On March 3, 2021, SAI Consulting Engineers, Inc. received the Employer of the Year Award from WTS Pittsburgh. The award luncheon featured guest speaker Secretary of Transportation Yassmin Gramian.
Lauren Doyle accepted the award virtually on SAI’s behalf. Ms. Doyle of SAI stated: “I nominated SAI based on my personal experiences as an employee and based on the work culture I have experienced here. As soon as I started at SAI, the tone was set for inclusivity. Within my first week I was asked to participate in SAI’s celebration for Women’s History Month. In the limited time we had left in the office with the pandemic looming, the women in the office had a lunch to welcome the new female hires. After work from home life started, we were able to keep up virtually with women’s happy hours. Aside from the social aspect, SAI is a place where equality and fairness comes first. Whether it is for promotions or opportunities to tackle new and unique tasks, everyone gets their shot and equal consideration. Everyone is continually encouraged to participate in WTS events, committees, and on the board.”
The statistics support my personal experiences as well. In the past year, 38% of SAI’s new hires were women, while the industry average is only 17%. SAI has recently supported one of our female engineers in obtaining a master’s degree, and offered two internships to females in the past year. The most striking thing that I found while working at SAI though, is that so many employees stick around for the long haul. In the past year, we have had 3 women retire after spending a combined 73 years of experience at SAI. Though I am young, I am very aware how rare it is to stay at a company that long in today’s day and age. It shows that SAI is not only a place to start and grow a career; but it is truly a place to finish it. #womenshistorymonth #womeninengineering