As long as the U.S. construction boom remains strong, there will be stiff competition among architecture firms for talented, experienced employees. Pay and bonuses are rising to attract architects away from rival firms. And yet many firms are neglecting a gold mine of talent—right in their own backyards. By developing and promoting their existing staff, and by nurturing a culture that encourages staff loyalty, firms can better manage growth at less expense than by seeking outside talent. Indeed, firms may discover that strengthening firm culture brings additional benefits.
According to Justin Roy, a retention specialist with SullivanKreiss, an AEC executive search firm, competition is particularly fierce now for architects with 10 to 20 years of experience. “Salaries are skyrocketing,” he says, and firms are offering extra vacation, more 401K funding, or fully subsidized medical insurance. Consulting firm ZweigWhite reports this competition has pushed the median pay plus bonuses for project managers in engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firms over six figures for the past three years. Moreover, the surveyed firms predict a 10 percent increase in incentive compensation (bonuses and profit sharing) in the course of the coming year.
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