SHANNON RODRIGUEZ

Shannon Rodriguez joined FXCollaborative in 2005 and is the ﬁrm’s Human Resource Director. She was promoted to Associate in 2014, Senior Associate in 2016 and to her current role in 2019. With over 15 years of experience, she is responsible for performance management, mentoring and training programs, employee relations, recruiting, stafﬁng, and beneﬁts administration.

Shannon is responsible for the ﬁrm’s internship program providing opportunities to students from diverse backgrounds; and has been instrumental in helping to establish FXCollaborative’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and is an advocate for all employees. She holds a Legal Studies degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

We’re constantly amazed with how much you push for inclusion and diversity at FXCollaborative, what inspires you to make this push particularly in an industry that by nature is collaborative?

While the profession is collaborative by nature, I don’t think our industry has done enough to actively mentor, advocate or support certain groups of professionals and I have seen that firsthand. In my role as Human Resources Director, it is my responsibility to ensure that staff concerns (including mine) are heard, that our policies facilitate an equitable and inclusive environment, and that we recruit the best people to push our firm forward. I would say my personal and work experiences have definitely been a factor in pushing these efforts forward.

47th Annual NOMA Conference. - Courtesy of Shannon Rodriguez.

For many students, the architecture industry can seem very intimidating. At many points, we underestimate our skills and experiences because we don’t feel like we’re qualified enough to work at a firm. How do you think this narrative could change?

Any student entering the workforce or “real world’ so to speak is probably intimidated, no matter what field they are in. In fact, the most experienced professional starting a new job can face similar feelings or pressure. For architecture students, I would tell them to remind themselves how hard they worked to get where they are. Getting through years of architecture school isn’t easy and it’s just the beginning! As a young professional, you are NOT expected to know everything and you will continue to learn every day of your career. Recognize that your experiences absolutely bring value and a different perspective to design. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes – it’s all part of the development process.

To many, you really exemplify compassion for the next generation of architects. As director of HR, how do you push for different members of the firm to really engage in mentorship?

By nature, I am very compassionate and truly want to see everyone succeed - I often feel like the office mom! Fortunately at FXCollaborative, we have an amazing group of professionals that understand the importance of nurturing the next group of architects but it takes patience and dedication, so I definitely don’t do it alone. I remind the employees that it’s part of their job to foster, mentor, support and advocate not just the next generation, but for those that may not advocate for themselves. At some point in your career, you realize that you have to pass the baton onto others and trust they will make you proud.

Outreach.-Courtesy of Shannon Rodriguez.

Through workshops and webinars hosted by FXCollaborative, you advocate for students to “get their foot in the door.” How do you ensure diversity in the architectural industry through the next generation?

Like many professions, architecture has historically been a white, male-dominated field. So how do we attract minority and underrepresented architects and how do we become more diverse if there is a lack of diverse candidates?

For us, that meant making significant, proactive strides to improve our recruiting and improve the pipeline. In the last few years, we have orchestrated specific and targeted outreach initiatives by creating relationships with a broader range of colleges, offering increased internship opportunities, leading resume and portfolio workshops and reorganizing our internal hiring selection process.

For students, we took a more critical look at which colleges and universities our candidates were coming from. By participating in career fairs, sending our architects to serve as studio critics, and supporting employees who teach design courses at these schools, we have been afforded a larger and more diverse pool of potential candidates.

We also realize that gaining hands-on experience in our profession is often hampered by financial constraints. To help relieve this burden, and to work with the best talent regardless of their financial circumstances, we provide paid internships throughout the year for high school and college students. In addition to offering housing stipends for all students that live outside the New York City area, we offer “shadowing” experiences for students to visit our office and spend a week with a Partner. These opportunities have allowed students to get their “foot in the door” and our firm name on their resumes!

You implemented a new system of hiring interns through a process that removed any unconscious bias. Can you talk more about how the initiative got started and the results it brought to the firm? How did the new system affect the group of interns hired that summer?

FXCollaborative began addressing unconscious bias by changing the application process for our summer 2019 internship program. Instead of having interns selected by firm leadership as in previous years, we opened the review process to a full range of team members at different levels and with more diverse backgrounds, who would be working directly with the interns if hired.

The HR department also manually deleted of all information that might identify a candidate’s ethnic background—including names, photos, school, and organizational affiliations—from cover letters, resumes, and portfolios. The goal was to ensure that applicants are judged solely on the quality of their work, and to acknowledge that we all have preconceived notions that may unintentionally sway us toward certain universities or to candidates with similar backgrounds to our own. Only after these redactions were made were the materials reviewed by the selection committee.

For 2019, we had the most diverse group of interns ever— eight out of the nine chosen were members of minority groups and they were amazing!

Summer 2019 Interns at FxCollaborative.-Courtesy of Shannon Rodriguez.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its influence on the job market, what advice would you give to recent graduates who want to be active in the profession?

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our industry, but I am hopeful the job market will improve in the coming months. In the meantime, I strongly encourage recent graduates to stay connected with professors, friends and other colleagues. I would recommend applying to firms even if they are not hiring at this time so your resume and portfolio are readily available and if invited for an informational interview – attend!

I would also recommend interning, part-time or temp work because often this is a pathway to securing full-time employment. I also encourage volunteering or participating in events with AIA, the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and other organizations because you just never know who you will connect with. Stay connected with professionals on LinkedIn.

Finally, since most of us are working virtually, reach out to firms outside of your local area to see if they are hiring. You may have an opportunity to work for a firm in another state!

SHANNON RODRIGUEZ

PEGGY PEÑA

HINALI SHAH