FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SE3 Survey?

This survey is a nationwide gender-focused study on compensation, employee engagement, and career satisfaction for structural engineers. It began in mid-February 2016, and finished at the end of April that same year.

Who was the survey meant for?

The survey was designed to survey anyone who is working, or has worked as a structural engineer in the United States.

What are the main goals of this study?

Previous studies by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Structural Engineering Institute (ASCE/SEI) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) found that women disproportionately leave structural engineering and related industries before reaching leadership positions, citing a multitude of factors that conspire to create a workplace that is fundamentally unfavorable to the advancement of women. In order to ensure that structural engineering is a profession that continues to retain people of all genders, we need to first understand what causes people to leave our industry, as well as what causes them to stay.

To help accomplish that, the goals of this study are two-fold: to understand the keys to employee engagement/retention, and to identify gender-related obstacles at various stages in a structural engineer's career. Once these issues have been identified, we hope to help solve them by identifying ways in which firms can adapt their practices to retain an engaged, productive and diverse workforce.

What similar studies have been done in the AEC industry?

Please see links below to some of the studies that inspired our research efforts.

Why They Stay… Why They Leave… Apr, 2015 By Robert Pekelnicky, S.E. and Kyle J. Twitchell, M.S., E.I.T. In Articles, Professional Issues

Diversity in the Structural Engineering Profession Oct, 2014 By Abbie Liel In Articles, Structure Magazine, Professional Issues

Equity in Architecture 2014 Survey Report Annelise Pitts, Rosa Sheng, Erik Evenhouse, and Ruohnan Hu, AIA San Francisco and Equity by Design Committee

Was the survey anonymous?

The online survey was anonymous and completely voluntary. Any personal information provided in this survey was strictly confidential.

The research team took extra precautions available within the survey software to protect the anonymity of each respondent. During analysis, survey responses may have been used for segmentation or analytical modelling. In no instance were responses used for marketing efforts.

What is SE3?

The Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity (SE3) Committee is a committee within the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) whose mission is to study engagement and equity in the structural engineering profession in order to provide meaningful input on improving both of these metrics within the industry.

When will the results be available to the public?

The findings will be presented at various Structural Engineers Association (SEA) events, and also distributed nationally as a report to all interested participants.

This report will be available on this site in December 2016.

What areas of study does the survey cover?

The 2016 SE3 Survey covered the following areas of study related to employee engagement and retention:

Job satisfaction
Career trajectory and advancement
Pay and compensation
Work environment
Work-life balance and flexibility benefits

How was the survey distributed?

The survey was distributed through the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), and the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA). It was being posted in the NCSEA and ASCE/SEI newsletters. In addition, a concerted effort was made to distribute the survey to engineering firms throughout the country, through individual e-mails from committee members.

The research team reached out to leaders of NCSEA and ASCE/SEI membership organizations, and business leaders, to help with distribution.
Aside from these large-scale distribution efforts, the team relied heavily on word-of-mouth distribution, including connections with the team's personal and professional contacts (colleagues, professors, advisers, alumni associations) and publishing the link on social media sites such as LinkedIn. We reached out to individuals within structural engineering offices throughout the United States.

How can I join the SE3 project efforts?

If you have questions or comments about the project, or you are interested in joining our efforts, please contact SE3@seaonc.org.

Messages will be sent to committee co-chairs, Nick Sherrow-Groves (Arup) and Angie Sommer (ZFA) as well as past-chairs, Natalie Tse (KPW Structural Engineers) and Rose McClure (Simpson Gumpertz & Heger)