Diversity In Action

HNTB needs civil engineers at all levels

New grad hires can apply their skills from the start. Diverse employees get help with career advancement

At HNTB Corporation (Kansas City, MO), civil engineers immerse themselves in each client’s structure and employee network.

The result is a true partnership that integrates best business practices and allows HNTB employees to become fully engaged in client goals, says Richard Cybulski, HR spokesman.

HNTB is an employee-owned company that provides architecture, engineering, planning and construction services. Its three business units are architecture, infrastructure and federal. Employees offer expertise in financing, legislation, design, construction, community outreach and operations.

The company is almost a century old. It’s best known for designing movable bridges, the first modern turnpike and a significant portion of the U.S. Interstate system. Its pioneering experience in bridge and highway planning and design has led to many long-term client relationships.

Hiring levels in 2009 will depend on the government contracts HNTB wins, Cybulski says. But there are always job opportunities over the entire spectrum, from the newly-minted graduate to the most senior manager.

Cybulski says that civil and architectural engineers top the list for new-grad hires, especially those who focus on areas like structures or environmental engineering. People with scientific degrees are needed as well.

There are entry-level engineering roles for new college grads with EIT (engineer-in-training) licenses, he says. Entry-level engineers work under close supervision on assignments in the transportation, structural and water or wastewater group. “There are many tasks they can perform right out of school.”

He adds that HNTB loves grads with internships under their belts. “That internship can be with us or with a competitor or a design office,” he says. “It’s not so important what they’ve done but that they’ve gotten some experience and have had an opportunity to find out if they really want to do this kind of work.”

To recruit diverse candidates, HNTB has active relationships with groups like NSBE, SHPE and SWE. New college hires and more experienced technical folks accompany the recruiters at conventions and campus events, Cybulski says.

HNTB also participates in outreach events at schools like Purdue and Georgia Tech. “We work with eighteen foundation universities,” Cybulski says. “There’s a campus executive at each school who manages our relationships and interactions with the school’s minority organizations.”

Students can connect with HNTB via its website, which posts a calendar listing campus visit dates. Or they may work through one of the many professors who have established close relationships with the company.

John Prutsman, HR spokesman for diversity initiatives, notes that HNTB has a career development and planning process for diverse employees. “If you’re doing a good job, your supervisor can help advance your career by connecting you with a mentor, providing a stretch assignment or getting you specific training and development,” Prutsman says.

HNTB also offers a young professional leadership program in which younger employees meet with company leaders to talk about common leadership traits and steps they should take to be promoted, he says.

HNTB cares about the well being and success of its professionals. Some facilities partner with local day care centers to offer childcare options. Domestic partner benefits are available as well.

The company has volunteering and charitable partnerships with organizations such as the United Way. Employees are invited to participate in unique events like an adult tricycle ride. At its “CAN-struction” event, company engineers build structures out of cans of food in shopping malls. The cans are then donated to local food banks.

“Volunteerism allows younger professionals to get involved,” says Prutsman. “And it’s a lot of fun.”

D/C