Marker, Inc.

Erin Colwell has spent nearly two decades partnering with organizations to align culture, leadership and talent with growth. Her mission is to create environments where people thrive, driven by the belief that when people thrive, businesses excel.

In an interview with HR Tech Outlook, Colwell shared insights on skills-first hiring, talent pipelines and how culture and AI are shaping future-ready organizations.

Rebuilding the Talent Pipeline

I think there are a couple of things driving how we approach talent today. In construction, workforce development is a critical component, especially given long-standing patterns in how people enter the industry. For a long time, many post-millennials were guided toward a single path after high school, typically an undergraduate degree, which narrowed exposure to other career options. We are now working to reverse that thinking by engaging earlier, partnering with elementary, middle and high schools as well as career tech programs to showcase what construction careers can offer.

The market is extremely constrained, particularly for roles like superintendents and project managers, and with a significant portion of the workforce nearing retirement, rebuilding the pipeline has become an urgent priority.

I believe there is value in old-fashioned networking, when outreach meant cold calling organizations or exchanging business cards after meeting the right person. Recruitment and marketing are critical in shaping the story we tell as an employer, defining why people should choose us in a market where most skilled professionals are already employed.

Creating a Future-Ready Workforce

Instead of relying primarily on what is on a resume or an individual’s experience in a specific role, it becomes more important to understand their transferable skills and potential.

This shift now defines hiring approaches and will be a key to success in our field.

Equally important is how we develop people internally. A key part of my perspective is encouraging curiosity and continuous learning. If someone is a carpenter but wants to understand concrete, or a project engineer wants exposure to estimating, space should be created for that. Stretch assignments play an important role here.

My role is to act as an enabler, helping people build broader capability, ensuring they are not stagnant and can grow into more well-rounded contributors within the organization.

Making Technology Work in Practice

We are rolling out a new HRIS system on Azure and working through how technology fits into workforce management. One of the biggest gaps in today’s technology is true bidirectional integration, where systems can communicate seamlessly without relying on manual data transfers.

There is no perfect human capital management system that works universally across every organization. What matters is usability and accessibility, especially for field teams who need to access tools on laptops, mobile devices or tablets while on site. We focus on systems that are easy to use, efficient and quick, allowing employees to receive performance reviews, training and development conversations without friction.

While technology helps us administer processes more effectively, certain things still benefit from in-person engagement, like OSHA training, interviewing techniques or updating your LinkedIn profile. The challenge is ensuring the systems support the work without replacing that human element.

Culture Embedded, Future in Motion

From a cultural standpoint, I believe diversity, equity and inclusion should not be treated as a separate initiative. It needs to be embedded in how we operate every day, across interactions, decisions and values, becoming just another checkbox.

Looking ahead, AI is an area we are actively exploring. The focus is not on replacement but on enhancement, ensuring teams are educated on how to use AI responsibly and effectively in their day-to-day work. My priority is to stay informed and support our teams through this change.