The emerging professional friendly firm program
By Katelyn Chapin, AIA
What makes a firm a great place to work for emerging professionals? Is it access to professional development opportunities, clear policies for advancement, support through the Architecture Registration Exam, or diversity among staff? For emerging professionals, who are defined by the AIA as “a student, recent graduate, candidate on the path to licensure, and architect licensed 10 years or less,” preferences vary, depending on career stage and professional goals. A balance between how a firm communicates with its staff, how leaders lead, how employees are supported, and how a firm cultivates an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment positions some firms to stand out. So how does an emerging professional identify firms within his or her region that are “friendly”?
The “Emerging Professional Friendly Firm” program is an awards-based program aimed at celebrating firms that create nurturing environments and professional development opportunities for emerging professionals. To date, the program has successfully launched in the following AIA regions or states: Central States, New England, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee. More recently, it expanded into the North Central States region and will be launching in Illinois later this year.
When the survey collection period is open, interested firms submit an application, completed by a member from firm leadership and an emerging professional employee. The survey questions are intended to facilitate a discussion and provide a catalyst for conversations between emerging professionals and firm leaders about the firm’s working environment. While the categories vary by region, AIA New England divided the 2019 survey into the following categories: equity, diversity, and inclusion; NCARB and the Architectural Experience Program (AXP); ARE and licensing process; leadership; professional development; culture; support and compensation; and communication.
“Most importantly, it encourages firms to analyze their policies and cultures, create an environment for employees to thrive, and identify opportunities for emerging professionals to advance their careers.”
Each region or state develops a scoring system to analyze submissions and identifies the firms to receive the “Emerging Professional Friendly Firm” status. This program has the potential to increase employee retention rates, firm exposure, and future recruitment. But, most importantly, it encourages firms to analyze their policies and cultures, create an environment for employees to thrive, and identify opportunities for emerging professionals to advance their careers.
The AIA Young Architects Forum has created a toolkit to encourage other AIA components, states, and regions to implement this program in their annual awards offerings. The toolkit, How to Facilitate the Emerging Professional Friendly Firm Program, contains information on successful practices, including case-study states and regions and suggestions to tailor the program to fit your needs.
The “Emerging Professional Friendly Firm” program is an awards-based program aimed at celebrating firms that create nurturing environments and professional development opportunities for emerging professionals.
The information is broken down into a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Establish Your Team
Step 2: Name Your Program
Step 3: Pull the Survey Together
Step 4: Establish a Timeline
Step 5: Establish a Scoring Convention
Step 6: Create Promotional Material to Advertise the Program
Step 7: Collect the Data and Identify Recipient Firms
Step 8: Notify Firms
Step 9: Throw a Celebration or Align with an Existing
Celebration
Step 10: Publish the Results
Step 11: Continuing the Award
The toolkit also includes an appendix of reference information generously shared by the case-study states and regions, including program logos, promotional materials, example survey questionnaires, award certificates, and sample email correspondence.
For more information on how to facilitate the program, check out the toolkit on Issuu. Let’s continue to celebrate and expand the list of firms that are advancing the next generation of leaders and the future of the profession!
Author Bio:
Katelyn Chapin, AIAChapin is a Project Architect at Svigals + Partners in New Haven, Conn. She is the 2020-2021 Community Director of AIA National’s Young Architects Forum.