When should an Architecture practice hire? 5 signs your team need to grow

Knowing when to bring someone new into your architecture practices isn’t always straightforward.

You want to make sure there’s enough work to support another hire, but you also need the right people in place to deliver projects, pursue new opportunities and support your team’s development.

The key is to look beyond how busy the studio is today and consider where the business is heading.

Here are five signs it could be time to grow your team, plus what to consider before you start recruiting.

• Your workload is growing consistently

Winning new projects is a positive sign, but it’s important to make sure your team has the capacity to deliver them.

If your studio has been operating at full capacity for several months, it could be time to review your resource requirements.

Consider:

• Your project pipeline over the next six to twelve months.
• Whether several projects will need additional resources at the same time
• How much capacity your team has for new projects
• Whether overtime is becoming a regular part of meeting deadlines.

A short business spell doesn’t necessarily mean you need to hire. But sustained demand could indicate that additional support would benefit the team.

What to do next: Review your upcoming projects, deadlines and available capacity to identify where you might need extra resources.

• Your senior team could be spending their time differently

As a practice grows, responsibilities evolve. Directors, Associates and senior architects need to balance project delivery with client relationships, team management and business development.

If they’re spending most of their time on day-to-day tasks, there may be an opportunity to strengthen the team around them.

For example, bringing in an experienced architect could free up an Associate to focus on project leadership, while additional junior support could create more time for mentoring and development.

What to do next: Review how responsibilities are distributed across your team. The right hire might not be about adding more people but bringing in the right experience at the right level.

3 – You want to take on more work or explore new opportunities

If your practice has ambitions to grow, your recruitment plans should reflect them.

Perhaps you’re looking to take on larger projects, expand into a new sector, develop a specialist service or open another studio. Each could require additional skills or experience.

Rather than waiting until a project is secured and you need someone immediately, think about the people who could help you pursue those opportunities.

What to do next: Identify your business priorities for the next year and consider which roles or skills would help you achieve them.

4 – You’re missing specific skills or experience

Sometimes, the need to hire isn’t about headcount. It’s about bringing new expertise into the practice.

This could include BIM and digital design capabilities, technical delivery experience, project leadership or knowledge of a particular sector, such as healthcare, education or residential.

Before recruiting, consider whether the gap could be addressed through training or developing existing employees. If not, a new appointment could strengthen your capabilities and open up opportunities for the wider business.

What to do next: Identify the skills you’ll need for upcoming projects and define what a new hire should bring to the team.

5 – Your team structure needs to evolve with the business

The structure that works for a small studio might look different as the practice grows.

You may need additional leadership, more support across different career levels or greater depth in areas currently managed by one key person.

Thinking ahead about succession planning and future responsibilities can help you build a team that’s ready for the next stage of growth.

What to do next: Look at your longer-term business plans and consider how your team structure might need to change to support them.

How can architecture practices plan recruitment ahead?

Once you’ve identified a potential need to grow, a few practical steps can help you make a more informed decision.

• Review your workload and finances. Consider your project pipeline, available capacity and the cost of bringing someone new into the business.
• Define the role clearly. Be specific about the skills, experience and responsibilities you need.
• Understand the candidate market. Research salary expectations, benefits and what candidates value when choosing an employer.
• Give yourself time. Allow for finding candidates, interviewing, notice periods and onboarding.
• Thinking beyond the vacancy. Build relationships with potential candidates before you urgently need to recruit.

Planning ahead gives you more time to find the right person, rather than making decisions under pressure.

Recruitment planning starts before you need someone

There’s no single right time for an architecture practice to hire. It depends on your workload, financial position, team structure and ambitions.

But by reviewing your project pipeline, identifying skills gaps and thinking about where the business is heading, you can make recruitment a more proactive part of running your practice.

At Konker, we work with architecture practices to support their recruitment plans, from individual appointments to wider team growth.

Planning your next hire? Let’s talk about your architecture recruitment plans and finding the right people to support your practices’ growth.