Reply To: Lack of decent experienced staff

I think that, where agencies are concerned, they will fire out as many as possible as the consultants get paid a relative pittance and rely on commission to earn their wage. It’s a case of: throw enough shit at a wall and some of it will stick.

In my office we currently have 19 different nationalities and I have to say that, on balance, “overseas” staff are better skilled than their Irish peers.

The problem lies in the management system – or lack of – in place in many offices. Architects like myself with 10+ years of experience can be simultaneously running 5 major projects at different stages. The number of available staff to assist is not the issue. The problem, as you point out, is finding people who are able to think and act for themselves and who require only limited direction and advice. That is a difficult quality, however, to assess in an interview, either for recruitment consultant or Architect. 30 day trial periods might help but their is so much work out there that people don’t need to take that risk.

Anyway, good luck. Might e-mail you myself!