Altieri’s Women in Engineering (WIE) employee resource group recently gathered with interested staff for a lunchtime conversation focused on support and recognition. This was WIE’s second event aimed at engaging our allies in discussions about topics particularly important to women. Turns out, being valued is a universal topic! As Senior Electrical Designer, Lou Falcone, noted “I related to the conversation; respect and recognition are important to guys too.”
The discussion, kicked off by a brief look at how women and men feel differently about being valued and supported in the workplace, included stories about being recognized (and not), sharing thoughts about the importance of appreciation, and identifying the types of recognition that are most effective and meaningful. We also talked about our new Superlatives program launched by WIE on behalf of its members, but on the table to be rolled out firmwide.
https://www.flipsnack.com/78C9ACFF8D6/women-in-the-workplace-2024/full-view.html
https://www.fairplaytalks.com/2025/03/03/less-than-one-in-three-women-feel-supported-at-work-reveals-study/
Staff stories and commentary touched on the many and often easily executed ways of acknowledging just about anyone including co-workers, junior staff, and project teams (shout-outs, thank-you’s, congratulations notes, invitations to topping out ceremonies and site visits), why recognition is important, how it feels to be overlooked, and the “if you don’t hear anything bad then it’s good” approach.
Seeing your work in the field is important recognition for our engineers who are laboring behind the scenes. Nick Formus, Mechanical Engineer, keyed in on attending site visits and topping out ceremonies. “It’s nice when it’s not just the senior leader being invited to events like a topping out ceremony, but the entire team – this is a whole other form of appreciation that’s always welcome.”
Quacy Baldwin, a junior member of our Low Voltage team, described how great it feels to be on a project email with senior engineers and to have the questions posed directly to him, clearly acknowledging that he is handling the job and that the client respects his work.
Kari Nystrom, Principal, recently attended a project opening with her husband for a project she had worked on for almost 20 years. She shared how it felt when people automatically assumed that he worked on the project, completing overlooking her.
Mike Dunleavy, Mechanical Engineer, enjoys the regular Good job, Mike that he gets from his supervisors. He especially appreciates hearing his name: “It is more meaningful and sincere than a quick pass-by and more appreciated.”
As noted in Creating a Culture of Recognition, recognition is not to be taken lightly. A study of workplace dynamics “showed that affirmation, feedback and reward are most effective for motivating employees to do their best work.” Kristen Kaczegowicz, Altieri Marketing Manager, concurs: “It always feels good to be recognized for the work I’ve done; it pushes me to produce the same or better quality work the next time.”
Sara Josephson, Associate Principal but at the time just 3 years out of college, remembers how Phil Steiner, then Principal, made sure her comments were heard in a meeting during which she was clearly being ignored by the other (older male) party. Phil showed support and respect by deftly re-directing the conversation with “Have you met Sara? She’s a great mechanical engineer here.”
It is likely not surprising that employee recognition is, as titled in a Gallup Workplace article, low cost and high impact. “This element of engagement and performance might be one of the greatest missed opportunities for leaders and managers. Workplace recognition motivates, provides a sense of accomplishment and makes employees feel valued for their work. Recognition not only boosts individual employee engagement, but it also has been found to increase productivity and loyalty to the company, leading to higher retention.”
Altieri’s staff discussion certainly underscored the benefits of workplace recognition. Participants left the session with a sense of feeling heard, understood, and recognized and ready to prioritize and improve the way we support one another in the workplace.