Confidence in the A&D market has returned in New York, with the demand for talent steadily rising.

Recruitment in the New York Architecture and Design market has bounced back. Confidence in the return of projects is growing and enquiries into new projects is increasing. As a result, we’ve observed the demand for talent steadily rising and we envisage this will continue throughout 2022.

The hunt for great talent continues to be a challenge for many firms and is exasperated by the fact that many design professionals have exited the city or the industry entirely, leaving a much-depleted pool of talent to choose from. A reduction of candidates from overseas and the complications of international travel restrictions has added to the shortfall. In addition, jobseekers currently looking for a new role are steadfast in their financial, wellbeing and career progression expectations being met before seriously considering any offer. 

Firms of all sizes, in all sectors are hiring. Overall, candidates with strong experience in managing jobs are highly sought after and there’s also a demand for those with residential skill sets, both in multifamily and private luxury. We’re also seeing an increase in requirements for support personnel, in particular for those with marketing, HR and operations skills. Firms who have traditionally only hired permanent employees could utilize short term contractors to help meet these demands in the short term, alleviating the recruitment pressure while continuing to search for the right long-term employee.

Many candidates are re-evaluating their career goals and looking for a ‘perfect fit’ more than ever before. Alongside this, salary expectations have risen, and flexibility around remote working remains a very strong consideration for most. In NY, there has been a drain of talent from the market with many candidates choosing to either relocate (we’ve seen a trend of people moving to the West Coast) or leave the architecture and design industry altogether. This tendency is particularly true of those in non-design positions, with many HR, marketing, and finance professionals with years of A&D industry experience choosing to try their hand in a new sector. 

A well-planned, well-communicated strategy for working within the changing global circumstances will be vital to every firm’s recruitment success. It is essential that firms are prepared to be flexible and able to adapt to varying conditions as needed. 

Optimistically, we envisage an increase in the talent arriving in NYC in 2022, particularly from Australia, opening a fresh pool of candidates and alleviating some of the skills shortage experienced. The combination of competition from other hiring firms as well as aggressive counter-offers candidates are receiving from their current employers means that understanding a jobseeker’s motives has never been as critical for recruitment success as it is in this current climate.