CBIA BizCast: Bridging Technological, Generational Divides

Over the past 10 years, Middletown-based AI Engineers has more than tripled in size.

The architecture, construction, and engineering firm has grown from 90 employees to 350 in the U.S., with an additional and 70 employees working overseas.

And annual revenue from $18 million to $77 million.

Now factor in the speed of technological change, the challenge of finding qualified new employees, and the need to manage a multi-generational workforce.

So how does a mid-sized company navigate that much change successfully?

Staying Agile

“We’re known for agility and rapid decision-making,” Tariq Islam, AI Engineers’ new chief of staff, said during a conversation on the CBIA BizCast.

“So we’re able to react a lot quicker than a lot of other organizations, and that kind of sets us apart for a company of our size—our ability satisfy the customer.”

“Plus, we’re always looking for new technology to implement quickly. We leverage partnerships to find qualified engineers and we’re very focused on succession planning,” he added.

“We’re always looking for new trends and ways to create operational efficiencies.”

AI Engineers’ Abul Islam

Seven years ago, the company established a group of 15 people to look for new technology from start-ups, pilot programs, and places outside their industry.  

“We were early investors in drones,” said Tariq’s father Abul Islam, who founded the company in 1993.

“We’re always looking for new trends and ways to create operational efficiencies.”

Recruiting Strategy

With new technology comes a new workforce with new skills, Tariq said.

To find qualified civil engineers, the company partners with academic institutions to attract graduate and international students.

They also rely on statewide resources, including support from CBIA on immigration licenses.

“It’s the war of talent right now.”

Abul Islam

“We have a whole program in place for helping engineers from overseas get their Connecticut licenses, as well as licenses in other states,” Abul Islam said.

“It doesn’t matter where they get their degrees from, it’s the war of talent right now.”

And as it seeks out new technology, the company tries to recruit employees from startups and pilot programs.

“We’ve been successful at recruiting people as we find new technology,” Tariq Islam noted.

Connecting Generations

The challenge of connecting different generations of employees is one that the company has taken head on.

“A lot of institutional knowledge comes from the employees of my father’s generation,” Tariq Islam said.

“And there’s a collaborative spirit that the younger generation brings—they have different styles of working.”

“You basically have to get everybody into a room and let them talk to each other.”

AI Engineers’ Tariq Islam

Bridging the knowledge and technology gap is a process that takes time, father and son agreed.

But sometimes innovation comes from a simple place.

“You basically have to get everybody into a room and let them talk to each other so they can understand different perspectives,” he said. “Then it happens.”

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