How Ryan Companies is elevating future builders
As labor shortages and a widening skills gap continue to affect the construction industry, data from a recent AGC of America workforce survey, done in partnership with NCCER, show that nearly four out of five contractors currently have one or more unfilled craft positions and two-thirds have at least one unfilled salaried positions on the books.
However, one construction firm has found a creative and effective way to address both issues at once: pairing seasoned superintendents with younger colleagues who are learning the ropes. Adopting this approach has allowed Ryan Companies, a member of multiple AGC chapters, to not only fill critical experience gaps but also boost productivity in a mutually beneficial way.
“Once you start getting to that retirement age, there’s not a lot of marketplace out there because people don’t want to have somebody for a couple of years and then they retire,” explained Joe Johnson, vice president of field operations at Ryan Companies. However, Johnson said that Ryan Companies has a different outlook: The company hires seasoned professionals in the twilight of their careers so those last few years can be spent pouring their knowledge and skill into the next generation.
The need for this program became apparent during the economic struggles of the early 2010s and during COVID-19, said Johnson. During both of those times, the older generation began to retire at a higher rate while the incoming workforce didn’t yet have the knowledge or skill to fill in the gap. It was clear that the industry needed to pivot.
Johnson believes there’s value in bringing back seasoned employees who may only want to work a few more years.
“A lot of other construction companies don’t really extend offers to people like that because they’re thinking, ‘I’m trying to build. I want somebody here for 20 years.’ But if you don’t have the person with the 20 years of knowledge to share with the person you’re trying to develop for the next 20, that program really doesn’t work. All you’re doing is putting a very inexperienced person onto the jobsite or into the office that is going to unnecessarily struggle when you could oblige those people who do want to come back into the workforce where they can drop that knowledge on all the younger individuals and then go off into retirement understanding that now they have a legacy to leave behind. We see great value in that.”
The way that the program works is simple, Johnson explained. First, the veteran leaders are placed at the head of a job as a superintendent. Next, they are paired with a newcomer to the industry. Although the veteran leader may not necessarily be present on the jobsite every day, the newcomer now has a person to call when issues arise.
“Instead of calling 20 different people to try to find the answer, now we have someone on the job that’s probably already dealt with that exact predicament, and they’re able to instantly and quickly help that individual and then resolve the issue,” said Johnson.
Among the advantages of this program, Johnson highlighted, is how it has shaped the culture of the company. The older generations have been able to instill a sense of pride and dedication to their craft in the younger generation. That, in turn, has helped map out effective succession plans.
Furthermore, Johnson offers this advice: Do not dismiss an older candidate merely to save money, assuming you won’t retain them for two or three decades.
“Everything in this industry is typically going to cost,” he pointed out. “If you solely focus on cost and don’t focus on your people and how you’re training those people and how you develop those people, you’re going to struggle. Then the cost is going to be impacted, whether you’re trying to prevent it or not. If you can control something, which is the training and advice and mentorship of your younger people with a more seasoned professional who is willing to be a leader, don’t disregard that just to say, ‘Well, I can get a younger person for cheaper, and I can keep them longer.’ It’s not the best plan for the long run for any company.”
Johnson also emphasized the importance of getting involved with AGC for their excellent variety of programs.
“Their young leadership program is probably one of the best,” he said. “We at Ryan can teach leadership the way that we want to teach leadership, but there’s always a benefit to learning a third-party path, a different perspective. And that’s where the courses and classes and training that AGC offers is a huge benefit to any company.”
As a younger employee just starting her career, assistant superintendent Lauren Houston has benefited greatly from Ryan Companies’ mentorship program. She was studying to be an engineer when COVID-19 interrupted her schooling, so she had to change course. When she discovered that Ryan Companies was the only firm hiring in Florida at the time, she jumped on board and never looked back.
“Ryan Companies has been great at adapting to what [the employees] need, and they gave me an opportunity to become a superintendent, which I am very grateful for. I’ve been in that role for a few years now, and it seems like it’s the best fit for me. I love coming to work every day and I wouldn’t change a thing,” Houston said.
Houston has been working closely with Vice President of Field Operations John Bentley, who is preparing her to take over his job one day. However, she emphasized that even though her coworkers change from jobsite to jobsite, everyone is always willing to help.
“If you don’t know something, they’re the first ones to jump up and say, ‘This is what we do here.’ This is what Ryan is; they’re just great all around,” she said. “And it doesn’t matter who it is at Ryan,” they’re all mentors. We all mentor each other. We work together. It’s just been a great family atmosphere.”
Houston explained that not only do the younger generations learn from the older generations, the reverse is true as well – particularly with regard to technology. “[Technology] is becoming a huge thing. And being younger, I feel like every day, they’re asking, ‘How do I do this on the computer?’ We have models now that we’re all learning from, and sometimes we have different perspectives compared to the older generation,” she said.
Houston anticipates the opportunity to mentor others in the future, and she’s already demonstrating her mentorship abilities with new interns.
“We have tons of interns with Ryan that are coming in each summer, and it’s something I actually enjoy,” she said. “I like to bring them along. They help me, and I help them learn about specific projects that we’re all on now that you don’t usually see every day. So I’m just letting them know that this is a learning opportunity. Let’s get out there and learn something together. You’re going to teach me something, and I’ll teach you something. And maybe I can get them on with Ryan eventually. As I get more experience and move up, I hope to continue to leave my knowledge behind from what I’ve learned from my mentors above me.”
Johnson observed that Houston is a great example of someone who has reaped the benefits of learning from several different seasoned professionals.
“She’s probably one of the best ones that will be able to attach herself to the generation below her, teaching them and showing them the way this industry runs, the way that Ryan operates, and making them true professionals,” he said.