enough to be awarded ownership, while one-third of men passed the test for an ownership gift.
After receiving this data, we set out to move from concept to execution of this platform. And that’s when I panicked. I have a hard time articulating my reservations about ElevateHer, but I think the most honest way to say it is that I have worked my entire career to be a respected professional, period. I have never been a member of a “women in business” organization; I passed up on the “ladies in law” groups, and I don’t want to be divided from my peers based on presence of ovaries. That isn’t what I am about. I’m about closing deals and getting results. Hell, I didn’t even join a sorority (they weren’t exactly begging for my membership, either).
What I am about is using my visibility to counter the number one challenge identified by principals of Hot Firms: recruiting and retention. The talent shortage in this industry is real.Women are entering engineering and architectural programs at higher rates than ever, but they aren’t staying. And the ones who stay and who grow into principal roles have thought really hard about leaving. We have to find a way to make this industry one that appeals to every bright mind. Women need to feel that they can have a meaningful career as engineers or designers or surveyors or CAD techs. To me, ensuring that those who enter this industry stay in this industry is tantamount to addressing this problem in real time.
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Consider Joining the 2023 Cohort
Each year, a cohort of up to 40 AEC professionals from all over the country, and across the org chart, join forces to develop and disseminate actionable plans that aim to solve the recruitment and retention crisis in the industry via the lenses of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The results are made available to the entire AEC community and are ready for turn-key implementation.