A collaborative spotlight featuring Holmes + Brakel and Neda Mirjabari:DMC Recruitment Group
Over the past several years, our partnership with Holmes + Brakel has given us a front row view into a major shift happening across the construction supply chain.
What began as a series of recruitment searches evolved into a broader insight: as talent expectations changed, workplace design changed with it.
Understanding the Shift Through Partnership
Working closely with Holmes + Brakel has allowed us to connect two sides of the same story.
On one side, we support employers navigating hiring, retention, and workforce planning. On the other, Holmes + Brakel works directly with organizations rethinking how their physical spaces support their people.
Across both perspectives, the message has been consistent: the workplace is no longer just a backdrop for work. It’s a crucial factor into how their business operates, and who wants to work within it.
As candidate priorities shifted toward balance, focus, and respect for time, office environments began to follow. Companies that stayed ahead of these changes did not just redesign their spaces. They reinforced their culture, clarified expectations, and strengthened retention.
Introducing Holmes + Brakel
Holmes + Brakel is one of North America’s established contract furniture dealers, with more than fifty years serving the commercial market.
Their teams work closely with architects, designers, manufacturers, and end users to deliver workplace environments that balance function, collaboration, and long term usability. That position places them at the intersection of design intent, product innovation, and real world workforce needs.
It also gives them a clear view into how offices are evolving in response to changing employee expectations.
So, how is the workplace evolving…
The New Office: Not an End, but an Evolution
Before COVID, workplace trends heavily favoured openness and constant collaboration. Open concept layouts and social amenities were often treated as cultural signals.
When the pandemic hit, many questioned whether the office would remain relevant at all.
Holmes + Brakel never subscribed to that idea.
As Larry Valeriati, President of Holmes + Brakel, explained:
“People naturally enjoy interacting and connecting with one another. We always knew the office would return—we just weren’t sure what it would look like.”
What changed was not the need for offices, but the expectations placed on them.
Larry described how priorities shifted coming out of the pandemic:
“Before COVID, clients were asking for foosball tables, ping pong tables—spaces built purely for social interaction. Today, that focus has shifted. The conversation is now about balance: creating spaces for focused, individual work alongside areas for collaboration.”
The emphasis moved away from novelty and toward effectiveness.
Today’s office environments reflect balance. Quiet areas for focused work. Shared spaces for collaboration. Layouts designed around how people actually work throughout the day.
Not fully open. Not fully closed. A deliberate mix shaped by real behaviour.
Why Workplace Design Now Influences Retention
Through our recruitment work, we consistently see how workplace experience affects retention.
- Some professionals leave because their environment feels chaotic or distracting
- Others struggle with rigid hybrid expectations that conflict with their lives
- Others find their space does not support the blend of focus and collaboration their role requires
Our 2025 Salary Reports reinforce this. While compensation remains important, respondents frequently point to culture, leadership, colleagues, and work environment as influential factors in their decision making.
Larry connected this shift directly to changing priorities:
“People want to go to work, do their job well, feel respected, and still have the space to return to their lives—whether that’s family, personal commitments, or the responsibilities that matter most to them. COVID reshaped priorities and highlighted just how important true work-life balance has become.”
A well-designed workplace supports these expectations. It helps employees work effectively while reinforcing trust and respect.
For employers, this makes workplace strategy an increasingly important part of retention planning.
Why This Matters Across the Construction Supply Chain
The impact of workplace design extends well beyond office furniture or layouts.
A renewed focus on how people work affects:
- Architects and designers creating spaces that balance flexibility with identity
- Manufacturers and dealers anticipating evolving functional needs
- Developers and owners rethinking office amenities and utilization
- Building materials suppliers responding to new categories of demand
- Operations and project leaders managing hybrid workflows
Across these sectors, the downstream effects show up in:
- Retention
- Team cohesion
- Productivity
- Onboarding experience
- Employee satisfaction
- Long term workforce planning
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
Holmes + Brakel’s longevity in the market is the result of consistent leadership, adaptability, and a people first mindset.
Our partnership grew naturally out of that foundation.
Since 2023, Neda Mirjabari and DMC Recruitment Group has worked closely with Holmes + Brakel to support hiring across project coordination, sales, operations, and leadership. Each search reinforced the same theme: long term success comes from alignment between role, culture, and environment.
Holmes + Brakel invests in its people with the same care it brings to workplace design, which has made our collaboration both effective and enduring.
As Larry shared:
“What I’m most proud of is that, after fifty years, our business is still built on people. Our founder created a community, a family, and he continues to emphasize the importance of providing opportunities for our team.”
Looking Ahead
As expectations around work continue to evolve, organizations that thoughtfully align space, culture, and leadership will be best positioned to attract and retain top talent.
DMC will continue supporting employers across design, materials, development, and construction; highlighting how every workplace decision directly shapes workforce outcomes.
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Stay connected:
DMC Recruitment Group
Website – https://dmcrecruitment.com/
Email – solutions@dmcrecruitment.com
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/dmc-recruitment-group/
Holmes + Brakel
Website – https://holmesandbrakel.com/
Instagram – @holmesbrakel
LinkedIn – https://ca.linkedin.com/company/holmes-&-brakel-business-interiors
