Over the past few years, the field has received a growing amount of attention that has highlighted long standing labor issues within the architecture industry, ranging from unsustainable pay models to unwelcoming work environments. Looking for an alternative, the Architecture Lobby created the Just Design Initiative, which recognizes fair labor practices in architecture. Beginning with nominations submitted by employees, and followed by an evaluation process, the team looked at practices that can serve as models of a new status quo within the profession. Archinect has teamed up with the Just Design crew to profile firms across the country that meet the initiative's standards. Whether it is a family-friendly work schedule or a health coverage plan that goes above and beyond, the series spotlights practices that honor the basic rights of their employees and can serve as exemplary models of what should become standard for the field.

At McMillan Pazdan Smith, great culture produces great work. The large firm—with 260 employees and six offices across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia—prides itself on establishing an atmosphere where employees feel positive, purposeful, and engaged. Designed to maintain a healthy office culture, the firm's pro-labor policies play a defining role in shaping studio culture and producing work that enriches peoples lives and enhances the quality of their communities. 

Office hours at the firm are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Employees are ultimately in charge of their own time and are allowed flexibility within to allocate and manage their own work hours around family and other personal obligations. “We’re not watching the parking lot, it’s not our culture,” says management. As long as employees meet the responsibility of their teams, and report hours accurately, they are in control of their time and can work off-site—a policy bolstered by the fact the the firm forgoes desktop workstations, instead providing laptops for everyone of their employees.

In recent years, the company has strengthened many of their family-friendly policies to accommodate what management sees as a changing workforce with evolving needs. To do so, the HR team held extensive conversations, particularly with staff that have young families, in order to craft policy that works for them. The efforts to provide more flexible scheduling, as well as incorporating more PTO, has been done to cater towards the needs of millennials and to better accommodate growing gender diversity in the industry. As another example, each office now has a dedicated nursing room to help young families trying to balance their jobs with new family demands.

With multiple offices, the firm maintains consistent policies across all that help foster transparency across a large firm. Following an overarching set of guidelines for advancement, promotions and raises consist of detailed job descriptions, and are reviewed in intervals ranging from quarterly to annual. Organized around studios, directors perform assessments for those on their team, rewarding high performance with occasional bonuses. Further, the HR team makes a point of tracking employee’s careers and being proactive in giving raises in order to breed a culture that demonstrates to employees that when they step up, take on more responsibility etc., they will be recognized and rewarded accordingly.

McMillan Pazdan Smith also holds weekly firm-wide calls, has an online network to help maintain open communication, and shares quarterly publications to help everyone in the company stay informed. Studio Chats and Town Halls are held every so often, so that the different offices can present plans and get feedback from employees at all levels.

Invested in the professional development of their workers, McMillan Pazdan Smith supports career trainings to a degree uncommon for the industry. To help young architects receive licensure, the firm pays for study materials and exam fees while also coordinating after-hour study sessions. They are also committed to paying AIA dues for all. 

Apart from licensure, the firm dedicates many resources towards training high-performing employees and building up the long-term careers of staff. One program offers classes following a 9-month curriculum. Another, geared towards employees seeking a leadership role in the company, supports the development of expertise in management and product innovation. 

For McMillan Pazdan Smith, investing in both the professional and personal well-being of employees is about having a great culture and also doing the right thing. "If you have people who truly enjoy and feel a strong sense of cause and support for the firm they work for, it’s pretty magnetic," says management. In an industry with the potential for free-agency, the firm recognizes that it is an atmosphere of strong values and relationships that will bind people. "This is the culture we want to have, and the kind of people we want to hire," they add.