To execute all the work in its burgeoning backlog, Edmonton, Canada-based PCL Construction Group, has had to go on a hiring spree. The multi-market prime contractor had $3.33 billion in 2005 revenue, up 27% from 2004, and sailed into 2006 with a $4.19-billion backlog, up from $2.2 billion in 2002.

Last year, PCL picked up 552 new hires, which represents 26.7% of its total salaried staff. In 2002, PCL only hired 182 people, which accounted for 11.2% of its staff at the time. In 2006, PCL expects to take on at least as many people as it did in 2005.

While PCL occasionally has sought to increase its market share through acquisitionspicking up an industrial and a power-market contractor in recent years, its preferred path to growth is to hire new staff, says Peter Greene, PCLs vice president of professional development. The companys favorite targets are recent graduates. They learn the PCL culture more quickly and are less likely to carry ingrained bad habits, such as adversarial attitudes toward clients, says Greene.

Peter Greene
Vice President for Professional Development, PCL Construction Enterprises

Peter Greene is a longtime company employee who is deeply involved in recruiting and career development. The PCL companies (pcl.com) recently made Fortune magazines list of the top 100 companies to work for.

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