The Value Proposition Gap: Why A/E/C’s Talent Crisis Runs Deeper Than Recruiting
Frank A. Stasiowski, FAIA, recently sounded the alarm on the demographic cliff. He’s right. But the deeper threat isn’t succession. It’s strategic irrelevance.
The Uncomfortable Truth
This isn’t a recruiting issue.
It’s a relevance issue.
A/E/C is staring down a generational collapse. Baby Boomers are retiring in waves. Gen X is too small to bridge the gap. Millennials and Gen Z are staying away because the offer on the table doesn’t match what they value.
They’re not avoiding A/E/C because they lack grit. They’re avoiding it because it looks stagnant. Rigid hierarchies. Outdated incentives. Shallow purpose.
The Data Is Clear
Enrollment Collapse: A/E/C degrees reached their peak in the 1980s. Interest has plummeted.
Compensation Gaps: Tech, energy, and civic innovation sectors are outbidding A/E/C on salary, flexibility, and loan repayment.
Weak Employer Brands: Forty percent of firms admit they can’t compete on pay. Most still lead with “stability” and “legacy.” Those aren’t selling points anymore.
This Is a Value Problem
Forget ping pong tables. Early-career professionals want clarity and control. They want leverage.
Trajectory: Where is this going? They expect real, fast, visible advancement.
Impact: Why does this matter? They want to see the connection between their work and real-world change, such as climate, equity, and infrastructure
Autonomy: Can I control my time, my tools, and my trajectory?
Influence: Will my voice shape how we work?
What Winning Firms Are Doing
They’re not flooding the job boards.
They’re rebuilding the offer.
Generational Strategy: Flatten the hierarchy. Knowledge transfer. Reverse mentoring.
Transparency: Clear advancement, no guesswork, and shared accountability.
Smart Compensation: Competitive pay, student loan assistance, volunteer time, and schedule flexibility.
Brand Clarity: Values that show up in who you hire, what you build, and how you lead.
Three Actions to Close the Gap
Audit the Employee Journey
Map the full lifecycle from first contact to first promotion. Find friction. Eliminate it.Design with Emerging Leaders
Put younger staff in the strategy room. Let them co-create policies, benefits, and development paths.Align Culture with Delivery
Culture must reinforce delivery. If it doesn't live within the core business, it won’t last.
The Risk of Standing Still
It won’t hit you all at once. But it will show up.
Delayed projects.
Lost bids.
Silent exits.
And eventually, reputational decline.
When talent walks, institutional knowledge goes with it.
Clients feel that.
Build the Legacy That Moves You Forward
Ten years from now, the firms that win won’t be the oldest.
They’ll be the most courageous.
Accelerate careers. Make advancement real and fast.
Flatten hierarchy. Give new voices the mic.
Live your values. Let project choices reflect what your team believes in.
Yes, compensation still matters.
If you’re ignoring student debt, inflation, and remote flexibility, you’re already behind.
But money alone won’t solve this.
The new differentiators? Purpose. Autonomy. Belonging.
No Rebrand Needed. Just Rethink.
You don’t need new colors or a slogan. You need moves that matter.
Start with one move:
Turn career paths into visible, fast-moving tracks.
Let emerging staff co-create the rules of engagement.
Build culture into how decisions are made; otherwise, it’s just noise.
Make opportunity real.
Make influence earned.
Make values visible.
The next generation isn’t waiting for an invitation.
They’re watching for proof.