Company that builds big goes big on employee perks

The tight labor market has impacted Suffolk Construction, one of the largest builders in Florida. “There are some specific positions that have been really hard to fill,” says Logan Wallick, a manager of people and culture at Suffolk, which has multiple ongoing projects on the west coast of the state.

But Wallick and Julie Palmer, a regional director of people and culture at Suffolk, say the issue is even tougher among many of the firm’s trade-partners and subcontractors. One reason Suffolk has been somewhat insulated — and has a backlog of job applicants — is the company’s industry-leading training and development program, says Palmer.  Another reason for the company’s pipeline of applicants: a robust referral program, where the source of a new hire can get from $1,000 up to $5,500 for an executive level hire.