In recent years DRMP has seen a promising trend: the rehiring of former employees or “boomerang” employees. The reason? DRMP’s emphasis on career growth and work/life balance.
“We’re seeing a good number of former employees coming back. It’s a testament to DRMP that they’ve come back to work for us again,” said Tracie Samillano, SHRM-SCP, PHR, DRMP Vice President of Human Resources.
As DRMP created more service lines and established more offices across the Southeastern United States, more opportunities were created for DRMP employees to grow professionally.
When Donald Bieger, Jr., PE, a former General Civil Department Manager, returned to DRMP in 2018 he recognized the effort leadership had made for career growth – so much that “enhancing opportunities for our employees” is a key part of the firm’s mission statement.
“That kind of thing wasn’t happening, and it was one of the reasons why I left in 2007. It was what I perceived as a glass ceiling,” Bieger said. “But now, upper-level management is looking at how they can make paths for employees to move up in their careers.”
As DRMP General Civil Division Manager, Bieger has leadership support to change the culture in his department.
“I’ve been given the opportunity to be a servant leader, that’s absent in a lot of companies. I give my staff the best tools and assets to do their job as best they can. Our leaders have given me the room to go in that direction,” Bieger added.
Along with providing opportunities for career growth, the firm provides ways for employees to grow professionally. Where some firms may see professional development as an option, DRMP is intentional about providing in-house opportunities like project manager boot camps, leadership training, and writing workshops.
Paul Benvie, PE, said he made the tough decision to leave DRMP in 2011 solely because of the economy. After working in other industries and working for himself for the last nine years, he saw a stark difference in the work/life balance he had with DRMP when he returned in September 2019.
"The travel was too much before and it was taxing on my family life,” said Benvie, now DRMP’s Fort Myers Office Leader. “I love the work/life balance that DRMP offers because I do baseball, soccer, and basketball with my kids. DRMP is a company that focuses on family, treats you like family. And they want you to enjoy being with your family.”
Every A/E/C firm is affected by the economy and any issues that arise. What differentiates DRMP is that its leadership saw those challenges as opportunities to learn and grow as a firm.
