Drawing for innovation: How does HR support architects in their professional development?

The pace of development in the architectural sector requires not only creativity and technical skills, but also a strategic approach to human resource management. In the first "We asked the experts" article for 2025, Nadezhda Neykova, HR Manager at IPA, shares how HR professionals play a key role in the professional development of architects and how their efforts and innovative approaches contribute to the sustainability and success of architectural companies.

What is the role of HR in architectural companies and how does it contribute to the professional development of architects?

Like any other field, HR professionals in the architecture sector are strategic partners of the business. They are the guardians of the balance between employees' rights, interests and motivation on the one hand and the company's goals, priorities and values on the other.

To be useful and effective, HR in architectural companies must have a good understanding of the company's culture and the specifics of the architectural profession - key challenges, common traits of people in the profession, qualities that help a person be a good expert, key stressors, etc. They must be flexible, supportive, good at communicating with different personality types, and know the personal motivators of the people on the team.

There are several key factors through which HR can contribute to the professional development of architects - just as BIM (Building Information Modeling) models the space, HR creates a strong foundation for talent development. 

I'll start by creating a supportive everyday working environment - a place where the creativity and analytical thinking of architects can be expressed and combined at their best, where people feel valued, significant and involved in achieving the company's strategic goals, knowing their specific contribution to achieving them. We continue with maintaining teamwork - HR can be helpful in building team cohesion by accommodating different personalities in the team, acting as a mediator when conflicts arise, and organizing different initiatives to build stronger relationships between people. The role of HR is also important in determining the needs for employee upskilling, finding or creating the most appropriate ways to do so. Last but not least, HR has an important role in dealing with stress and tension in daily work - it works in partnership with the company's management by monitoring the manifestation of different behaviours among people, monitoring their workload, signs of burnout, etc. It supports initiatives to improve adaptability among people, advocates for work-life balance.

And when all this is backed up with the opportunity to build on professional experience through participation in large and diverse projects, digitisation at work, participation in forums, exhibitions, sharing experiences, etc., success is guaranteed. 

Why is professional development critical for architects and how does it affect the industry as a whole?

The rapidly changing world around us has not left the profession of architects untouched. Increasingly, they have to work under higher levels of stress - shorter deadlines, more demanding clients, higher expectations from the profession, changes in industry trends, changes in digital tools, etc. To be competitive in the market, architects need to continuously improve their knowledge, skills and qualifications, as well as hone their personal qualities. Keeping up with international trends in the sector, participating in conferences, forums, etc., looking for out-of-the-box solutions, being aware of regulations, keeping up with new technologies and using AI tools that facilitate daily work are key. In addition, architects need to be flexible, have excellent communication skills, understand client attitudes, be able to sell ideas and maintain an undying inspiration to learn and continuously evolve. These are just a few of the tools architects need to develop professionally.

They know that the pace of development of the sector is great and to match this speed, they must not stop improving themselves, otherwise they will become uncompetitive in a short time. And upskilling the qualifications of architects has a direct impact on raising the standards of work in the sector and its sustainability. 

How can HR support cross-disciplinary collaboration between architects and other professionals?

HR can support cross-disciplinary collaboration between architects and other specialties by working closely with them on:

• Exercising empathy - to help them "step into each other's shoes", respect differences in each other's ways of working and priorities, explore the challenges in each party's work on the project, look for a way forward together in dealing with difficulties, and compromise;
• Help improve communication between the specialties - building a spirit of cooperation and mutual support;
• Everyone has a common goal and should not forget it - through informal conversations, meetings, and bonding initiatives, HR can be helpful in shifting the perspective of the architects, helping them to jump over the barriers they have built for the successful pursuit of common project goals. 

What message would you send to other HR professionals in the architecture sector?

Give yourself time and be authentic. Allow yourself to get to know the specifics of the architectural profession - what makes architects successful and satisfied in their work, what their biggest challenges are, and what they don't say with words but only with actions and behaviors. Get creative and imaginative while designing the collaboration processes between the HR and the architect.