Family Album

A Man on an Initiative
By: Shari Berra

Recruitment — It's a word on the tip of the tongue of just about everybody lately. As the need increases for qualified people with very specialized skills, the market for these individuals is also increasingly hard to tap. For this reason, recruitment has become one of the initiatives that was selected at the last Strategic Planning session.

One key employee who is taking on this charge is Harry Steen. Harry joined McCarthy in February 2002 as the Director of Human Resources for the Southwest, Northern Pacific and Southern California divisions (with Peggy Lynas taking on the rest of the divisions). He brings to McCarthy 25 years of human resources experience, most recently with Kelly Services, which is known for screening and hiring top quality employees.

On most days Harry spends a great deal of time carefully screening candidates, reviewing resumes or working with McCarthy's managers to assess their current job openings. Over this past summer, Harry became a semi-regular employee in the Southern California office, as their need for new staff has been large. Harry got to be on a first-name basis with the desk help at the Countryside Suites in Newport — but his dedication paid off — he's helped hire more than 25 in just a few short months.

Recruitment is defined this way in the Strategic Plan: “As our organization continues to grow we will need many qualified individuals who have a passion for building.” It's fortunate for McCarthy that Harry shares a similar dedication when it comes to recruiting and finding these top candidates who will ultimately become employees… as seen on his face every time one of his candidates is added to the McCarthy team. In the last month, Harry's focus on Southern California lessened a little with the addition of a full-time recruiter, Kristen Speer, who will work out of the Newport office and serve both Northern and Southern California.

Harry's escape from the fast-paced world of recruiting takes him from human resources to handle bars. If the weather is nice in St. Louis, you'll be sure to find Harry cycling on the Katy Trail. Although most recently Harry met with a minor cycling accident, that hasn't stopped him from pedaling forward and enjoying the sport he loves. Besides bicycling, you can find Harry spending time with his wife Mary Ann and their two daughters Tricia and Becky.

Just like a good up-hill challenge, Harry is armed with the skills and knowledge to find the best top-performing individuals in the field of construction to help McCarthy become the Best Builder in America.