Nailed It: Why Our People Stick Around

Oct 5, 2026

Linda Kiernan

Talent Manager

5-minute read

The work matters. The people have your back. And there’s always another opportunity to grow. For the right people, RO just clicks.

The work matters. The people have your back. And there’s always another opportunity to grow. For the right people, RO just clicks.

You know the feeling when you’ve found the right fit.

The work challenges you in the right ways. Your teammates want you to succeed. You can speak up, try something new, and see a future taking shape.

RO isn’t the right place for everyone—and that’s OK. But for the right people, it feels like home. According to Talent Manager Linda Kiernan, they often recognize it early.

As RO’s head recruiter, Linda Kiernan watched employees build lifelong friendships, create projects that make Texas better, and grow alongside the company. Their roles and career paths may look different, but the reasons they stay are often the same: purpose, people, and the chance to keep building what comes next.

“RO isn’t going to be the right fit for everyone, and that’s OK. But the people who build long careers here usually know pretty quickly that they’ve found their place. They find purpose in the work, teammates who have their back and room to keep growing. It feels like home, and they can see themselves building a future here.”

Linda kiernan, talent manager

The work means something

At RO, you don’t have to wonder whether your work made a difference. You can see it.

There’s a special kind of pride that comes from driving past a finished project and saying, “I helped build that.” Each project becomes part of an employee’s story—a lasting reminder of the problems they solved, the teammates they relied on and the work they accomplished together.

Purpose also shows up in the everyday moments: leading a team through a challenge, mentoring someone early in their career, introducing a better process or simply being someone others can count on.

The projects may change, but that feeling doesn’t. When people can see what they’ve built and know their contribution mattered, they’ve got something worth building on.

Your team has your back

Great projects are built by people who trust one another.

At RO, teammates ask questions, share what they know, and step up when someone needs support. Experienced builders mentor the next generation. Leaders create opportunities for people ready to take on more. Along the way, working relationships often turn into real friendships.

Linda’s seen those connections carry employees through challenging projects, career changes, and different seasons of life.

People want to work alongside teammates who care about the outcome—and about one another. When they find that kind of team, they’ve got a reason to stick around.

The best idea wins

Finding a better way isn’t limited to a specific role or department. At RO, the best idea wins.

Sometimes innovation means using drones, laser scanners, 360 cameras or reality-capture software to improve accuracy and reduce rework. Other times, it’s a small process change that saves time, removes an unnecessary step, or makes someone’s day a little easier.

Both matter.

RO invests in tools and training that help people work smarter, but innovation starts with listening. Every employee can identify a problem, suggest a solution, and help move an idea forward.

When people know their voices matter, they don’t just complete the work. They help shape how RO builds.

Careers don’t have to follow a straight line

Finding the right company doesn’t always mean knowing your perfect role on day one.

Halle Smidovec knew RO was the right place for her, even as she was still figuring out what her future here would look like. Early in her career, she gained experience in VDC, preconstruction, and operations before finding her home in VDC, where she now serves as a VDC | Project Engineer.

Halle had room to explore without starting over somewhere else. Each move helped her build new skills, better understand the business, and discover where she could make her greatest contribution. And in the end, she found what was right for her.

A selfie of 3 VDC team members on site wearing their PPE — *Halle Davis, Maddie Smith, and Tya Bacha (Austin VDC team) on the job site*

Halle had room to explore without starting over somewhere else. Each move helped her build new skills, understand more of the business and discover where she could make her greatest contribution. And in the end, she found what was right for her.

That’s what building a better career can look like. Sometimes it means moving up. Sometimes it means trying a different path. What matters is continuing to learn and having people there to support your journey.

GROwing with purpose

Since Cary Hughes joined RO as a Quality Manager in 1995, he’s seen the company grow exponentially. Originally hired by co-founder Pat O’Brien, Cary’s spent more than three decades helping RO move forward. Today, he serves as Senior Vice President in DFW and plans to retire from the company where he built his career.

Memo from Pat O'Brien reads that Cary Hughes will be hired on 7/17/95 — *Pat O’Brien’s original memo hiring Cary Hughes as a QM in 1995*

Cary’s story connects generations of RO leadership, but it also reflects something bigger. People don’t build lasting careers because everything remains the same. They stay when they can keep contributing, growing, and finding purpose as the company changes around them.

As RO continues to grow, we’re committed to protecting what got us here: strong teams, high standards, meaningful relationships, and genuine care for our people.

WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW

People stay where their work matters and their contributions are valued. They stay where teammates show up for one another, better ideas are encouraged, and growth can take more than one form.

Most importantly, they stay where they can see a future.

RO won’t be the right home for everyone. But Linda’s seen what happens when the right people find us. They build projects they’re proud of. They form friendships that last. They grow as professionals, leaders, and people.

And somewhere along the way, a new opportunity becomes a career—and RO becomes home.

Think RO could be the right fit for you? Explore career opportunities at r-o.com/careers.