Is it Time to Fear Headhunters?

摘要

If there's one common thread among the six builders featured in our article on fast-growing builders ("Big Gainers," page 16), it's the absolute importance of keeping the core team intact during the downturn. When the housing market started to crash in 2006, builders understandably kicked into survival mode. Many chose to let their most experienced and talented (and costly) employees go as part of their operations trimming process. Not this group. They made the strategic decision to retain their best and brightest employees, even during the market's darkest hours. Take Washington, D.C.-area builder EYA for example. The company saw revenue grow 24.5 percent from 2010 to 2011, to $113 million, and nearly 100 percent from 2008, thanks in large part to its investment in its core team, according to EYA president Bob Youngentob.