In many industries, the idea of “workplace culture” has shifted, with more employers prioritizing how to make their employees happier and more productive. At George Armour Ewart Architect, maintaining a strong company culture has always been a priority.

Company culture: Why does it matter?

Why is cultivating a strong, well-rounded company culture important? And beyond employees, why should your clients care? The answer isn’t exclusive to a single benefit. Here’s just a few ways focusing on strong company culture benefits our firm and clients:

• Better engagement within teams
• Higher productivity during projects
• Enhanced quality of work
• Increased team retention rate
• Elevated interest during recruitment
• Highly-driven employees serving clients

In architecture, there are a lot of moving parts, which requires consistent communication with clients throughout the design and construction process. Internally, that means it’s important we’re able to find, place, and retain experienced team members. Here’s how we do it:

1. Finding the right people.

There is such a thing as hiring the right people. As George always says, “you just gotta start from the start” and figure out exactly what makes your company and team succeed. For us, it’s:

• “Can do” work ethic. We value when those we work with are responsive and treat others the way they want to be treated. We look for business partners and team members who are intrinsically motivated and adapt well in fast-paced environments.
• Diverse line-up. Unique skill sets, experiences, and backgrounds is a huge plus. With a diverse team and client roster, we’re able to work on a wider variety of projects. No project is too big or too challenging for our firm to take on.
• Good problem-solvers. Clients count on us to keep their project/company’s best interest in mind, while also incorporating their ideas. That requires a good amount of creative problem-solving to ensure both objectives are met every time.
• Collaborative mindset. Everyone we work with needs to be collaborative. We’re all one piece of a much larger pie, and no one is more or less valuable than another.

2. Maintaining the right culture.

Setting strong values and finding people who align with them is critical, but it’s only half of the equation. The other half is what you actively do to improve company culture. A few things we do at our firm are:

• Positive reinforcement. A little bit of positivity goes a long way in a group setting. When our clients or team members contribute new ideas or helpful solutions (or just quality work in general), we make sure they’re recognized for it.
• Team recreation. Our team enjoys getting together a few times a year at group outings. Over the years, we’ve also found a common interest in bowling and try to prioritize a competition (or two) every December.
• Lunch-n-learns. Continuing education is required in our industry, so we pay for our team’s CE courses or classes. We also make sure to include everyone in industry-related lunch-n-learns, where our entire team is able to provide input on the topic.
• Shared experiences. We encourage everyone in the office to get involved in passion projects, hobbies, or traveling and then share about it. For example, when someone goes on vacation, we ask them to create a quick slideshow about it. This inspires our team to explore while highlighting architecture and landscapes from around the world.

3. Prioritizing the right things.

Even though our firm knows how to have a good time, we all operate under the belief that there is no substitute for hard work and attention to detail. Our clients count on us to prioritize their projects, which is why we’re collectively dedicated to getting the job done right the first time. So much so, that it’s become a part of our company culture.

Today, clients and vendors know they can trust us to provide an excellent project experience while remaining on schedule and within budget. Moving forward, we plan to continue exceeding their expectations by prioritizing results and relationships above all else.