Trends in Professional Services: Architects – Interview Part 3

This is part 3 of our interview  with Cliff Moser

Chief Innovation Officer: How are demographic and cultural trends – e.g. retiring boomers and Gen-Y impacting the profession?

Cliff Moser: At conferences I’ve heard that young professionals today are moving from job to job more frequently. Additionally, a smaller percentage of graduates are becoming registered. Graduate but non-registered architects can work in firms in the same capacity as if they were registered. Registration is seen as a signing drawings issue only, and not as a professional requirement. Therefore it takes a backseat to ongoing daily project issues, and doesn’t have the focus it should. This means that replacement registrants are not keeping up with those retiring. Additionally the non-registered architects are not able to move into the firm leadership roles because of the registration issue. The profession is facing this issue with the intern development program (IDP), which formally prepares graduates for taking the registration exam. However, there still isn’t a clear relationship between professional registration and organization management and leadership. My firm addresses this issue by withholding titles (such as associate and principal, as well as the commensurate compensation) until registration is achieved, but this stick needs to be matched with a carrot of promoting mentorship and training, team level support, bonus compensation, and plain old-fashioned peer pressure.

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