JLL gives PDS new hires a seat at the table

Unlike other potential employers Xavier had considered, JLL recognized his promising talent and offered him the opportunity to lead projects from the start, as opposed to being a manager’s understudy.

As a new college grad, Xavier was the youngest employee on his team at the time—a ‘title’ he held on to for several years. In the five years since, his career with JLL has been nothing short of meteoric - he’s been promoted twice, the most recent when he was elevated to Senior Project Manager.

Leadership culture

When it comes to recognizing, enabling and growing talent, JLL’s empowering culture and counter-intuitive approach helps its people unearth their hidden talents, says Xavier.

“In JLL, you get the opportunity to cut your teeth from the get-go if you want it. JLL leaders have your back and work hard to make you feel valued. They’re within easy reach when you need their help and actively champion you for that next step or level of responsibility,” he says.

Citing his own experience, he says the support he’s received from his team is beyond even his wildest expectations. “Having the freedom to reach out with any question and get a quick answer, without feeling judged, is super helpful when a client brings up a question that you're not totally familiar with. It makes everyone look better when we’re able to tap all the experience in the office.”

Mentorship programs

Mentorship is deeply embedded in JLL’s culture. Soon after joining JLL, Xavier was assigned to a six-month mentorship program, during which he was partnered with a Vice President in the PDS service line, whom he got to shadow.

Later in his career, Xavier was enrolled in the JLL ambassador program. Designed to deepen employee-retention at the company, it gives new recruits a mentor other than their manager.

He also participated in the Emerging Leaders Program which partners associate-level managers with co-workers across the nation. Members meet every week to work on real-time challenges JLL is facing, and put together a business proposal for solving those issues. Following final presentation, their proposal ended up winning the competition!

Xavier’s roots

Born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, Xavier is the youngest of three sons. Perseverance, unwavering commitment and a strong work ethic were important values in his family.

Xavier Cervantes and his family.

Besides his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Xavier also holds an International Engineering Certificate from the Universitad Politecnica de Valencia in Valencia, Spain. Xavier’s interest in science and math led him down the engineering path, but he decided not to enter the design field, as he preferred a more balanced role of people connection and collaboration.

A pivotal moment came when he met two JLL leaders at a job fair in Madison, who sold him the idea of managing projects from start to finish. Since then, drawing on his background in mechanical engineering, Xavier has overseen a multitude of projects ranging from large corporations to smaller office spaces.

The largest undertaking he’s managed is an $80M interior renovation project for a Fortune 500 tech consulting firm that’s expanding from two to seven floors.

Advice to new recruits

Xavier urges new recruits to leverage the resources around them to succeed: “There are great opportunities at JLL to move your career forward at a rapid pace, tapping the wealth of knowledge that’s within easy reach.”

As he steps into his new role as Senior PM, Xavier is relishing the opportunity to build a team of his own at JLL: “I’m excited to pass my knowledge on to the next round of employees.”