In this episode of Wine After Work, I sit down with Jim Riney, a seasoned recruiter and talent acquisition leader who has spent 25 years in the AEC industry. Jim’s journey is remarkable—starting at an agency, moving into corporate at a national firm (later acquired by a global giant), and spending several years shaping talent acquisition operations before joining Freese and Nichols.

Four years ago, Jim joined Freese and Nichols to do something unprecedented in their 130-year history: build their first talent acquisition team from the ground up. Today, he leads a team of eight with an ambitious mission—to hire 350 people this year—all while shaping a culture that attracts and retains top talent in a competitive market.

Pour a glass, tune in, and discover:

• What it takes to build a high-performing TA team from scratch in a legacy firm

• How Jim and his team approach hiring at scale without losing the human touch

• Lessons learned over 25 years in AEC recruiting and why culture matters now more than ever

Listen in and get inspired by Jim’s vision for the future of hiring in our industry.