Growth Requires More Than Hiring
When a design firm talks about growth, the conversation often turns to hiring:
- How many people do we need?
- Which positions should we open?
- How quickly can we bring someone on board?
These questions matter. However, a new hire is only one part of building a firm that can serve more clients, take on new challenges, and create opportunities for its people. Real growth takes a talent strategy.
I work in recruitment and mergers and acquisitions within the AEC industry, so I spend a lot of time thinking about how we build for the future. That means looking at three groups: the people we hope to bring in, the people already here, and the support both groups need to succeed.
Start Your Talent Strategy With Where the Firm Is Going
Before we open a position, we need to understand what we’re trying to accomplish. For example, are we:
- Preparing for a larger project pipeline?
- Building expertise in a particular market?
- Developing the next generation of leaders?
- Giving an overextended team the support it needs?
Each situation may call for a different approach. A team that needs production support may benefit from another designer. In contrast, a team that depends heavily on one senior leader may need to prioritize mentorship and knowledge transfer. Meanwhile, a studio entering a new market may need someone who can build relationships as well as deliver projects.
The more clearly we define the need, the better we can decide how to meet it.
At EVstudio, we hold recurring talent strategy conversations with our studio and department leaders. These conversations create space to look past the most urgent opening. As a result, leaders can plan for what their teams will need as they evolve.
Give Current Employees Room to Grow
Some of a firm’s future capabilities already sit within its team. A designer may be ready to take more ownership of a project. An engineer may want to mentor others. A project manager may hope to get more involved in client relationships.
Those interests are easy to miss when everyone is focused on deadlines. That’s why leaders need to ask about them and help employees take practical steps forward. Many leaders underestimate how much intention this takes.
In practice, that could mean inviting someone to a client meeting, giving them a manageable portion of a project, or pairing them with an experienced colleague. Development becomes meaningful when people can apply what they’re learning, receive feedback, and build confidence.
In a multidisciplinary firm like EVstudio, growth can also mean learning from other disciplines. For instance, understanding how an architectural decision affects structural, civil, or MEP design helps employees collaborate better. It also helps them make more informed decisions.
Build a Workplace People Want to Stay In
Recruitment and retention go hand in hand. We can bring talented people into the firm, but their experience after they arrive determines whether that investment lasts. Leaders should keep asking:
- Do new employees understand what we expect of them?
- Can they get help when they need it?
- Do they see a future for themselves here?
Retention also shapes a team’s ability to grow. Experienced employees carry project knowledge, client relationships, and an understanding of how their colleagues work. When they stay, the firm keeps that continuity, and new employees gain people to learn from.
As teams expand, leaders need enough time and support to onboard, coach, and communicate. After all, hiring only creates capacity when we help new people become effective members of the team.
Prepare the Next Generation of Leaders
Growth places new demands on leadership. Someone who once managed a few projects may now lead a larger team, more client relationships, and a bigger share of business decisions. Technical excellence provides a strong foundation. Still, those added responsibilities require development too.
Succession planning helps us prepare for those transitions. It starts with understanding where knowledge and responsibility are concentrated:
- Who manages the key client relationships?
- Who makes the decisions everyone else relies on?
- Who could step into greater responsibility, and what experience would help them get there?
Sharing that knowledge takes time. When we involve emerging leaders early, they learn while experienced colleagues are still available to guide them. In turn, those experienced leaders gain more flexibility as their own roles evolve.
Make Talent Strategy a Shared Responsibility
A strong talent strategy needs ongoing input from the people leading the work. Studio leaders understand their teams and project needs. Employees know where they want to develop. Recruiting can assess the talent market and build relationships before an opening becomes urgent. Finally, firm leadership connects those conversations to broader business goals.
When those perspectives come together, we make more intentional decisions about when to hire, where to invest in development, and how to prepare for future opportunities.
At EVstudio, that’s the purpose of looking ahead. We give our people and teams the support to take their next step, while we keep delivering the work our clients trust us to do.
Want to grow your career with a firm that plans this way? Explore open positions at EVstudio.
