Recently, Reid Middleton submitted a response to a Request for Clarification for what we call “on-call” work for a federal agency. As part of their vetting of our qualifications, the federal agency posed the following question to us:
“Historically, high turnover rates of A/E personnel have created performance issues that have hurt the (our organization). As the prime consultant, how will you mitigate the effect of personnel turnover – especially of key personnel?”
Staff members with a long-standing commitment to the firm and its clients are more likely to remain with the firm and thus minimize potential client disruption from personnel turnover. Historically, Reid Middleton has a low turnover rate. The average employment duration among our current 88 employees is 12 years.
On March 5th, I celebrated 24 years of employment with Reid Middleton. Such a milestone in one’s career is always a time for reflection on why you are still where you are, especially given the conditions found in the “outside” world as indicated by the question above. Of course, I have my own reasons.
To begin with, I have spent my entire 39-year career in Snohomish County. I have had numerous opportunities to work in other locations, but a time investment in developing local and regional contacts is not something to be discarded offhandedly. As the largest consulting engineering civil and structural firm based north of the King County line, Reid Middleton gives me both ample opportunities to do what I like while keeping me on my “home turf.”
Secondly, Reid Middleton’s diversified practice has allowed me the opportunity to work with a variety of practice groups. Work life is a lot more interesting when you could be designing an industrial park one day and working on a high-security Navy project the next!
Third, we just have great people here who are experts in their fields of practice. As a land-use consultant, much of my stock-in-trade is the value of technical information in getting required project entitlements. Life is so much easier when you have a plethora of experts for everything from stormwater management to FAA regulations to structural building hardening against terrorist attacks.
Next, we are an employee-owned company. We like to say that we are “big enough to deliver, yet small enough to care.” We take on large, complex assignments, but we’re nimble enough to provide a personal commitment to adapt the way we work to match each client’s culture. Everyone in the firm has a vested interest in making sure we go above and beyond our client’s expectations, which includes developing and maintaining good relationships with both our clients and those parties that will influence the success of their projects.
Finally, it is always a nice thing to know that you are being paid competitive wages and receiving generous employee benefits!
But enough of my musings! Following are interviews of employees that were conducted as part of our 60th anniversary last year. Each one gives reasons why they too have found rewarding employment at Reid Middleton.