Culture, Coaching & Core Values: How Highfill Retains Talent Through Purpose
Forget ping-pong tables and pay raises—this is what actual retention looks like.
In this episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin sits down with Ray Cox, Co-founder and Senior VP of Marketing at Highfill Infrastructure Engineering, for a powerful conversation on what it means to build a people-first company in a technical world.
Highfill didn’t avoid the storm of COVID-19. Like many in the trades, they were hit hard. But instead of defaulting to quick fixes or chasing trends, they doubled down on what mattered most: culture, trust, and long-term development.
This episode pulls back the curtain on how Highfill rebuilt itself stronger by investing in relationships, not just resources. Ray breaks down how they’ve embedded coaching into their DNA, created career paths grounded in purpose—not pressure—and fostered a culture where people know they belong.
If you’ve ever struggled with turnover, disengagement, or leading multi-generational teams, this conversation will reframe what’s possible. It’s not about surface-level perks. It’s about leading with values and being bold enough to follow through.
This is culture done right—not as a corporate cliché but as a competitive edge.
What You’ll Learn:
[01:24] Why Highfill was built to prioritize people over profit and how that decision fueled long-term growth
[06:00] How Ray transitioned from engineer to marketing/BD leader by leaning into his strengths
[11:45] What triggered Highfill’s talent retention crisis after COVID-19 and how they rebuilt from the inside out
[20:00] Why investing in internal communication, social media, and feedback loops became a retention strategy
[30:00] How “tours of duty” and purpose-based leadership are reshaping career development in engineering
Quotes That Hit Hard:
“There’s no such thing as plug-and-play engineers. Engineering school teaches you the tools, and then it’s up to us in the working world to help you apply that knowledge.” – Ray Cox
“The younger generations want to make sure they’re making a difference. At our core, aren’t we all looking for that?” – Ray Cox
“We’ve had deliberately focused on the human side to make sure we’re retaining talent that we are investing in and that they are investing in us.” – Ray Cox
Actions You Can Take Today:
- Define your employee value proposition: Clearly communicate what makes your workplace different—and why it matters.
- Implement tours of duty: Break long-term roles into short-term development commitments with mutual clarity.
- Build multi-generational communication: Train teams to coach, lead, and support across experience levels.
- Use feedback loops intentionally: Create anonymous channels, frequent check-ins, and cross-functional culture teams.
- Connect work to purpose: Reinforce how your work improves lives—especially in the trades.
About Ray Cox:
Ray Cox is the Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Marketing at Highfill Infrastructure Engineering, an engineering consulting firm serving the water infrastructure sector across North and South Carolina. Ray brings 20+ years of experience in relationship-driven consulting and leadership, with a passion for creating meaningful workplaces where people thrive. His team-first, purpose-driven approach has helped Highfill build a reputation as a standout firm in the trades industry.
Brought to You By:
This episode is sponsored by the Leadership Development Program from Elevated Talent Consulting.
Do you have team members who’ve recently stepped into people leadership roles? Are they navigating the shift from doing the work to leading others through it?
In the Leadership Development Program, we partner with new and emerging leaders to help them build confidence and clarity in their role. Through practical, real-world learning, they’ll develop the core leadership skills they need — including time management, delegation, coaching, accountability, and leading through change.
This isn’t one-size-fits-all leadership. It’s personal, experiential, and built for the realities of the trades.
