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Photo: Sikon Construction

While higher education institutions face many challenges related to facilities management and capital programs, one aspect of their campuses that does not have to suffer from decreased endowments and reductions in capital spending is student housing. That is because student housing has successfully adapted to the economic climate by integrating new concepts, specifically public-private partnerships (P3s). In fact, P3s have become so popular within the student housing sector that these arrangements represent the fastest growing trend in higher education today.

Since their emergence in student housing several years ago, P3s have become important strategies for higher education institutions because of the many benefits they offer, including:

• Lower developer costs
• Developer expertise
• Operational expertise
• Access to capital
• Preservation of debt capacity
• More favorable balance sheets and credit statements
• Risk mitigation
• Faster procurement and project delivery (It can typically take a university about 5 years to get a project built. With a P3, that process can be reduced to just 2 years. Additionally, P3s can save approximately 25% in costs compared to typical projects.)

Beyond the above, the indirect advantages of P3s in student housing are numerous, such as they:

• Provide better housing for students
• Expand campus capacity
• Create high-quality facilities
• Expand the tax base for both a city and county
• Provide an economic boost to surrounding areas, which likely lead to private growth and other improvements

It is important to note that, while there are many benefits of P3s for higher education institutions, these agreements also have disadvantages that need to be considered, including:

• High cost of capital
• Reduced control for the university
• Complexity of deals
• Multi-party roles and responsibilities
• Limitation on future university development

Considering these pros and cons, and the fact that higher education institutions have diverse needs and reasons to consider implementing P3s into their portfolios, there are different arrangements that can be negotiated. According to Campus Apartments in Philadelphia, a provider of P3 partnerships in the student housing sector, there are four typical structures and operating arrangements:

The above agreements provide higher education institutions multiple options when exploring if a P3 would be beneficial in addressing their infrastructure needs and student housing capital plans. Some of the student housing developers that offer these agreements are:

• Allen & O’Hara Development – Memphis, TN
• American Campus Communities – Austin, TX
• Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions – Newtown Square, PA
• Buckingham Companies – Indianapolis, IN
• Campus Acquisitions – Chicago, IL
• Campus Apartments – Philadelphia, PA
• Capstone Development – Birmingham, AL
• Campus Crest – Charlotte, NC
• Campus Living Villages – Houston, TX
• College Housing Northwest – Portland, OR
• College Park Communities – Newtown Square, PA
• Ecumenical Housing Association – San Rafael, CA
• EdR Collegiate Housing – Memphis, TN
• Gilbane Development Companies – Providence, RI
• Preferred Capital Holdings – Beverly Hills, CA
• The Preiss Company – Raleigh, NC
• Trammel Crow – Conshohocken, PA
• Trinitas Ventures – Lafayette, IN
• University Housing Services – St. Petersburg, FL

P3s have seen much success within the student housing sector – so much success that they are now expanding into other types of campus infrastructure projects such as parking garages, recreation centers, and even renewable energy initiatives. Going forward, this method is only going to grow within the higher education setting. It will be interesting to see how many more companies jump into the market because of its vitality and potential for long-term profitability.

Sources: California State University, Campus Apartments, NACUBO, Student Housing Business

Continue reading »]]> While the Internet and technology can support many advanced hiring initiatives, a primary element of recruitment that cannot be improved by these measures is the development of position descriptions that will attract top talent. In today’s competitive recruitment environment, it is not only passive candidates that need to be attracted to new career opportunities. Even active job seekers are selective in the opportunities they explore. Therefore, compelling position descriptions are necessary to support and enhance strategic and progressive recruitment processes.

What should a position description include to support the recruitment of potentially high performing candidates?

1.  The role’s short- and long-term objectives.

The first step in developing a strong position description is considering the role’s success factors. By doing so, you will come to understand its short- and long-term goals. Then, you can leverage those objectives within your position description to attract top candidates seeking new challenges.

2. The role’s “big picture”.

High performing candidates are cautious and strategic about their careers and professional development. They want to know the function of a role and how it impacts an organization. Including this information in a position description, you are illustrating the role’s real purpose and significance – another attraction for high-caliber candidates.

3.  Description of your organization’s culture and mission.

As we have noted in many other blogs and articles, corporate culture plays a critical role in recruitment, talent management, and retention. Just look at corporate Facebook pages and the career sections of business web sites and you will see how aggressively firms are leveraging their corporate cultures. For young professionals, this is a huge attraction. As for more experienced professionals, they understand how an organization’s culture can affect their work environment, engagement, productivity, and success. Therefore, they want to know as much as they can about a company’s culture before they will consider making a career change. The bottom line is that everyone wants to work where they feel like they belong, and to work with people who share their views and work ethics.

4. Minimum qualifications and preferred qualifications listed separately.

Listing a position’s minimal qualifications and ideal qualifications individually is very beneficial because it expands your talent pool. In doing so, your position description will appeal to candidates who possess the minimal qualifications to function in the role, and who may have the potential to grow into the position and expand their capabilities. Additionally, you capture the attention of those candidates who have the ideal qualifications, could add immediate value, and potentially elevate the role’s importance within your organization’s structure.

Position descriptions are fundamental elements of effective recruitment processes and they are often overlooked as a viable part of strategies for attracting top talent. After considering the above and adjusting your position descriptions to enhance your success in the recruitment of a top-tier candidates, you now have to consider how to further leverage them through your recruitment ads. For our tips on how to maximize the success of your recruitment ads, stay tuned for next week’s post.

This blog is an excerpt of Adapting Position Descriptions To Today’s Recruitment Strategies, a feature article in our Spring 2013 Navigator newsletter. To subscribe, visit our Contact Us page.

Continue reading »]]> Partnering with our repeat client, a specialty construction contractor within the U.S. and Canadian infrastructure markets, Helbling search consultants attracted and secured an Executive Vice President & General Counsel who has initiated a shift in terms of what the expectations are for the company’s legal function by creating a collaborative environment where the General Counsel is seen as a resource and facilitator. 

Read on to learn more about our client’s challenges and objectives, and our search strategies to successfully complete this assignment.

OUR CLIENT’S CHALLENGES & OBJECTIVES:

Our client’s in-house legal role was relatively new and they wanted to realign its functionality to support the organization’s five-year strategic plan. They were seeking a well-rounded, big-picture thinker who is highly intelligent to join their Executive Committee which includes the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel.

We had represented this client on multiple searches and knew their executive team, structure and objectives, and understood that an ideal professional would have the capabilities to be more than strictly a legal authority. They would also have a strong business acumen to act as a key advisor, and be able to contribute immediately with the potential to continue growing and developing within the organization.

Through initial discussions with our client, it was agreed upon that qualified candidates would have at least fifteen years of experience performing an in-house legal function and broad experience from litigation to transactional elements (mergers and acquisitions, contracts, etc.) and compliance.

HELBLING’S SEARCH STRATEGY:

For this assignment, we worked closely with the Vice President of Human Resources and collaborated with other members of our client’s senior management team. Our strategy included targeting individuals within our client’s tri-state region who were currently in a senior legal capacity (General Counsels, Assistant General Counsels, Deputy Counsels and Partners) within contractors, engineering firms, public agencies and developers. Specifically, we focused upon professionals within contractors that have a heavy civil component. To support our efforts, we also researched private law firms for partners who have extensive experience specifically within construction law.

SEARCH SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION & ACHIEVEMENTS OF SECURED PROFESSIONAL:

Ten highly-qualified candidates were engaged in the interview process, which quickly became competitive. Four individuals were then selected to move forward which culminated with the identification of two clear finalists. Each candidate possessed strong credentials but the factors that set the selected candidate apart were his natural business acumen, and the overall synergy that he had with the client’s senior executive team and overall corporate culture. The individual is very cerebral and analytical while remaining personable and pragmatic.

The selected candidate successfully integrated himself into our client’s organization within a short timeframe and he has been able to realign how the legal function interacts with the operations team internally. He has initiated a significant shift in terms of what the expectations are for the legal function, and has been able to create a collaborative environment where the General Counsel is seen as a resource and facilitator. In addition, the successful individual has restructured the hierarchy of the legal team, and the company hired a new in-house Counsel to add supplementary resources to the legal unit and support the organization’s planned growth.

Contact Tom Dunn to learn more about this search and our experience in this sector.

Visit our Construction Case Studies to read about similar searches performed for construction firms.

Continue reading »]]> Engineering News-Record (ENR) recently released its annual Top 500 Design Firms issue which revealed modest gains within this sector in 2012. Like many firms in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, design firms are still in a ‘wait and see’ mode. They continue to face a buyer’s market, and to implement strategies to rebuild their volume and increase their backlog. One thing they have realized is that they need to be technologically focused as clients want increasingly more and demand integrated, multidisciplinary solutions.

Despite challenges, ENR found that revenue among the Top 500 has increased over the past two years with international markets being the most positive. Also, to no one’s surprise, private sector markets performed better than those in the public sector. In fact, domestic markets that are typically in the private sector or those with a mix of private and public work showed significant gains with the top growth markets being:

• Industrial process – up 27.4%
• Petroleum – up 15.6%
• Power – up 11.9%
• Telecom – up 10.3%

Trends and issues among the Top 500 are:

• Vast talent shortage caused by retiring baby boomers, small number of Generation X, and many professionals exiting the industry during the recession. Attracting young people to the industry and developing Generation Y is a key initiative.
• Building Information Modeling (BIM) is having a significant impact on the industry with clients now aware of these capabilities and specifically requesting them.
• Protection of intellectual property for design firms and their clients is emerging as a concern with protection plans needing to be developed earlier in a project’s planning phase.
• International markets continue to attract large design firms due to the U. S. market’s slow recovery.
• Public-private partnerships and alternative project delivery methods are garnering attention and strong consideration.

According to ENR’s research, below are the Top 10 design firms for 2012. It should be noted that for the fourth consecutive year, the top three firms have held their positions.

Stay tuned to our blog for our upcoming summary on ENR’s Top 400 Contractors issue due out next week.

Source: Engineering News-Record, McGraw-Hill

Continue reading »]]> In our blog post, Top Green Power Purchasers in Higher Education, we recognized the higher education institutions that have 100% or more of their electricity usage coming from green power sources according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership program. Green Power is a subset of renewable energy, and represents the resources and technologies that offer the highest environmental benefits. The EPA defines green power as electricity produced from solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact small hydroelectric sources.

Each year, the agency holds a Green Power Challenge among higher education institutions. In 2012 – 2013, there were 76 participating schools that collectively purchased more than 2.2 billion kWh of green power. On April 17^th, the agency announced its 2012 – 2013 Green Power Challenge Champions, naming the Big-10 Conference as the Champion Green Power Conference with Ohio State University as its largest single green power user. Below are the top participating conferences and their respective largest single green power users.

Highlights of some of the institutions recognized:

For the seventh straight year, University of Pennsylvania was the top individual school in the challenge with more than 200 million kWh of wind power purchased annually. This is more green power than any of the other 75 competing schools.

University of Oklahoma sets an example for other large public universities, especially those within states that have less experience with renewable energy sources. It was the first institution in Oklahoma to sign the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). This past January, 100% of the university’s purchased power came from wind, which has set a standard for other large state schools.

Drexel University was one of the first schools to purchase wind power. Over the past two years, it has increased its green power usage from 33% – 100%. It is in the process of integrating solar energy into its green power portfolio by its forthcoming participation in the Keystone Solar Project in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which it is helping to fund.

Just over one year ago, the University of Buffalo was ranked 14^th on EPA’s list with 20% of its annual electricity usage coming from green power. This year, 35% of its energy is from green power and totals 77 million kWh. This increase is primarily due to the university buying renewable energy certificates as well as its Solar Strand which has 3,200 photovoltaic panels that have produced nearly 1 million kWh since the institution flipped the switch in May 2012.

Dickinson College tops the Centennial Conference for the 4^th consecutive year. Ken Shultes, Associate VP for Campus Operations & Director of Facilities, said that the university offsets nearly all of the emissions that it realizes through the purchase of green power. Renewable energy sources that are used on campus include solar photovoltaic arrays and waste vegetable oil in its central energy plant.

It should be noted that if the EPA’s list ranked schools in the order of their percentage of green power used instead of in kWh used, the list would top with:

1^st Place: Western Washington University (113%)

2^nd Place: Georgetown University (109%)

3^rd Place: Drexel University, Carnegie Mellon University, Oregon State University and American University (100%)

Congratulations to this year’s winners and all of the higher education institutions who participated in the EPA’s Green Power Challenge!

Read more on the 2012-13 EPA College and University Green Power Challenge conference champions.

Related posts: How Universities Are Going Green, Higher Education Sector Shows Strong Support Of Sustainability, Top Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies Of Climate Action Plans,Universities & Colleges Awarded For Sustainability Efforts

Continue reading »]]> Last week, Helbling & Associates released its 2013 Q2 Architecture | Engineering | Construction [AEC] and Facilities Management Navigator eNewsletters. Tom Helbling opened by thanking readers for their support in our firm being recognized by our email service provider for our high percentage of readership and engagement. According to Constant Contact, we are in the top 10% of its international customer base.

Creating our Q2 newsletters was especially exciting for us as they include our newly developed eBook, How to Identify, Qualify, and Work with Executive Search Firms. Having been performing executive search within our core sectors for more than 20 years, we have found that there are drastic differences in what organizations expect from using a search firm. We developed our eBook to act as a detailed resource for hiring executives in understanding how to identify specialized search firms, qualify them, and work in partnership with them at the various stages of the search process to maximize ROI.

While recruitment has been greatly impacted by technology and the Internet, position descriptions are a fundamental part of the process that have not adapted to the changing times. In Adapting Position Descriptions to Today’s Recruitment Strategies, we discuss the essentials of position descriptions for attracting today’s active job seekers as well as passive candidates, and tips for leveraging recruitment ads.

Our Q2 executive search case studies highlight:

AEC:

• Executive Vice President & Region Executive search performed for a global AEC firm. Our client sought an accomplished executive who could be a change agent and transform their business and culture. The selected candidate has spent his first several months focusing on the key objectives of his role, which is addressing the company’s operational and deliverable challenges, and performance issues. The strategy he developed with his executive team has been highly successful and has generated the desired results which include having a significant impact on our client’s quarterly earnings.

Facilities Management:

• Associate Director for Utilities & Plant Engineering search conducted for a major research university that is known for having one of the largest single campuses in North America and an extremely complex Plant Operations system. This critical role includes integrating a newly acquired pharmaceutical research complex into the university’s Plant Operations. The successful candidate has a rare combination of strong technical knowledge, and managerial and communication skills; and he has assisted the university in reducing costs, and achieving multiple objectives within its Plant Operations department.

• Director of Buildings, Grounds & Campus Operations search for a preparatory school. A significant role within the school’s structure, the Director’s responsibilities are broad and encompass strategic planning, capital asset planning and construction, campus maintenance, public safety, sustainability, energy management, and fleet management. The selected candidate came from a prominent university and she has positively impacted the school’s facilities department in a short period of time. Her greatest achievements have been adding structure to the school’s facilities department and implementing a computerized maintenance management system, taking its approach to facilities from reactive to proactive.

Other newsletter features include: current searches, recent placements, and popular blog posts.

To read our full newsletters, please visit the links below. To subscribe to our newsletters, visit our Contact Us page.

View Helbling’s AEC eNewsletter online.

View Helbling’s Facilities Management eNewsletter online.

Continue reading »]]> We are all aware of the changes occurring with healthcare, and if you’re a professional within the Architecture / Engineering / Construction [AEC] industry, you know the opportunities this sector offers as well as the challenges. Healthcare projects are complex and, rightfully so, when organizations are grappling with: overall market dynamics, health system consolidations, Affordable Care Act, payment reform, technological advancements, and the changing delivery of care.

As these factors continue to affect the healthcare environment, organizations will develop increasingly diverse capital and real estate portfolios. Therefore, AEC firms that specialize in the healthcare sector will see opportunities for new construction and renovation projects such as: ambulatory care centers, outpatient hospitals, neighborhood medical clinics, medical office buildings, specialty care facilities, and wellness centers.

The construction of outpatient facilities is projected to be one of more significant healthcare building trends over the next decade with Building Design + Construction forecasting that construction spending on these facilities will grow 20 – 30%. That is because outpatient care accounts for about 60% of a hospital’s revenue whereas, twenty years ago, it only accounted for 10 – 15%. The primary purpose of outpatient facilities is to offer healthcare organizations the ability to deliver care at a lesser cost than an acute care facility. While outpatient facilities are typically less expensive to design, build, operate and maintain, these projects are more difficult to execute because they demand tremendous flexibility in order to adapt to the continually changing healthcare landscape, and organizational needs and strategies.

To continue to successfully serve the healthcare sector and its needs for outpatient facilities, it is recommended that AEC firms:

• Expect demand for easily reconfigurable spaces in outpatient facilities to be on the rise. Traditional outpatient facility plans are going by the wayside with new open plan configurations being implemented that incorporate underlying modularity. This provides flexibility for patient rooms, workspaces, conference rooms and other spaces to change in their function, location, and dimension as needed.

• Be prepared to rethink the conventional wisdom about underfloor air systems in healthcare facilities. While this technique is not appropriate for every outpatient facility, some experts believe that it is healthier because the air coming in is in its freshest state since it is not mixing with the air going through the ductwork. Underfloor air systems allow renovations to be less costly, and completed more quickly. These systems are expected to be looked at more closely by healthcare organizations due to their 20 – 30% savings in ongoing energy costs.

• Look forward to heightened scrutiny of facility quality and operational performance. The healthcare sector is known for its close analysis of facility performance, and it will only get more vigilant on its assessments with the Affordable Care Act. What this means for outpatient facilities is that they will have to deliver more and better care for less cost. Healthcare owners will be looking at the efficiency, flexibility and profitability of projects as well as the patient experience.

• Anticipate greater pressure from clients to deliver ‘affordable elegance’. While AEC firms try to focus on how they can successfully deliver facilities that meet the technological and financial expectations of healthcare owners, they also have to address these owners’ interior and exterior design needs and wants. Healthcare facilities must be attractive to patients as well as employees, and AEC teams need to be innovative with their selections of materials, finishes and construction methods.

• Watch for healthcare providers to implement ‘Lean’ diets. As with most owners, healthcare organizations are looking towards Lean principles to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. These efforts filter into their design and construction methods, which requires AEC firms to understand Lean principles and how to integrate them into a project. It also requires collaboration among team members at a very early stage in the planning process.

While AEC firms that specialize in the healthcare sector will have vast opportunities going forward, they will also have to remain astute of the many factors and trends driving this market, and continually hone their capabilities to address demands and challenges. The charts below illustrate the top design and engineering firms that understand the healthcare landscape, and whose capabilities are exceptional within their areas of expertise.

Source: Building Design + Construction

Related Posts: Healthcare Construction Market & How to Capitalize On It, Healthcare Construction Continues To Be “Healthy” Market For Construction

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Recruitment and employee selection have been significantly impacted by the Internet and social media. Over the past several years, human resources (HR) departments and hiring managers have seen drastic changes in the way they recruit and select talent. In today’s business environment, they have to be astute of the latest technologies to maintain an efficient and effective employee selection process and to assist their organizations in remaining attractive to prospective employees. Simply put, organizations must be cutting edge, technologically advanced and ahead of their competitors in the war for talent.

Video interviewing first emerged in the technology realm and has grown to become an immensely popular and useful tool for organizations of all sectors as well as for executive recruiters. According to a recent Office Team survey, in just one year, the percentage of HR managers who said their company at least sometimes uses video interviewing jumped from 14% to 63%. Why? Because, overall, video interviewing streamlines the recruitment and employee selection process.

Before we discuss the advantages of video interviewing, let’s first discuss the two types of video interviews:

Live, Two-way: These are the most common form of video interviews, which allow hiring managers and candidates to talk live over an online connection.

One-way: These are recorded, asynchronous interviews that allow job seekers to answer a series of standard screening questions at their convenience. These types of interviews are especially helpful to hiring organizations in assessing candidates prior to spending time conducting face to face or online, live interviews. Candidates have a certain amount of time in which to conduct the interviews and their answers can be viewed by hiring managers and interviewing teams when it is convenient for them to do so. This speeds up the recruitment process and gets the most interesting candidates in for interviews more quickly. These video interviews are becoming increasingly popular because they:

• Allow interviewers to watch videos at their own convenience (or pause them, review them multiple times, etc.), compare candidates, and to add notes and share comments.
• Eliminate candidates who are not seriously considering a job opportunity because they will not take the time to do the interview.
• Provide additional insight that cannot be gleaned from traditional resumes.

Bottom-line benefits of video interviewing:

• Expands talent pool - Due to candidates not having to travel for interviews, even passive candidates are more motivated to apply for positions.
• Saves time for both employers and candidates -  Video interviewing provides the ability to interview a larger number of people in a shorter time period and allows candidates to interview with prospective employers and not have to take vacation time to do so.
• Reduces costs – Video interviewing eliminates or reduces travel costs when candidates are located out of town or out of the country. Only candidates who are highly suitable for a position need to travel for interviews. Due to reduced travel costs, video interviewing is also environmentally friendly.
• Expedites recruitment process – When candidates can do initial interviews via video, this advances the recruitment process because they can be interviewed in a shorter time frame.
• Offers scheduling flexibility for both hiring managers and candidates – Many times, there are multiple interviewers involved in a hiring process. If an interview is recorded, it can be sent to all other interviewers and they can view it at their own convenience.
• Provides greater consistency in evaluating candidates – By using one-way interviews and a predetermined script and format, candidates can be evaluated in a consistent manner which supports compliance and non-discrimination practices.
• Allows interviews to be captured permanently - By having ability to replay, review and compare interviews online, they are captured permanently and can be attached to employee files.

If the above advantages still are not enough to convince you of how video interviewing could positively impact your organization’s recruitment practices, try doing it for free first by utilizing one of the following:

• Skype – This is the most popular application worldwide with more than 250 million users. Program must be downloaded and installed. Con: Hijack vulnerability.
• FaceTime – Program is only available on Iphones and Ipads.
• Google+ – Requires registration with Google and obtaining a gmail account.

If you are ready to add video interviewing to your recruitment strategy, we recommend asking the following questions of providers prior to purchasing their systems and services:

• Does the system provide both one-way automated and two-way live interviews?
• Does the solution have the ability to record interviews and share them? How easily can it be done?
• Does the solution allow for notes and comments to be attached to video files?
• What major applicant tracking systems does it integrate with?
• Does the solution allow customizable questions?
• Does the solution save interviews for a certain period of time?
• Does my organization need to purchase equipment?

As you can see, video interviewing has multiple advantages. White it will never replace face-to-face meetings, it can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the recruitment process – and that is something that every organization is looking to achieve in this global war for talent.

Sources: Hire-Intelligence, JXT blog, Recruiting Trends, Sarah White Associates, Talent Circles blog, UnderCover Recruiter

Related Post: Tips For Making A Good Impression During A Video Interview

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Photo Courtesy of GSK

The Navy Yard in Philadelphia is known for its appeal to innovative and sustainability-focused companies. Over the past week, it has been making headlines with its new tenant, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). GSK is one of the world’s premier research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It is now turning heads with the grand opening of its new U. S. headquarters. The facility stands proud on a rehabilitated brownfield site within The Navy Yard Corporate Center and it’s getting recognition for two reasons: its double LEED Platinum Certification and its progressive internal environment.

Owned and developed by Liberty Property Trust / Synterra Partners, GSK’s new facility has been awarded both Core & Shell and Commercial Interiors LEED Platinum Certification from the U. S. Green Building Council. It is the first double LEED Platinum building in Philadelphia. With an $80M investment by Liberty Property Trust / Synterra and a $70M investment by GSK, the building is an attention getter with a glass facade, an 80-foot high central atrium and a 4-story monumental staircase.

GSK’s Five Crescent Drive At A Glance

Team:

• Developer/Owner: Liberty Property Trust / Synterra
• Architect: Robert A. M. Stern Architects
• Interior Architect: Francis Cauffman
• Builder: LF Driscoll

Facts:

• Construction began in June 2011, initial occupancy was February 2013 with its grand opening being held on April 8, 2013.
• 4 stories, 208,000 SF
• Cost = $150M.

GSK’s new headquarters boasts many sustainable building features including:

• High-performance glass and state of the art building facade. Both will maximize daylight in winter and reduce heat gain by providing shade in the summer attributing to the building being expected to use 30% less energy compared to a traditional building.
  
• ENERGY STAR rating lighting and equipment, and an astronomical time clock and cloud sensor program which activates automatic shades to control glare.
• Smart meters that track and monitor the facility’s energy and water usage while also providing ongoing accountability for utility consumption and performance.
• 40% of the building’s green rooftop is covered with vegetation, which absorbs storm water and reduces energy costs by providing natural ventilation.
• Higher efficiency, low-flow plumbing fixtures that are projected to reduce water usage up to 50%, which will save an estimated 1.8M gallons of water annually.
• Ventilation system that provides 30% more fresh air than is required by code, and is monitored by carbon dioxide sensors in high-density spaces.

If that’s not enough to impress you, let’s talk about its futuristic workplace environment. Coming from their old building which was 800,000 SF, employees now have about 25% of that in their new facility. And they reportedly don’t mind it a bit as 90% of the workspaces have views of Philadelphia and 75% have natural light. This is because, instead of having a typical office space layout, there are no walls. Employees are located in “neighborhoods” and they have the ability to work in variety of settings throughout their workday as they choose any empty workstation they want. They have access to custom designed sit and stand workstations, team tables, meeting areas, social areas and quiet rooms. In speaking of the new facility, Deirdre Connelly, President, North America Pharmaceuticals, was quoted in saying, “our new work space is designed to inspire and connect people. My teammates and I are energized by this new environment, where we can do our best work and collaborate without the constraints of office walls.”

How’s that for a new U. S. corporate headquarters?

GSK, Liberty Property Trust / Synterra and all team members are to be commended on their impressive design, construction and sustainability strategies. We look forward to hearing more about these types of green buildings as the world’s major corporations move forward in demonstrating their commitments to sustainability and green building, and to reducing their energy usage.

About the players:

Liberty Property Trust is located in Malvern, PA. Its real estate investment trust (REIT) serves customers in the United States and United Kingdom through the development, acquisition, ownership and management of superior office and industrial properties. It is a leader in developing high performance green buildings.

Synterra Partners is a multi-disciplined firm that builds strategic partnerships with market leaders in residential, commercial, hotel and retail sectors leveraging expertise, relationships and track records. Founded in 1996 as an outgrowth of Synterra Ltd., Synterra Partners has earned an extraordinary national and international reputation by working successfully with public and private organizations to create innovative strategies for complex development projects.

Robert A. M. Stern, FAIA, is founder and senior partner of Robert A. M. Stern Architects, a 230-person firm with an international reputation and wide experience in residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. Working with Liberty Property Trust and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the firm led the design team for the 2004 master plan for the redevelopment of the Philadelphia Navy Yard and then served as design architect for the office building at One Crescent Drive. The firm’s work for Liberty Property Trust also includes the design of Comcast Center in Center City Philadelphia and a headquarters building for PPL in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Stern is dean of the Yale School of Architecture.

Francis Cauffman, an award-winning architecture firm with offices in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C., has supported its clients since 1954 with innovative architecture, planning, and interior design services. The practice is recognized for being on the leading edge of new investigations in workplace strategies and corporate research, corporate and advanced technology, healthcare, and academic research and teaching. Francis Cauffman has a staff of 130 architects, planners, and interior designers and is active in 20 states and three countries. Francis Cauffman’s clients include multinational corporations, top healthcare systems and prestigious academic institutions.

LF Driscoll, a Structure Tone organization, is the largest, locally-based construction manager in the Philadelphia region.

Sources:  Commercial Property Executive, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia Business Journal

Related Post: Pittsburgh’s Tower At PNC Plaza To Be World’s Greenest Skyscraper

Continue reading »]]> As executive search consultants, we are often asked by candidates if writing post-interview thank you notes are recommended. In all cases, our consultants would agree that sending a thank you after an interview is appropriate, courteous and beneficial. It provides another opportunity to differentiate yourself among other prospective candidates, which is the goal of any interview process.

The primary reasons for writing a post-interview thank you note are:

• To show your appreciation for the interviewer’s time and interest.
• To demonstrate good manners and extend a professional courtesy.
• To reiterate your interest in the organization and the position.
• To recap the interview, reminding the interviewer(s) of your qualifications.
• To follow up with any information the interviewer(s) may have requested you to provide following the interview.

Backing up our perspective of the above points are the results of a CareerBuilder 2011 survey. Results revealed that 22% of hiring managers are less likely to hire a candidate if he/she does not send a thank you note, even though the individual may be a good fit for the position. CareerBuilder also found:

• 86% of hiring managers say not sending a thank you note shows a lack of follow through.
• 56% say not sending a thank you note says sends the message that the candidate isn’t serious about the opportunity.

Since this should give you enough reasons to send a post-interview thank you note, below are some of our recommendations for making them effective:

• Personalize your note. Just as you do not want your resume to blend in with others, do not use standard content in your post-interview thank you note. For example, share particular things from the interview that you found interesting and insightful. This will show that you took time to really consider the interview, making you come across as being genuine and likable.

• Make your note most effective by briefly reiterating the reasons for your interest in the position and the company. For example, you can explain how the role fits in with your career motivations, how your experiences and skills could be of value to the company, or the impact you feel you could make. If possible, use specific examples from the interview.

• Send a thank you note to all interviewers. If you were interviewed by multiple people, you want to show equal respect to all by sending individual notes to each. By ‘individual’, we mean make each note a little different from the others. If you write them all the same, they will lose their effect and genuineness. Also, be sure to get the correct name spelling and title of each interviewer.

• Send thank you note within 24 hours.

Email or Handwritten Thank You notes?

This is a question that many candidates ponder and there is no simple answer because it can depend upon the interviewer’s personal preference, the formality of the interview, and the level of the position. In general, a handwritten thank you note gets more attention than an email with the same content. However, if the hiring process is moving quickly, then you will want to expedite your thank you and send an email. However, if you do email the note, we recommend you follow up with a handwritten one via regular mail.

Remember that, even though you want your thank you to have a ‘personal’ feel, all grammatical rules that apply to professional correspondence also apply to thank you notes.

If you decide to send your thank you note via email, there are certain things you need to be aware of. First, make sure your subject line is appropriate and concise. It can be as simple as “Thank you” but we recommend you also add your name to the subject if your email address does not have your name within it. Otherwise, the interviewer will not know the email is from you and may overlook it. Second, consider your email address. Ask yourself if it is appropriate and professional. If it’s not, then create a new one to use only for business / employment correspondence. Lastly, do not use email stationery – just use a plain email format. Stationery is not necessary and it can make your email file larger. Furthermore, it may cause the email to not open correctly on the interviewer’s end and, if they’re viewing it on their mobile device, the stationery will not come through.

Format For Post-Interview Thank You Notes + Sample Content

Now that you understand the basics of why, when and how to send post-interview thank you notes, let’s talk about ideas on content. Typically, post-interview thank you notes are three concise paragraphs:

• Paragraph 1 explains why you are writing – to thank the interviewer.
• Paragraph 2 reminds the interviewer why your experience and skills are a match for the position and how you will add value to the organization. This is the paragraph where you will want to add specifics from your interview.
• Paragraph 3 emphasizes your interest and closes the thank you note.

Below are some mix and match options / ideas for each paragraph:

First Paragraph Options:

• I would like to thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. It was a pleasure speaking with you and learning about COMPANY and its JOB TITLE opportunity.
• Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today regarding the JOB TITLE opportunity at COMPANY. After speaking with you, I believe that my background and skills are an ideal match for the opportunity.
• I would like to thank you for the opportunity to discuss JOB TITLE with COMPANY.
• Thank you for taking the time to meet with me to discuss JOB TITLE with COMPANY. I appreciated the opportunity to learn your insight of the position and how it impacts your entire organization.

Second Paragraph Options:

• As we discussed, I believe my experience and PRIMARY SKILLS would add strength to your team and allow me to make an immediate and positive impact. [Elaborate with 1 or 2 specific examples.]
• I believe my experiences and PRIMARY SKILLS  would prove to be valuable to your firm as these are necessary attributes to be successful in JOB TITLE. [Elaborate with 1 or 2 specific examples.]
• Based on my experience and education, I am confident that I would make a positive contribution to COMPANY’S team in the role of JOB TITLE. [Elaborate with 1 or 2 specific examples.]
• I am very interested in JOB TITLE and its objectives and I hope to have the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the continued success of COMPANY. [Elaborate with 1 or 2 specific examples.]
  
• Following my visit to COMPANY, I believe that your company atmosphere is one in which I could grow both personally and professionally. I am most particularly impressed by the company’s philosophy of [Elaborate].
• I believe the combination of my skills and experiences would prove to be an asset to COMPANY and its objectives. [Elaborate with 1 or 2 specific examples.]
  

Third paragraph options:

• I look forward to continuing our discussions and would welcome the opportunity to become a part of COMPANY. Thank you again for your time and consideration.
• Thank you again for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
• If you have any additional questions regarding my skills or experience, please do not hesitate to contact me. Again, thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to continuing our discussions.

After writing your post-interview thank you note, sit back and commend yourself because you can be confident that most candidates will not have done the same. By simply taking the time to write a note that extends your gratitude, demonstrates your courteousness, and reiterates your interest in the position and company, you still stand out and differentiate yourself among prospective candidates.

If you have tips you would like to share regarding post-interview thank you notes or have other questions for our search consultants about interviewing, send us an email at helbling@helblingsearch.com. We will include your tips and / or questions in future blog posts.