Best Places to Work Programs: A Strategic Investment for AEC Firms

In an industry where 84% of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms report challenges recruiting new employees, the talent shortage has become a critical barrier to project delivery. With 374,000 job openings in the construction industry as of June 2023 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and an industry average tenure of just four years, AEC firms face mounting pressure to find and retain qualified talent.

When expertise walks out the door, the costs are substantial, often exceeding twice an employee’s salary for finding and training replacements. These aren’t just financial costs; they represent lost institutional knowledge that can’t be quickly recovered.

Beyond blueprints and budgets, AEC work represents critical infrastructure and spaces where people live and work. This personal connection makes talent retention even more crucial.

Enter “Best Places to Work” recognition programs. Far from being mere vanity awards, these accolades have emerged as strategic tools for talent acquisition and retention. With 70% of AEC companies citing turnover as a significant issue, these programs represent meaningful investments that address a critical industry need and provide measurable returns.

The Business Case for AEC Firms

The workforce challenges in architecture, engineering and construction continue to intensify. The U.S. construction industry expects 2.6% growth in 2024 and 5.3% annual growth from 2025-2027, yet 85% of construction companies report having open positions they struggle to fill. In expertise-driven fields like AEC, reputation enhancement delivers extensive benefits.

The “Mental Shortcut” Effect

Workplace awards work like stamps of approval from outsiders who actually know the industry. Job hunters don’t have time to dig deep into every company’s culture, so they look for shortcuts. An award based on employee feedback tells them, ‘Other people have already vetted this place — it’s legit.’ When someone’s deciding between two similar job offers, that recognition can be the deciding factor.

Demonstration of Positive Work Culture

Many workplace awards showcase a firm’s values around diversity, equity and inclusion, mentorship and work-life balance. Younger generations prioritize culture and purpose in their career decisions, making workplace recognition a credible way to communicate these qualities.

Building Employer Brand Visibility

Workplace recognition gets promoted across digital channels: social media, firm websites and job descriptions. This visibility keeps firms top-of-mind among passive candidates who might not be actively job hunting but remain aware of industry leaders. Firms with ongoing recognition appear stable, dynamic and growing, qualities that attract talent.

Validating the Career Path

Recognition programs signal that a firm offers opportunities for advancement and operates in a way that earns industry respect.

“Today’s candidates want assurance: If I go here, will I grow here?”

These same recognitions influence project pursuit success and client confidence. In competitive markets, workplace awards can differentiate firms that may appear similar on paper.

Workplace Awards as HR Intelligence Tools

These recognition programs offer a valuable secondary benefit that pays out even when firms aren’t selected. Survey-based programs like the Great Place To Work Certification and regional business journal assessments provide participating firms with detailed employee feedback reports, peer benchmarking, and actionable insights into workplace culture gaps. This intelligence helps firms identify retention risks, understand employee satisfaction drivers and guide strategic HR improvements.

Key Recognition Programs for AEC Firms

Industry-Specific Recognition Programs

Zweig Group Best Firms to Work For Award

Background: Zweig Group is a prominent consulting, research and publishing firm specifically focused on the AEC industry. Their Best Firms award stands as the most recognized industry-specific program and benchmark within the sector.

Methodology: This comprehensive evaluation combines a corporate survey (20%) and an employee survey (80%), making it particularly valuable as the industry’s largest employee experience survey with more than 2 million data points annually. Firms receive rankings by size and discipline, allowing for appropriate peer comparisons.

Application Process: Companies must enter and submit to win, completing both corporate and employee surveys. Every firm that enters gets a breakdown of what their employees said in the survey, and Zweig Group offers analysis from their team of industry experts.

Cost: The program is described as affordable with customizable options available.

Key Past Winners:

• Bowers & Kubota Consulting: No. 1 Best Firm to Work For for 2025
• Garver: No. 1 Best Firm to Work For for four consecutive years and ranked in the top three for 11 consecutive years
• BRPH: Four-time winner (2015, 2019, 2021, and 2024)
• EMC Engineering Services: Ranked 26th in 2023, marking their eighth year of recognition

PSMJ Resources “AEC Employer of Choice Award”

Background: This specialized program from AEC consulting firm PSMJ Resources focuses specifically on deep employee engagement rather than simple satisfaction metrics, distinguishing it from other recognition programs.

Methodology: PSMJ uses a unique survey process designed to measure employee connection to work, colleagues and leaders. The assessment examines employees’ sense of contribution and their engagement with projects, clients and the firm’s mission.

Application Process: To be eligible, companies must purchase their employee survey by the annual deadline. Firms forward an online survey link to all employees, giving employees typically one week to complete the survey.

Cost: Companies must purchase the employee engagement survey to be eligible. Pricing varies by company size and must be obtained directly from PSMJ.

Key Past Winners:

• Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick (HLR): No. 1 winner from 2022 to 2025
• Reveer Group: No. 2 in 2023, No. 3 in 2024 and No. 2 in 2025
• Great West Engineering: No. 3 in 2023 and No. 4 in 2022

Engineering.com “Top Workplaces for Engineers”

Background: This brand-new program focuses on engineering excellence across industries, including AEC, with special attention to workplace factors that matter most to engineering professionals. Engineering.com hosts this recognition in partnership with Energage.

Methodology: The award is determined through employee feedback from Energage’s research-backed survey, with data driving results rather than subjective essays or judges.

Application Process: Organizations must sign up and survey their employees. To participate, companies must have at least 35 engineers on staff or have 10% of their workforce comprised of engineers.

Cost: There is no cost to survey employees or win a Top Workplaces award.

Key Winners (2025 – Inaugural Year):

• LJA Engineering Inc.: No. 1 Large company
• Oddball: No. 1 Mid-size company 
• TRX Systems: No. 1 Small company 

Cross-Industry Recognition

Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”

Background: Fortune’s annual list  is one of the most prestigious workplace recognitions across all industries, with a decades-long history of identifying exceptional employers. Its inclusion of AEC firms highlights those that have achieved workplace excellence beyond industry standards.

Methodology: Based heavily on confidential employee surveys analyzed by Great Place To Work, evaluating trust, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. Also includes an assessment of company programs and practices. Firms must be Great Place To Work-Certified first.

Application Process: Firms need to earn their Great Place to Work certification before they can even be considered for Fortune’s list. This involves conducting employee surveys and undergoing culture assessments. Only firms with at least 1,000 U.S. employees qualify, and they must meet demanding requirements for both survey participation rates and employee satisfaction scores.

Cost: Certification costs vary by company size and services selected.

Key Past Winners (AEC Firms):

• Power Home Remodeling: Ranked No. 14 in 2025, No. 14 in 2024, and No. 13 in 2023, marking eight consecutive years on the list
• PCL Construction: Ranked No. 90 in 2024, marking their 15th time on the prestigious list and the second year in a row as the only general contractor
• Kimley-Horn: Multiple-time winner with 10-plus appearances on the list, recognized for internal mentoring programs

Comparably Best Places to Work Awards

Background: Comparably is a leading workplace culture platform with more than 20 million anonymous employee ratings spanning 70,000 companies. Their quarterly awards program recognizes excellence across 16 different workplace categories.

Methodology: Winners are determined based on 50-plus structured workplace questions across nearly 20Winners are determined based on 50-plus structured workplace questions across nearly 20 core culture categories, including compensation, leadership, work-life balance, professional development and diversity. Employees rate companies on various scales, and their scores are compared against those of similar-sized organizations.

Application: No formal application process required. Firms cannot apply directly. Winners are selected entirely by employee ratings and reviews on Comparably.com. To optimize for recognition, firms should encourage employees to leave honest reviews on the platform.

Cost: No fees or costs associated with participation

Local Market Recognition

Business Journal “Best Places to Work” Programs

Background: TThese regional recognition programs operate through local business publications and chambers of commerce across North America. For AEC firms with strong regional presence and local client bases, these recognitions provide targeted visibility in the markets where they compete most actively. Many are organized through the American City Business Journals network.

Methodology: These programs run on yearly cycles with set deadlines, and most rely on employee survey data to pick winners. For AEC firms looking to build their reputation in specific markets, this kind of local recognition can be incredibly valuable. It puts them on the radar of regional clients and shows they’re a serious player in their area.

Application: Companies need to apply every year during specific windows. Most programs require workplace evaluations and employee surveys handled by outside research companies.

Cost: The basic survey and evaluation typically don’t cost anything, but many firms end up buying the detailed feedback reports to get a better picture of where they stand and what their employees are actually saying.

AWARD Application Strategy and Preparation

Getting recognized takes some real upfront work. Companies that win these awards don’t just wing it. Here’s what they do:

1. Internal assessment: Before jumping into any application, firms need to take a hard look at their workplace culture and how satisfied their employees actually are. This reality check helps them figure out what they’re doing well and what needs fixing before they put themselves out there.
2. Data gathering: Firms should collect concrete numbers on retention, professional development, benefits usage and other programs that show their commitment to employees. Hard data strengthens applications and provides talking points.
3. Employee communication: Firms should be clear with employees about why they’re pursuing this recognition and why their participation matters. When people understand the purpose, firms get better participation rates and more honest responses.
4. Timeline planning: To plan most effectively, well-organized firms look at application deadlines alongside their project calendar to avoid doing this during their busiest times and give themselves enough lead time to gather everything properly.

When communicating with employees about these surveys, emphasize that their honest feedback helps improve the workplace. This honesty pays off with better feedback and makes for a stronger application.

Maximizing the Value When You Win

Winning workplace recognition provides multiple strategic advantages that should be leveraged across all communication channels. Companies should put those award badges on their website, email signatures and social media right away, and plan how they’ll promote this win throughout the year.

Firms should connect the recognition to specific workplace initiatives when they announce it internally. For recruitment, companies should feature the award prominently in job descriptions and career fair materials, and back it up with employee testimonials about their culture.

With clients, firms should work the recognition into capability statements and proposals as proof of organizational stability and excellence. Companies should track metrics like career page visits and application rates to see how the recognition affects their recruiting.

The value goes beyond the initial announcement. Firms should develop a year-long strategy that leverages the recognition across multiple touchpoints with potential employees, current staff and clients.

“Best Places to Work” programs have become much more than just nice certificates to hang on the wall. AEC firms dealing with intensifying workforce challenges are finding these programs actually help them recruit and keep good people while building their reputation.

The numbers don’t lie. The industry is growing faster than firms can find qualified workers. Companies that manage to stand out as great places to work have a real edge when it comes to landing and keeping the best talent. It creates a positive cycle: keeping good people leads to better project outcomes, happier clients, a stronger reputation and an easier time attracting both talent and new business.Ready to strengthen your firm’s market position? Explore our insights on Top B2B Marketing Trends for Professional Services in 2025 to build a comprehensive strategy that supports both talent and business development goals.