2025 Architecture & Design Talent Trends
2025 became a pivotal year, prompting the Architecture and Design industry to slow down, recalibrate, and refocus on purposeful progress.
For DMC Recruitment Group, it was also a year of momentum. We were recognized by The Globe & Mail as one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies, crossed meaningful revenue milestones, and continued to deepen our presence across the architecture and design community nationwide. But the story of this year is less about our growth and more about how the industry itself evolved.
A Market Defined by Selectivity
If there was a defining theme across Architecture and Design in 2025, it was selectivity.
Projects remained on the horizon, but with a higher level of scrutiny. Clients became more inquisitive, decision timelines expanded, and firms grew increasingly deliberate about the opportunities they chased and the talent they chose to invest in.
Throughout the year, economic pressure and fluctuating interest rates created a subtle but constant backdrop. Some firms charged forward, while others chose to pause, reorganize, or sharpen their priorities. This created a varied market landscape where confidence, clear leadership, and strong positioning often outweighed size or long-standing reputation.
We saw several forces quietly reshaping the talent landscape:
- Sustainability gained clear momentum in 2025. Experience with Net Zero building concepts, energy modeling, mass timber, and lower carbon material strategies became increasingly attractive, particularly for public, institutional, and long-term ownership projects. In many searches, sustainability experience functioned less as a requirement and more as a differentiator that helped candidates stand out as firms prepared for where regulation and client expectations are heading.
- Technical fluency became a differentiator. Advanced BIM workflows, computational design, and early adoption of AI tools created clear separation between teams that could adapt quickly.
- Mass timber moved from conversation to execution. Attendance and engagement at the Mass Timber Conference in Portland reinforced what we were already seeing in hiring. Demand is growing for professionals who understand timber systems, prefabrication, and hybrid structural approaches.
- There was a renewed focus on culture and retention across firms. Any slowdown in hiring reflected not diminished workloads, but a deliberate effort by leaders to ensure each hire meaningfully contributed to long-term success.
In 2025, clarity became a competitive advantage in Architecture and Design. Firms that embraced a distinct perspective, carved out a clear niche, and articulated a strong employee value proposition routinely outpaced those taking a more generalized approach.
What We Heard From Candidates
Our salary survey provided valuable context to what we observed in day-to-day recruitment conversations.
One of the most meaningful shifts we saw was continued progress in pay equity. The gender pay gap across architecture and design roles has effectively closed—an outcome that would have felt aspirational not long ago. This reflects both greater industry-wide awareness and more disciplined, transparent compensation frameworks within firms.
At the same time, salary was rarely the primary decision-maker. Survey responses made clear that professionals increasingly prioritized work environment, leadership quality, flexibility, and long-term growth. Many valued these factors as much as, if not more than compensation. Candidates were thoughtful and intentional. They asked sharper questions and assessed firms just as diligently as firms assessed them.
What We Heard in the Room
Industry events offered another meaningful lens on the year.
From the RAIC Conference in Montreal to IDS in Toronto and Vancouver, Vancouver Society of Interior Designers gatherings, and the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland, one theme remained consistent: people were ready for honest conversations about the direction of the industry. Not soundbites, just substance.
There was genuine excitement around innovation and sustainability, tempered by a clear-eyed understanding of fees, timelines, and staffing pressures. Many leaders spoke about rebuilding internal teams after years of being stretched thin. Others highlighted succession planning and leadership development, recognizing that the next generation of designers expects something different from their careers.
These conversations continue to inform how we advise both clients and candidates. Our presence at these events isn’t about visibility—it’s about staying connected to what the industry is truly experiencing.
Inside DMC: A Year of Quiet Building
While much of the year externally felt cautious, internally we were building.
We finished 2025 with revenue growth exceeding 25 percent year over year, without increasing overall headcount. That was intentional. Rather than chasing scale, we focused on structure, specialization, and capability.
Over the course of the year we:
- Reorganized the business to support long term growth
- Invested in recruitment development leadership
- Introduced new sourcing technology to improve reach and speed
- Tightened consultant specialization so each recruiter goes deeper into their market
- Raised the bar on onboarding and internal training
- Designed a leadership development program launching in 2026
Looking Ahead
Architecture and design is not an industry that moves in straight lines. It responds to cities, policy, culture, technology, and human behavior, and that complexity is exactly what makes it so compelling.
As we head into 2026, our focus remains on specialization, long-term partnerships, and representing this industry with the depth, nuance, and respect it deserves. We work across Canada and will continue to show up wherever thoughtful design is shaping communities.
What will not change is our commitment to our clients, our candidates, and our team. Recruitment thrives when it is built on trust, clarity, and patience. That approach served us well in 2025, and it will continue to guide us in the year ahead.
Onwards into 2026.
Quote from Shawna Wagner – Partner, A&D Recruitment
“Across Canada, 2025 has been one of the most encouraging years we’ve seen in A&D recruitment for some time. After a period of uncertainty, the sector rallied with remarkable resilience—firms became more decisive in their hiring, project pipelines strengthened from coast to coast, and we saw a clear rise in confidence from both candidates and employers. Demand grew steadily for designers and architects who can blend creativity with technical strength, and the market rewarded those studios willing to invest in growth rather than wait on the sidelines.
Looking into 2026, I’m extremely positive. Major urban centers are pushing forward with ambitious development plans, public and private investment is increasing, and we’re seeing renewed momentum in everything from sustainable design to large-scale infrastructure. I expect hiring activity to accelerate, with firms prioritizing long-term team building, leadership development, and specialized skill sets that support innovation. Overall, North Amercia’s A&D market feels energized, forward-looking, and full of opportunity—and I believe 2026 will be a standout year for those ready to seize it.”
