Are you looking to attract and hire the most talented people within your Architecture Practice? Meet your recruitment coach.
Stephen Drew
Founder of the Architecture Social
Stephen is the Founder of the Architecture Social, a member of the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architect’s) Future Architects and Education Development Groups, an ambassador for the Architect’s Benevolent Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
He is also a former elected Council Member of the RIBA, Visiting Critic and Teaching Assistant of Manchester School of Architecture, and professional mentor for Postgraduate Architecture students at the University of Westminster.
Previously he worked in the Architecture industry at EPR Architects for three years after completing a degree and diploma in Architecture at the University of Westminster and Manchester School of Architecture.
In 2014, Stephen left practising Architecture to pursue a career in recruitment where he worked alongside industry-leading Architecture Practices.
In 2021, Stephen joined Ackroyd Lowrie, an ambitious Architecture Practice as their Head of Talent. He was responsible for internal recruitment and retaining existing staff, alongside building up his own business known as the Architecture Social.
When finding the best people to join your company, Stephen is your unfair advantage.
When you work with an expert coach, you get access to their guidance, knowledge and expertise, instead of spending valuable time figuring it out yourself. This saves you a lot of time, energy and money
Stephen works In-House in an Architecture Practice in charge of recruitment as Head of Talent, he has also worked in the Architecture Industry as a Part II Architecture Assistant and successfully recruited for the world’s leading architecture practices for 7 years. He has seen every side of the recruitment process, from being the hiring manager, the recruiter as well as the job seeker in Architecture.
Instead of reactively spending money on recruitment when an employee leaves or there is no applicants available when you need them, learn how command a presence in the architecture job market and inspire passive job-seekers to reach out with an application. Areas we can cover include the perception of your company brand, online presence, writing job applications people will actually apply for, optimising the recruitment process and methods to retaining staff from leaving including improving the office culture and wellbeing.
Recruitment Specialties:
Attracting Better Applications
Marketing Your Practice
Optimising the Recruitment Process
Improving your benefits and company culture
Retaining Talented Staff for Longer
Exiting Staff the Best Way
Testimonials from companies who are our clients:
Stephen worked in the Architecture Industry at:
Cullinan Studio
EPR Architects
Swansea City Council
He has worked recruitment industry as:
Head of Architecture at Macdonald & Company
Recruitment Director at Shape Careers
Recruitment Consultant at Bespoke Careers
Companies that Stephen has a track record of recruiting for:
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM)
Arney Fender Katsalidis (AFK) Studios
ECE Projekt management Limited
Jefferson Sheard Architects (JSA)
Invest in finding the best people for your business by booking a call with Stephen:
Don't forget to also take advantage of our free directory services made specifically for Architecture Practices:
FAQs about Business Coaching for Architecture Practices and Design Studios
Attracting, hiring, and retaining top architectural talent is crucial for practice success and growth; discover how Stephen Drew’s specialist coaching and Architecture Social’s business services can empower your firm to build an exceptional team.
We're an architecture practice struggling to find candidates with the right mix of design skills, technical proficiency (e.g., Revit), and cultural fit. How can Stephen Drew's coaching help us overcome this challenge?
Finding architects who possess a well-rounded skill set and align with your practice’s unique culture is a common and significant challenge in today’s competitive market. Stephen Drew’s coaching for businesses delves into refining your entire approach to talent acquisition. He can help you clearly define your ideal candidate profiles beyond just technical requirements, incorporating aspects of cultural fit, soft skills, and growth potential. This involves a deep dive into your practice’s values, work environment, and long-term vision to ensure your search is highly targeted.
Leveraging his experience as a Head of Talent within an architecture practice and a specialist recruiter, Stephen can guide you in developing more effective sourcing strategies, looking beyond traditional job boards, and tapping into networks where passive candidates might be found. He can also advise on how to articulate your practice’s unique employee value proposition to attract individuals who not only have the right skills but will also thrive within your specific team dynamic, ultimately reducing a costly mis-hire.
Our current recruitment process feels inefficient and time-consuming, often yielding unsuitable applications. How can coaching from Stephen Drew help us streamline our efforts and improve the quality of candidates?
An inefficient recruitment process can drain valuable resources and lead to missed opportunities in securing top talent. Stephen Drew’s coaching focuses on auditing your existing recruitment lifecycle, from initial job posting to final offer, to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. He can help you implement strategies to write more compelling and targeted job descriptions that effectively filter and attract suitable candidates, reducing the volume of irrelevant applications. This includes advice on clearly articulating the role, responsibilities, required skills, and the unique aspects of working at your practice.
Furthermore, Stephen can assist in developing more robust screening and assessment methods, ensuring you can quickly identify promising candidates and evaluate their skills and potential accurately. This might involve refining your portfolio review techniques, structuring more effective interview questions, or incorporating practical assessments. The goal is to create a more agile, effective, and less resource-intensive recruitment process that consistently delivers higher-quality candidates who are genuinely suited to your practice.
How can we write job adverts that genuinely attract the best architectural talent and stand out in a crowded market, and can Stephen Drew advise on this?
Crafting a job advert that cuts through the noise and resonates with high-caliber architectural talent is an art and a science. Stephen Drew can provide expert coaching on how to transform your job adverts from simple D&B (duties and benefits) lists into compelling narratives that showcase your practice’s unique culture, exciting projects, career development opportunities, and overall employer brand. He emphasizes moving beyond generic descriptions to highlight what makes your firm a desirable place to work.
This involves understanding the key motivators for your target candidates – whether they are Part IIs seeking mentorship, experienced architects looking for project leadership, or specialists wanting to utilize cutting-edge technology. Stephen can help you tailor your language, tone, and the information presented to appeal directly to these motivators, ensuring your adverts not only describe the role but also sell the opportunity and the vision of your practice, thereby attracting a more engaged and suitable pool of applicants. Architecture Social also offers practical guides and examples of effective job adverts
What strategies can Stephen Drew offer to help our architecture practice enhance its employer brand and become known as an employer of choice?
A strong employer brand is critical for attracting and retaining top architectural talent, especially when competing with larger or more established firms. Stephen Drew’s coaching can guide your practice in strategically developing and communicating your unique employer value proposition. This involves identifying the core elements that make your practice a great place to work – from your design ethos and project types to your studio culture, commitment to work-life balance, professional development opportunities, and a clear vision for the future.
Stephen can help you articulate these strengths consistently across all touchpoints, including your website, social media, job adverts, and during the interview process. He can also advise on initiatives that build a positive internal culture, as your current team members are your most powerful brand ambassadors. By proactively managing and promoting your employer brand, you can significantly increase your ability to attract high-quality candidates organically and reduce reliance on costly recruitment methods.
Beyond reviewing portfolios, what advice can Stephen Drew provide on effective interviewing and assessment techniques to truly gauge an architect's suitability for our practice?
While a portfolio is essential, a holistic assessment of an architectural candidate involves much more. Stephen Drew, drawing on his experience as a Head of Talent and recruiter, can coach your hiring managers on advanced interviewing and assessment techniques. This includes moving beyond standard questions to incorporate competency-based and behavioural questions that reveal a candidate’s problem-solving skills, collaborative abilities, communication style, adaptability, and alignment with your practice’s values.
He can also advise on designing practical tasks or case studies relevant to the roles you’re hiring for, allowing candidates to demonstrate their skills in a real-world context. Furthermore, Stephen can help you structure your interview process to ensure consistency, fairness, and a positive candidate experience, while also training your team to look for potential as well as proven experience. The aim is to equip you with methods to make more informed and confident hiring decisions.
We want to ensure a positive candidate experience, even for those we don't hire. How can coaching help us refine this aspect of our recruitment?
Providing a positive candidate experience is crucial not only for attracting talent but also for protecting and enhancing your practice’s reputation in the industry. Stephen Drew’s coaching can help you map and optimize every stage of the candidate journey, from initial application to final communication. This includes advising on timely and respectful communication protocols, ensuring clarity about the recruitment process and timelines, and providing constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates where appropriate.
A positive experience, even for those not selected, can lead to valuable word-of-mouth referrals and a stronger employer brand. Stephen can help you implement simple yet effective measures to make candidates feel valued and respected throughout the process. This thoughtful approach can differentiate your practice and build a pipeline of potential future hires or advocates for your firm.
Attracting talent is one thing, but how can Stephen Drew's expertise help our architecture practice improve staff retention and reduce turnover?
High staff turnover can be incredibly costly and disruptive for an architecture practice. Stephen Drew’s coaching, informed by his role as Head of Talent where he was directly responsible for retaining staff, extends to developing effective talent retention strategies. This starts with ensuring you are hiring the right people who align with your culture and long-term vision, but it also involves fostering an environment where architects feel valued, engaged, and see a clear path for growth.
Stephen can advise on implementing robust onboarding processes, establishing regular performance feedback and development conversations, creating meaningful career progression pathways, and promoting a supportive and inclusive studio culture. He can also help you identify and address common reasons for attrition within architectural practices. By focusing on these areas, his coaching can help you build a more stable, motivated, and loyal team.
Why should our practice invest in Stephen Drew's coaching for recruitment strategy, rather than solely relying on recruitment agencies or our own internal efforts?
While recruitment agencies (including Architecture Social’s own agency arm) can be effective for filling specific vacancies, and your internal team may handle day-to-day hiring, Stephen Drew’s coaching offers a distinct, strategic advantage. His service is about empowering your practice to build sustainable, in-house recruitment excellence and a stronger talent pipeline for the long term. It’s an investment in upskilling your team and refining your systemic approach, rather than just a transactional service for a single hire.
Stephen’s unique perspective, having been an in-house Head of Talent for an architecture firm, means he understands the internal challenges, cultural nuances, and strategic imperatives of practices like yours in a way that purely external recruiters might not. His coaching aims to provide you with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to reduce long-term reliance on external agencies for all hires, improve the quality and fit of your hires, enhance your employer brand, and ultimately save costs associated with poor hires or inefficient processes.
How does the wider Architecture Social platform support the recruitment needs and visibility of our practice, in conjunction with any direct coaching?
Architecture Social serves as a powerful, multi-faceted platform that significantly supports your practice’s recruitment efforts and enhances your visibility within the architectural community, complementing any direct coaching from Stephen Drew. You can advertise your job openings directly on our widely-visited job board, reaching a targeted audience of actively seeking architecture professionals and students. This ensures your vacancies are seen by relevant candidates who are specifically interested in the architecture sector.
Beyond job listings, engaging with the Architecture Social community – perhaps by sharing insights, participating in discussions, or even featuring your practice’s projects or culture through our content channels (with appropriate collaboration) – can organically raise your profile and employer brand. The platform’s extensive resources, including articles on best hiring practices and salary guides, also provide ongoing support and intelligence for your HR and recruitment teams. This ecosystem approach means your recruitment efforts are amplified and supported by a trusted industry voice.
What's the first step if our architecture practice is interested in exploring coaching with Stephen Drew to improve our recruitment and talent strategy?
The best first step is to reach out directly through the Architecture Social website, specifically via the coaching or services section. This will typically lead to an initial consultation with Stephen Drew where you can discuss your practice’s specific challenges, current recruitment processes, talent aspirations, and what you hope to achieve through coaching. This initial discussion is crucial for Stephen to understand your needs and for you to determine if his approach and expertise are the right fit for your firm.
Based on this consultation, a tailored coaching or advisory program can be proposed, outlining the potential focus areas, methodologies, and expected outcomes. Whether you’re looking for a comprehensive overhaul of your recruitment strategy, specific advice on employer branding, or targeted training for your hiring managers, the process begins with a conversation to explore how Stephen’s unique insights can help your practice build a stronger, more successful team.
You are in safe hands. We are a member of the global recruitment trade body, Apsco.
The Architecture Social is a member of APSCo (The Association of Professional Staffing Companies) which is the only membership body dedicated to representing excellence in the professional recruitment industry.
The APSCo badge is recognised by candidates and employers as the differentiating quality mark in professional talent acquisition.
As an APSCo member, we are also required to complete a regular member compliance assessment which enables us to demonstrate that not only do we understand our legal and regulatory obligations, but also that we are working to best practice recruitment standards.
