Architecture firms are competing more for top talent. There is more employment needs than there are candidates available. Unfortunately, more than 88 percent of positions advertised have less than 10 applicants.
This statistic is an indicator of a much bigger problem. What are the core challenges hiring experts and architecture firms facing? Let’s examine them below:
Employment Opportunities Are More Than The Available Talent
According to Architecture Magazine, there are 10% of architects and similar skilled professionals retiring in the next decade. This creates a huge need to fill the gap. Planning to create leaders and advance great candidates into places of management will be critical.
Unfortunately, over 6,000 architectural degrees are complete since 2018. This is less than 3% of the degrees awarded five years prior. On top of that, there is an average increase of 6% in demand from architecture firms. And, on LinkedIn, there are 16% less active job seekers applying to architecture jobs.
The Market Is Candidate-Driven Leading To High Expectations
Candidates are driving the market and leading with high job expectations. Many employers struggle to measure up. It is more difficult to engage talented professionals because unemployment is low. The process can be lengthy in finding the right fit.
According to an article on Ladders.com, candidates want a job immediately. Many new hires accept someone who makes an offer quickly This has led to a longer time frame for filling a position. This is because keeping a candidate engaged is more difficult.
Finding Skill Sets That Suit Your Needs Is Harder
Ladders.com also commented it has become difficult to match skills with available jobs. This is because the number of available candidates is so low. Nearly 80% of firms are certain there will be shortages in architecture staffing. Meeting the needs of firms in any area will become a challenge.
What firms want is a mixture of project management, technical, and specialty skills. With technology a hot field to pursue, that is less of a concern. But, providing project management and specialty skills takes experience in a firm setting. Something that is lacking.
Competition Is Fierce Thanks To Start-Ups
Start-ups provide unique hiring benefits like unlimited vacation and a large budget for educational opportunities. Large companies cannot provide such lavish means for attracting new candidates. They are left competing with what may be an overnight sensation.
This leads to more continual recruiting efforts on the part of larger architectural firms. While they may have a larger budget, their challenge lies in making quick offers. Corporate firms are more judicial in their hiring process.
Candidates Get Overwhelmed By Hundreds Of Recruiters
The techniques used in the past to recruit top talent are not the same anymore. It takes much more savvy to stand out as a solid competitor in the hiring field. Candidates simply are overwhelmed by the amount of recruiters contacting them.
In particular, tech-savvy candidates require more flexibility. They want to work remotely and, in turn, usually mandate expensive new technology to work effectively. This leads to an even more complex puzzle for architecture firms to navigate.
Changing your strategy based on these challenges will produce more success than working the way you did 10 or even 5 years ago. Recruiters must target passive candidates, meaning they already have a job. This is a great way to meet their needs and yours.
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