For Both Firms and Candidates: Using Consultants

Sometimes the services of a recruitment firm can help greatly, and “recruitment” is a term that doesn’t adequately convey all the services and creative solutions now available. For architecture firms, it is especially useful if the recruitment firm specializes in and focuses on design and construction. An international scope is critical in some situations, but useful in almost all situations. Some firms maintain a global network of registered candidates and current positions, which can inform your search even if you are in a small town in the Midwest and want to recruit only people from the same state.

Recruitment firms often have expert insight from talking to many different firms and candidates. Last year one international architectural recruitment firm interviewed over 7,000 industry professionals in New York, London, Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong. This gives a rich perspective on what the market is saying and needing, and what is working best for both firms and candidates. An industry-specific recruitment firm will have good up-to-the-minute intelligence on salaries and benefit packages for different positions.

The services of professional recruitment agencies can extend to finding part-time, on-demand or contract staff. Many high-profile design offices use contract staff provided by recruitment agencies to deal with current skills shortages along with peaks and troughs in workload. Quality candidates can then be converted to permanent staff where possible. Recruiters can also help fill short-term gaps by payrolling freelancers on the design firm’s behalf.

A recent example is a recruitment firm working with a design firm in New York to find Revit users who could start immediately. Three candidates were found and started work the same week.

As with any professional partner, it’s important to find a recruitment firm on the same wavelength with you. Ideally they will visit the firm’s office and define the requirements quickly, based on a thorough understanding of the company’s culture and the kind of person needed. After that, they will be able to identify candidates with potential, interview them in advance, and check their software skills and references before the firm’s interviewer even meets them. This can be a tremendous saver of time and human energy.

For candidates, recruitment agencies offer access to thousands of positions, and the same timely intelligence about what firms need, what projects are going on, and what teams might be a good fit, whether the candidate is looking from a global or strictly local perspective. In addition to full-service consulting on job searches, an agency can provide other valuable services. One useful possibility: “portfolio surgery”, a complete analysis and make-over of a candidate’s portfolio by a senior architect and design expert, based on the presentations that have proved most successful.

Looking Forward

Recruiting and retaining architectural staff in the global marketplace is a challenge, compounded by deep changes in demographics, technology and the economy. Firms are responding with new strategies, including a special focus on the quality of the work environment and the opportunity for meaningful work. Keeping the information flowing among firms and candidates helps make sure that talent is recognized, and trained architects see the wide range of positions and possibilities in their field.

The growing emphasis on culture, collaboration and meaning is positive for firms and their work, for candidates and their working lives, and for maintaining the health and relevance of architecture in a rapidly, dramatically changing society.

Bespoke recruit Architects, Interior Designers and non-technical creative business support staff at all levels on permanent and temporary assignments. Bespoke is the only recruitment and staffing company employing ex-industry professionals across all of their offices globally. This, combined with our excellent industry knowledge, means that we are in the perfect position to help you find what you’re looking for. www.bespokecareers.com