Design+Dialogue

A common question that architecture recruiters get from candidates is if it’s better to work at a large firm or a small business. The best answer that we can give is that they both have unique benefits, depending on your respective goals and values. We know that there are significant [...]

The current workforce trend is job hopping to leverage higher wages, but it doesn’t have a structurally sound leg to stand on in the future market. Company leaders suggest getting a new job may not be worth it if it sacrifices your ten or twenty-year planned achievements. However, the labor [...]

The future success of your architecture firm is always dependent on recruiting and retaining the best talent. In order to accomplish this, you really have to understand what today’s candidates value while avoiding the major hiring mistakes. In addition to negatively impacting your profit and loss statements, there are plenty [...]

If you make your jobs stand out from the rest, you can get the best architecture and design candidates for your firm. First, learn what employees want so you can create persuasive job ads. Then, make it a priority to remove recruiting bias and make better job offers using these [...]

A recent report suggests that over 36 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025. Although there are many benefits associated with remote work, ranging from greater productivity to decreased turnover among employees, it also presents some new challenges, like shifting from in-person onboarding to remote. The question becomes how [...]

According to a majority of architecture recruiters, firm owners, and hiring managers, maintaining a great portfolio is the key to marketing yourself to leading firms and achieving your long-term career goals. The portfolio is a critical part of who you are as a designer.  But how can you make it [...]

As an architectural design firm, you understand what’s at stake when top talent gets a wandering eye only to leave you crying in the rain because you were “out-offered.” How does a firm combat the counter offer your potential new employees a going to get? Here are a few ideas:   [...]

Nothing is permanent, especially in business. If anyone can appreciate this change, it is your boss and the company. So, when the tides of change wash ashore, and it is time for you to turn in your resignation letter, keep in mind that these things happen all the time. There [...]

If you want to land your dream architecture job, you have to focus more on personal branding. Earning a Bachelor of Architecture is an excellent place to start, but you have to remember that most candidates are going to have the same degree that you do. The end goal is [...]

From working parents to individuals going back to college, part-time design jobs are a better fit for some people. But, before you decide to accept one of these opportunities, it’s essential to learn the main differences between full- and part-time employees. Although it’s not a federal law, the Bureau of [...]

With the last year’s pandemic, the work environment has changed. More people are working from home or working in a hybrid situation. This has led many employees to come to the point of fatigue, feeling overworked, and depression. The trend for Americans to be overworked is not new. Twenty percent [...]

Promoting psychological safety is not a one-time effort but a process of communication and understanding, as well as responsiveness and decision making. When looking at how technology affects psychological safety in the workplace, it is important to consider the entire picture. These days, even retail design jobs are affected by [...]

Every creative has experienced some degree of a creative block. Creative blocks are not limited to only traditional visual artists and writers. All creatives, including designers in interior design jobs and architecture jobs, look for ways to tap into creative ideas when they’ve hit a wall. There are different reasons [...]

Making a great first impression at your new firm can be fun, exciting, and a little unnerving. So naturally, you want to connect with your coworkers and feel comfortable in your work environment. If you’re a naturally outgoing person that possesses a lot of confidence, meeting people may be more [...]

For many of the same reasons that professional athletes, actors, and authors hire agents, when it comes to finding the best talent on the market for design jobs, partnering with industry-specific recruiters is your best bet. In addition to already having access to a roster of qualified candidates, here are [...]

There were over 6,000 people that graduated with architecture degrees in 2019.  As this talent enters the job market, how does one stand out over the other?  What do architecture firms look for when hiring? Since architecture firms receive hundreds of resumes per posted job listing and usually interview only [...]

Effective time management is getting even more difficult with all of the new technological distractions we’re constantly surrounded by. One of the keys to getting more done in less time is planning, prioritizing, and streamlining your work. Then, it’s about promoting more efficiency in your life by focusing on the [...]

DBI has seen a marked increase in relocating in recent months. The pandemic has driven people to new places, with or without a job.  If you’re ready for a lifestyle change, career growth, lower cost of living, to be closer to family, or really any reason then relocating might be [...]

COVID has changed a lot for the architecture and interior design industry.  One of the major changes I am speaking to candidates about is how they can start their own firm.  They are taking the opportunity, and the cash they have saved, to go on their own. In this Deisgn+Dialogue [...]

More than half of families have two working parents. Although there are plenty of financial advantages associated with both parents working, it can also be challenging for working parents to balance their personal and professional obligations, especially when many schools and daycares are virtual. It’s equally essential for architecture firms [...]