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The Importance of Workforce Development... continued from page 28 Threats to Licensure... continued from page 42
Treat Your Staff with Respect Again, there is no argument here against the value of education.

Finally, one of the best ways you can impress your staff is by All surveyors benefit greatly from technical courses, boundary
treating them like human beings and respecting the unique classes, and business and communication classes. The question is
dynamics of their lives. simply how is the requirement of a degree for licensure impacting
Many of us grew up in an era of putting hard work before our numbers and the profession. Is it a threat and if so, what is the
everything else. But the demands of the modern world have education-plus-experience recipe for success when it comes to
changed, and so have modern worker expectations. becoming a licensed land surveyor?

We need clearer national standards in order to cultivate a unified
voice and enhance public perception of our profession.

Threat #5: Perceptions of Pay and Advancement

Setting the right professional expectations about work-life
balance can help employees feel like they don’t have to do it
all—they can balance the demands of a sick child or personal
obligations with their work.
You’d also be surprised what employees will share with you
if you give them an opportunity to open up. For example, one
Surveyor noticed he had an employee struggling to get to work Finally, there is one benchmark that can deter or attract talent
on time every morning. It turns out that his family only had to any profession: the perceived ability to make good money and
one car. He solved the problem by letting the employee use a advance your career.
company truck. It took an incredible burden off of the employee
and showed that his employer cared.
In the current climate of high-demand surveying, there is no reason
Today’s workforce wants to feel valued and have an element of that firms should not be charging premium rates and paying their
being autonomous. Why not let employees head home from the
job site, and email their data back to the office via VPN? As long employees accordingly. We need to combat the perception that
as you get the results that you need, it may be less critical that all engineering is a superior career pathway simply because engineers
work happens from the confines of the office. make more money.

Competitive pay is also important but remember that it’s less
about pure salary and more about overall compensation. If you Young professionals also want to see a clear path to progression
offer a full suite of benefits, communicate the value of those once they enter an industry. They may not expect overnight
to employees. Everything from fitness budgets to charitable success, but they do want to know the steps that will take them
donations makes up the total compensation package. That said,
be sure to conduct annual salary increases and raises that take from step A to B.
into account inflation and the rising cost of living.
While small firms with slow staff turnover may not be able to
There are many factors that can help develop our existing
workforce, and they are all things that can be implemented in our guarantee quick progression, firms of all sizes can still do things
individual surveying businesses to varying degrees. like let new surveyors master equipment sooner, encourage them
to attend conferences and professional events, and pay them
If nothing else, remember that employees want a mentor and
guide who will pass on their expertise. When we ensure that appropriately.
knowledge is shared and employee voices are heard, we can rest
assured that we will retain the current generation of surveyors It boils down to providing the type of working environment and
who are already under our care. support that allows individuals to feel like true members of the
One more side note: I will have an entire article devoted to Servant profession rather than just button-pushers. If we can do that for
Leadership in an upcoming Nevada Traverse this year and it will hit both current and potential employees, we will have a good shot at
on this topic in more detail. protecting and enhancing our beloved profession.

44 The Nevada Traverse Vol.49, No.2, 2022