Managing people

Good communication, regular and properly structured performance appraisals and a variety of 'people skills' are extremely important. Establishing a supportive culture, ethical and respectful workplace and providing pathways to leadership and possibly ownership of the practice are also important.

The management of people can be defined across different phases of an employee lifecycle:

• Attraction
• Recruitment
• Onboarding
• Retention
• Development
• Offboarding

Attraction

Attraction is the introductory phase of the employee lifecycle where a practice aims to draw the interest of potential candidates to its job opportunities. This stage involves showcasing the practice’s culture, values and benefits to attract individuals. Through various means such as job advertisements, candidate presentations and online platforms, the company presents itself as an appealing employer, highlighting its unique selling points to capture the attention of qualified candidates. The attraction stage lays the foundation for successful recruitment by creating a positive first impression and sparking the initial interest of potential employees.

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Recruitment

The recruitment phase involves the practice actively seeking out and selecting candidates who are well-suited for its open positions. This involves a series of structured processes, including job posting, application review, interviews, assessments and candidate evaluation. The goal is to identify individuals who possess the necessary skills, qualifications and cultural fit for the practice. The recruitment phase aims to build a pool of potential employees from which the best-fitting candidates are chosen to move forward in the hiring process. Refer Acumen note Recruitment and employment.

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Onboarding

The onboarding process involves welcoming and integrating new recruits into the practice. This structured process helps them adapt to their roles, understand the company's culture and become productive team members. It involves welcoming them, describing roles and responsibilities, provides an orientation to the practice and safety procedures. Onboarding should happen over a period of time so that new recruits aren’t overwhelmed by too much information during their first days.

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Retention

The retention phase focuses on maintaining a productive and engaged workforce within the practice. It involves strategies and efforts aimed at keeping employees satisfied, supported, motivated and committed. It does not occur over a specific period; elements of retention occur throughout the entirety of the employee’s tenure. It can include motivation, work-life balance, good communication and participation, meaningful work, achieving registration and, recognition, remuneration and reward systems.

Good communication is also essential to ensure employees are engaged and connected with the practice. This can be through informal and formal channels both related to projects, the studio, as well as through more social interactions and connections. It is important to communicate the big picture of the practice and its projects as well as the day-to-day tasks required for the execution of projects.

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Development

The development phase focuses on enhancing the skills, knowledge and capabilities of individuals within the practice. This involves providing targeted training, mentorship and growth opportunities to help employees expand their professional competencies and advance in their careers. The development phase aims to empower employees to take on more responsibilities, contribute effectively to projects and fulfil their potential within the practice.

Supervision and engagement is an important part of a leader’s role in supporting employees. It is important to have a good understanding of what employees require for their own career progression and supporting them in an environment which challenges them and encourages growth. This also includes an environment where the contributions made by the employee is recognised and valued.

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Offboarding

The offboarding phase involves the planned departure of an employee from the practice. This includes exit interviews, knowledge transfer, returning company assets and ensuring a smooth transition for both the departing employee and the team. It's a structured process that aims to maintain positive relationships and capture valuable insights for continuous improvement within the practice.

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Summary

Some areas to consider for the successful management of people in a design-focused environment such as architectural practice:

• Give employees members as much responsibility as they can handle. Many architects respond particularly well to new challenges. Encourage as much growth and 'stretching' of potential as your workload will allow.
• Communicate the big picture to your employees. When employees see how an individual assignment contributes to the big picture, their efforts become meaningful.
• Outline clearly your expectations, the client's needs and any limiting factors. Give creative freedom, but also provide them all the information they need and appropriate, periodic supervision.
• Critique the work – not the individual personally – and don't forget to say what's good about it.
• Help employees gain a sense of ownership and authorship. This may mean making it possible for them to see projects through to completion and post-occupancy evaluation.
• Comment when work is done well. Make sure those who make the effort know that their abilities are appreciated.
• As far as possible, match assignments to people's strengths, interests and styles.
• Let employees know that you trust their judgement. Especially in design, encourage risk-taking. Sometimes excellent ideas are developed by less experienced people.
• Encourage outside contact, whether through clients, professional organisations or community groups.Make performance appraisals timely and accurate and give credit for good work. Salary and promotions should clearly reflect performance. (See HR Hub link below for further resources regarding performance appraisal).
• Where possible, try to promote from within. This not only rewards deserving individuals but sends clear signals that performance is rewarded.
• Think carefully about whether ownership possibilities can be extended; if so, develop a workable mechanism to make such efforts possible.
• Give your employees confidence in the leadership of the firm by fostering a supportive and consistent environment.

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