Rodney Williams is the Director of Talent Management at Atwell. His relationship with the company spans more than 20 years, and in that time, he has been a champion of mentorship, career development, and culture within Atwell. We asked Rodney to share insights about his career, the importance of a strong company culture, and what sets Atwell apart from others in the AEC industry.
Can you describe what you do at Atwell?
I champion the people strategy and cultural integration for all new hires at The Atwell Family of Companies. That starts with my team and me developing a customized onboarding experience, leading new hire orientation, providing licensing support, training and development programs, supporting performance reviews, goal setting, and executive coaching. I am also heavily involved with integration activities for our newly acquired companies.
What led you to Atwell?
I owned an executive recruitment firm and one of my clients was also a client of Atwell’s. An employee from that company introduced me to Brian Wenzel on a flight to an industry event in 2002, and from there, Atwell became one of my clients. After forming great relationships with many execs at Atwell and making several key hires, I eventually joined the firm in 2006 as a Group Leader of Corporate Services. In 2013, I decided to pursue other career options but returned in 2019 to lead the Talent Management team. Our team is responsible for coaching, mentoring, and educating every employee so that they are knowledgeable, well-equipped, supported, and set up for success.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
I love the variety; no two days are ever the same. I get to solve problems and develop solutions for employees, from career development, training, and professional goals, to retention and team building. It feels good to play a role in the growth of our employees. I also get to travel to most of the offices around the country to engage with employees and leaders in-person, and it is an opportunity for me to learn and grow as well.
What does company culture mean to you?
To me, culture drives the success of the company. It is something that everyone is a part of and everyone can contribute to, but I do believe it starts with great leadership. Culture is a set of values, attitudes, and practices that help define and drive the company. If leaders embody these principles and values, their staff will see it and begin to follow their example.
We have an overall Atwell culture, but our individual offices have their own unique cultures too. Some offices have quarterly team functions for relationship-building; some offices have food truck lunches each month; and some wear certain attire on Fridays. It is up to the leaders and staff of those offices to set the tone, and it creates a feeling of authentic connection. Everyone wins when staff enjoys coming to work every day.
What are the benefits of a company having an authentic, defined culture?
When employees understand the culture of their organization, they have a better understanding of how they fit in and why they matter. It creates a sense of belonging, which is important for retention but also for collaboration and mental health. It also helps leaders reach individuals on their teams in diverse ways. For example, Atwell’s employees span across several generations. Some things that resonate with a Gen-Xer may not resonate with a Millennial, and vice versa. Our culture and our values serve as common ground to foster understanding and effective communication, which makes everyone feel valued.
How can a company’s culture affect its business goals?
Your culture will have an impact on how well employees collaborate with each other, approach solutions for clients, and share a powerful sense of teamwork. When you have a culture that values doing work you’re proud of, taking care of employees, and supporting clients, you’re encouraging passion, integrity, the freedom to grow and evolve. This spurs innovation and ignites passion into your role, which leads to high quality work, which leads to profitable projects.
Atwell imparts our culture into our solutions, and our clients notice. It makes a positive impression and assures them that what we are building for them fits their goals and is attractive for their end users. This leads to trust, better business relationships, and greater business opportunities.
What makes Atwell’s culture unique?
I would say there are four things that set us apart:
- We have a culture of entrepreneurship. Our company is young enough where ideas are embraced and openly shared but established enough to have processes in place that help us do our best work and show up as our best selves.
- A culture of innovation. We are always looking for new ways to do things, from pursuing new markets and services to finding better solutions for our clients.
- A culture of collaboration. Most companies in our industry have profit centers, but Atwell does not. This means our resources are available to everyone across the organization. This prevents internal friction and internal competition. It also gives our employees the chance to collaborate across the country and allows our clients access to the best technical talent and resources nationwide.
- We are client focused. We function as advisors to our clients and provide solutions that earn our clients’ trust with our expertise and deliverables. This leads to repeat business and strong client relationships.
What are some accomplishments you’re proud of achieving at Atwell?
We’ve launched Clifton StrengthsFinder initiative to help leaders and teams understand their strengths and how they relate to each other. Teams can better collaborate when they understand each other’s strengths and make sure the right people are on the right seat on the bus.
Atwell’s onboarding program has been revamped; we have been able to utilize technology to streamline the process, making it easier for new hires to navigate information and stay engaged during their onboarding journey. We have heard from several new hires that the Atwell onboarding program is much more comprehensive than anything they have ever experienced at other firms. The goal is to make sure every new hire feels part of the family within their first six months and that they understand their role, our processes, what we do, and how they can contribute to our success.
Finally, I am proud to serve as the Executive Sponsor for the Cultural Connect ERG (employee resource group) and as a part of the Executive DEIB committee. In both of these roles, I get to work on initiatives that help Atwell grow and embrace the importance of diversity and the positive effects it has on the company. Overall, I am proud to be in a position where I can have influence and make a difference each day.
Speed round:
Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate for sure!
Listening to music or watching TV? Listening to music—I love going to concerts.
Vacation or staycation? Vacation.
Cooking at home or going out to eat? Cooking at home.
Summer or winter? Summer.
