EQxD: Hiring & Retention
While nearly half of today’s graduates from architecture programs are women, they make up only 25% of practitioners, and 17% of partners or principals in architecture firms. In the Hiring & Retention Knowledge Session, we will examine survey results on the initial employment and retention of architectural professionals as it relates to gender equity. We will highlight “pinch points” around major career and life milestones at which women are more likely to leave a firm. Together, we will discuss, design, and propose best practices for individual practitioners, firms, and policy makers to implement actionable change.
EQxD : Hiring & Retention
Hiring & Retention: Knowledge Session (Click for Agenda PDF)
While nearly half of today’s graduates from architecture programs are women, they make up only 25% of practitioners, and 17% of partners or principals in architecture firms. In the Hiring & Retention Knowledge Session, we will examine survey results on the initial employment and retention of architectural professionals as it relates to gender equity. We will highlight “pinch points” around major career and life milestones at which women are more likely to leave a firm. Together, we will discuss, design, and propose best practices for individual practitioners, firms, and policy makers to implement actionable change.
Hiring & Retention: Break Out Sessions (Select 1 out of 3)
HR 1. Finding the Right Fit: Effective Strategies for a Targeted Job or Candidate Search.
Innovative firms like Google and IDEO have pioneered hiring processes that have been proven to decrease turnover and increase profitability. Rather than narrowing a pool of potential candidates by focusing on prescriptive criteria like years of experience, software proficiency, or knowledge of a building typology, these companies evaluate a potential employee’s individual strengths and potential for growth as they relate to the needs and culture of a particular team and company. In this workshop, we will explore ways of transforming the architectural job and candidate search process to improve employment outcomes.
HR 2. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction: Workplace Innovations to Attract, Develop and Keep Talent.
Our research has shown that those who believe that their daily work is aligned with long-term career goals are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, and less likely to be looking for new employment opportunities. This workshop will explore strategies for transforming workplace culture in order to: , increase mentorship opportunities, provide fair and unbiased criteria for advancement, counter tendencies of in-group favoritism, promote team building, and to develop meaningful roles for all employees. We will use design thinking tools to assess your (or your team’s) strengths and growth areas that can be matched with development opportunities to increase engagement, improve project outcomes and facilitate the development of fulfilling careers in architecture.
HR 3. What's Flex Got to do with it? Win-Win Strategies for Work/Life Flexibility
Establishing a healthy equilibrium between the pressures of work and life positively impacts business’ bottom lines by: providing access to a wider talent pool; increasing employee satisfaction, engagement and productivity; and reducing costly employee turnover. Meanwhile, the architectural profession, driven by the studio culture of academia, commonly demands long, and often unpredictable, hours spent in the office. In this workshop, we will explore successful strategies for both firm leaders and employees to develop infrastructure that promotes efficiency, balance and performance over the “Culture of Busy”.
