Final Project

A Zero-Low-Cost HR Plan for an Architecture Firm

MGT 351
Section:16

Submitted To

Hamida Mosharraf Moniea (HMM1)

Lecturer
Dept. of Management

Submitted By

Group-1

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Abstract
This report consists of the information needed for a new architectural and Interior design firm
about the market, competitors, how the organization should form, limitations, legal objections,
expected turnover etc. As a new firm one should consider a lot of things such as whom their
targeted customer considering the competitors, how to manage the firm from the perspective
of HR, and what benefits they should consider so that the employees do feel safe working there
alongside the benefits which will keep them motivated through long hours of work. In this
report, some suggestions have been made from the perspective of an HR manager. Also,
recommendations have been made on managing the talent, hiring and making them experts in
the respective department. As HR not only handles human resource management but also
suggests how the workplace is less boring and adding something distracting from the work will
make them very productive. Methods of employers to employ employees are stated to the
extent of interviews to recruit them.

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Table of Contents
Abstract..................................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 4

Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 4

Environmental analysis .............................................................................................................................. 5

Brand Name.........................................................................................................................................................5
Brand logo ...........................................................................................................................................................5
Competitor Analysis.............................................................................................................................................6
Architectural Firm ...........................................................................................................................................6
Interior Designing Market ............................................................................................................................10
Interior Designing Firms ...............................................................................................................................11
Firm Organogram ..............................................................................................................................................14

Findings ................................................................................................................................................... 15
Corporate Strategy for the next five years (2023-2028) ...................................................................................15
HR Strategy ........................................................................................................................................................16
Job Redesign for Talent Management ..............................................................................................................17
Job Description and Job Specification................................................................................................................17
Workforce Planning and Recruiting ..................................................................................................................19
Yield Pyramid of the firm ..............................................................................................................................20
Employee Selection ............................................................................................................................................21
Employee Testing...............................................................................................................................................21
Background Investigation..................................................................................................................................22
Interview ............................................................................................................................................................23
Training and Development ................................................................................................................................24
Setting Objectives for The Employees ...............................................................................................................25
Smart Frame Work .......................................................................................................................................26
Performance Feedback sessions ..................................................................................................................28
Performance Appraisal .................................................................................................................................30
Financial Benefits ..............................................................................................................................................32
Insurance Benefits .............................................................................................................................................32
Non-financial benefits/ Leave policy .................................................................................................................32
Wellness Programs ............................................................................................................................................33
Employee Relations/Engagement .....................................................................................................................34

Recommendation..................................................................................................................................... 36

Reference ................................................................................................................................................ 37

Appendix ................................................................................................................................................. 38

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Introduction
This is a brief report on the architecture and interior designing Industry from the perspective
of an HR manager. This report includes how one thinking of owning an architecture and interior
designing firm should manage his team, how his team can be benefitted from the policies of
the firm, and what factors in the workplace and policies will motivate them to give the best for
the firm efficiently. We had to work with some limitations so that a person with the least budget
can set up a firm. So, the cost of HR has been decreased to almost zero. This will help the
entrepreneur to work with other departments with monetary fluency. In the end, the
recommendation has been made about what to do and what not to do in the firm to bring out
maximum efficiency without making the employees bored of the workplace.

Methodology
This research article discusses existing architecture & interior designing firms in Bangladesh,
their way of customer acquisition, and what aspirant firms should do in terms of human
resource management. The article is tailored to provide valuable information about the
industry, where most of the investment is done, the top competitors of any firm and their area
of expertise. My classmates and I used the information on the internet alongside the data we
got from talking with the industry-leading companies' employees. Though we still believe that
the data given by employees are a bit exaggerated due to their normal human biases, we scaled
down the information to the most needed for the one to get information about the industry. Data
collected by the internet are mostly from the company website or prominent newspapers which
are cited in the end. The information taken from the interview from any firm is scaled to
numerical data so that it is easy for the targeted reader.

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Environmental analysis
In this section, we do include data about the industry, the possible name of the firm, how the
firms compete with each, which firms are the most prominent ones in the industry, alongside
their mission and vision.

Brand Name
"Sweet Home Architects "
Meaning: After everything, we all go home. Because a home is where you can live in peace,
express yourself, and be yourself, and that is what makes a home sweet home. We, the "sweet
home architects," create the perfect, comforting, and relieving sweet home for you.

Brand logo

Sweet Home
Architects

Bangladesh is a developing country, and as of being a developing country a business must have
a permanent home where they can work peacefully without getting bored with work. A
dynamic workplace with serenity is what most employers do seek nowadays. Other than the
businesses there are a growing number of people who is interested in a home they want to build
with comfort and peace, having an aesthetic value is a must. A dynamic architecture firm with
creative minds will make the dream of clients true within their limited budget. Alongside an
architecture firm, an interior design segment will help to decorate their home and office spaces
which will connect to their imagination which they seek. Sweet home Architects as a new firm
will focus on making the dreams of their customers come true in the most efficient yet effective
way. The interior designing department will do the rest of the interior designing once the home
is handed over to the customer. The experts of the interior designing department will connect
the imagination of customers’ aesthetics to reality.

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Competitor Analysis

Architectural Firm

As the country has seen some massive architectural and interior projects, Bangladesh has more
than enough firms competing for the best locus and more outreach. A few details of some
prominent architectural firms are:
Evangel Architect
• Experience- 15+ years
• Location- House 6, Ishakha Avenue, Sector 6 Dhaka, Uttara 1230, BD
• Firm Type- Private Has designed public and private buildings, urban transformations,
existing building conversions, and public spaces, Special Architectural design, 3d
visualization, project master plan, interior design, exterior design, and building design
• Company size- 11-50 employees
• Project done-100
• Works- Built offices, buildings, villas, and palace-like homes. Size- 1500- 5500sft, 3-
5 kathas
• Budget- 50lakhs- 6/7 CRS
• Clients- Mainly upper class but also render middle class too. Did projects for (Pakiza,
Beximco, Dhaka Central Mosque project) etc
• Recent Projects- Beximco LPG Ltd. office project, Pakiza Office project, LesspullsDe
Allex Showroom design project, Uttara Central Mosque design, Bodhu Shaj
Community Center Project, Gulshan Palace project, Gulshan Villa Residential design
project.

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 Studio 16
• Experience-12 years
• Location-Flat A5, House 03, Road 05, 1212 Baridhara J Block, Dhaka 1212
• Firm Type- Partnership
• Speciality- Architecture, Design, Building, Interior Design, Landscape Design,
Residence Design, Apartment Design, Office design, Home Interior, Office Interior,
Master plan, Area Development, Industry Design, Architects, Engineers, Construction,
Construction Management, Property Development, Interior Furniture, Urban planning,
and Housing. Also, give special modification options to customers.
• Company size- 7-10 employs
• Project Number- 16 projects
• Works- Built office, villas, apartments, and office headquarters at Bashundhara R/A,
Mohakhali DOHS,
• Project Name- Troyo Residence (Bashundhara R/A- 3600 sft), Baitul Imam Residence
(Bashundhara R/A- 2160 sft), Amir Villa (Chandpur- 12 kathas), Talukderbari House (
14 acre - Brahmanbaria), Royal Palace( Gulshan), Thikana by AK Developers ltd (
Bashundhara R/A 2160sft) etc
• Size- apartments (2160-3600 ft), villas (2-14 acres), buildings (5-8 katas)
• Budget- overall starting from 30 lakhs to 3-4 CRS Clients- middle to upper. Also
worked with branded groups. Some mentioned clients are Max Group, Brand Group,

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 Akij Group, Pacific Jeans, Navana Real Estate ltd, AFC Pharmaceuticals, Emporio
Holding Ltd, Piranha Group, and Islam Group.

VOLUMEZERO Ltd.

• Running since- 2008 (14 years)

• Area of operation: They serve in Dhaka, Bangladesh, focusing on the parts of
• Dhaka where their target customers are present. The areas include Gulshan, Banani,
Baridhara, and Uttara, here the residents fall into upper and upper-middle-class
socioeconomic levels.
• Project type –
i. Residential (3200-5000sqm), Commercial & Offices (11000-99500sqm)
ii. Educational Institutes
iii. Sports
iv. Religious
v. Industrial & Infrastructure
• Landscape & Urbanism
• Budget: 1,500,000tk to 250,000,000tk
• Clients: Upper class, upper middle class, and middle class.
• Notable works/clients:
• Bashundhara Group- Bashundhara Sports Complex, Bangladesh Railway- Cox’s
• Bazar Railway, Spacezero Ltd, Akij Group, Unique Hotels and Resorts Pvt Ltd,
Shahjalal Islami Bank, Lankabangla Financial Limited, United Group.
• Specialized design theme:
• Modernist Approach: The core features are the exclusion or minimization of
ornamentation; the idea is to keep the structure simple and enhance its proposed
function.
• Expressionist Technique: Although they are yet to come up with a real-life project,
they are aiming to tap into the expressionist technique niche. Postmodern Techniques:
Postmodern architecture goes against some of Modernism’s core concepts with a newly
modified perspective that enhances history and composition,
• Piling rate per sqft: 5-6 floors, 1250–1450-taka, pile depth 60-80 feet
• Cement: 470-500tk per 50kg bag

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• Steel: 72000-75000tk per ton
• Sand and Gravel: 12000-15000taka per truck
• Sand Piling: 270-300taka per sqft
• Foundation: 6 Floors 1000-1200tk, Sand piling- 280-300taka per sqft
• Per floor beam, column, roof cost: Floors 1-6 750-850taka, Floors more than 6
• 950-1200taka per sqft
• Floor finishing rate: 1 flat unit 800-1000taka per sqft
• Garage cost: 300-550 taka per sqft
• Lift cost: 450000-700000taka
• Suppliers: They go for high-quality materials but with the cheapest deal they can find.
Several vendors in Bangshal are responsible for providing the finest quality but at the
cheapest price due to the competition in that area. Therefore, although the location
remains the same, their supplier varies, and in most cases, the materials are bought
according to their clients’ preferred vendors.

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Interior Designing Market

The interior designing market in Bangladesh has grown five times in the past 5 years since
2012. Also expected to grow twice as 2021 by 2027. The growth is accelerated by the
preference of people’s artistic choices in their homes and the growing demand for technological
attachment to the interior. In modern times if people spend 5-6 crore taka to buy an apartment,
they are more likely to spend more than 70-80 lakh on interior design. According to the study,
interior decoration in Bangladesh got a touch of modernity in the 1990s and it has been growing
steadily ever since. More than 7 lakh people are connected to this industry working in more
than 10,000 firms. Most of the firms consist of less than 10 people if the firm is large then the
maximum number of people needed for the firm is less than 30.

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Interior Designing Firms

Shanta Lifestyle
Shanta Lifestyle was established to cater to the rising interior design and home decor needs of
Bangladeshi consumers searching for luxury and exclusivity. Shanta’s ever-expanding
footprint in the real estate industry was the right time to provide our customers with access to
the highest quality international brands to choose their preferred interior products, to build their
legacy at home. The mission of Shanta Lifestyle is that as a lifestyle brand they strive to earn
the respect and trust of our customers by giving them access to the lifestyle they crave.
They aim constantly anticipate what their customers want to achieve and tailor their brand to
the experiences our customers crave, along with the people, things, and ideas that inspire them.
A few notable projects are:

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Sheraspace

Sheraspace aims to renovate spaces with minimal cost available to the customer. Alongside
consulting commercial space renovation. Sheraspace grabbed the attention with the cost-
friendly renovation they suggest on their webpage. Which makes people that they can be artistic
without spending much money on the interior. Sheraspace also does interior designing for
apartments too. The package they offer for consulting according to the needs of people is very
attractive with cost efficiency. One of the residential projects of Sheraspace is:

iNexterior

iNExterior Interior & Exterior Design Bangladesh believes good design is produced from
careful study and research, combined with technical knowledge and artistic judgment.
Attention to detail, proportions, and scale, together with common sense ensure the finished
product fully develops the potential within the concept. iNExterior worked on Past and current
projects including commercial, residential, health clubs, spas and salons, hospitality,
pharmaceutical, exhibition, institutional, mixed-use, and high-end residential Interior projects.
use of CAD and computer 3D Modeling, done in-house, helps the client visualize their project
in the best possible manner. All experimentation with space, light, and material can be done

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using this platform until the final result is achieved. iNExterior Interior & Interior, lighting,
and furniture design.

Imagine Interiors

Imagine Interiors is one of the Bangladeshi internationally recognized interior and exterior
design firms with expertise in residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, healthcare, and beauty
projects. Such as:

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Firm Organogram

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Findings

Corporate Strategy for the next five years (2023-2028)

The company’s top management should set goals for the upcoming five years to increase its
reach in its market. It would be achieved by providing solutions to the clients to their unique
problems and turning the clients’ visualized desires through the collaborative process using
ideas and notions that are visual, architectural, legal, societal, and technological. Its aim should
be to stand with top-level firms such as Shelfmark, VOLUMEZERO, etc.

Although the other existing firms already have an outstanding market share, targeting
customers of various income levels might make it easier to widen its reach. To achieve that,
costs have to be reduced, and it is possible if raw materials are bought directly from producers
outside Dhaka. Doing that would add transportation costs but overall, the cost would be
relatively cheaper than buying the materials from Dhaka, where the producers charge higher.
Reducing the prices would make the company the Cost Leader, thus giving a competitive
advantage in the market. Most of the competing firms operate to serve upper-class and upper-
middle-class consumers. Therefore, being the cost leader would enable it to win the
competition for the upper-class and upper-middle-class consumers, and consumers below those
income levels can also be targeted.

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The company should also differentiate itself in the market by introducing new design styles in
the industry along with the existing ones. New up-and-coming designs around the globe include
sustainable architecture that would positively affect the environment, landscape architecture,
interior architecture, etc. Introducing these ideas and styles in Bangladesh would enable them
to develop market niches.

Resources should be allocated in mind that it guarantees maximum efficiency for the company.
Investing more in new technologies would ensure activities are performed much faster and
more accurately. Besides, proper investment in HR functions is highly required so that
appropriate hiring, firing, and training processes can be carried out.

HR Strategy

Workforce Planning: The company should consist of employees with a great sense of
teamwork and ambition to function effectively in the future. It should focus on hiring young
candidates who show promise and can help the company with their creativity.
Organisational Design: Goals would be announced to the employees and the structure of the
organisation will be on the flatter spectrum to encourage clear communication, to ensure with
its objectives, with the ultimate aim of improving efficiency and effectiveness are fulfilled.

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Talent Management: This would enable attracting and retaining high-quality employees,
developing their skills, and continuously motivating them to improve their performance leading
to building a confident workforce.
Learning and Development: Proper training, research, and development opportunities will be
arranged for the employees who might require them to improve their performance.
Opportunities to collaborate with other firms would also be encouraged to build relationships
and increase morale.
Performance Management: Performance management would be regularly done by the
supervisors and managers to help employees improve constantly.

Job Redesign for Talent Management

Job Description and Job Specification

Architecture is one profession where a lot of self-respect is attached to pride. These constraints
the firms to go find talents in the different methods. Which is not modern but rather more
reference-based. Still, before joining any position an architect needs to know where his position
is in the firm, which will make him aware of the tasks heading towards him, how he should
handle any situation, what the firm expects from him, and whom should he needs to report.
Preferred Information needed to add to a junior architect’s job Description:
• Who to report?
• Job Location
• Job Summary (for an architect, is he going to co-pilot a senior architect or do a solo)
• Working conditions (on-site/ off-site/ consulting)
• Working Condition (high pressure, stressful or not, long hours etc.)
Job Specification:
• Qualification preferred by the firm
• Experience (years and project both)
• Skills (Communication, Problem-solving, Computer literacy, Legal knowledge,
Collaboration)
• Responsibilities
• Emotional Characteristics

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As an HR manager, one needs to have technical and Behavioral competency to fulfil all the
duties he/she would be assigned. The technical competency of an HR manager defines him as
a good HR manager. A few of them are:
• Career Development and Coaching
• Compensation and Benefits administration
• Competency Management
• Consulting and advising other departments
• Employment legislation, policies and Procedures
• Recruitment and Selection
• talent management
• Employee Relations
• Organizational Analysis and Design

These are the technical Competency an architecture firm should look for when they are hiring
an HR manager, an HR manager might not be that much important when it comes to actual
architecture but the manager will maintain the employee and the workplace which holds an
immaculate role to work efficiency and effectivity.
An HR manager not only should hold this technical competency or skill but also behavioural
competency. HR is that role or position where they work with humans, each human has
different psychology, and each human has a different passion trigger point, activating them
might give them the moral boost one looks for when they work for long hours. An HR manager
needs to have the behavioural competency that employees will like and listen to.

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Workforce Planning and Recruiting

Firstly, we have to consider three important factors in terms of forecasting the personnel need
in the company which are-
1. Overall personnel need- Here we have to determine the employee number required
for the company. We need to hire and recruit candidates with a vast knowledge of
drawing, creative design, mathematics, research, teamwork and customer service.
Employees required-
● 6 Architects/ Architectural engineers (BUET, MIST and BRAC architects are
highly preferable as they are highly experienced and knowledgeable.)
● 6 interior designers include a senior interior designer, a project architect, and a
junior architect.
● 1 human resources manager (HR Department head)
● 1 administrative manager (Admin)
● 2 accountants
● 10 others (Interns, Freelance designers)
2. The supply of inside candidates- Determining the internal candidate’s detailed job
analysis for each employee. Each employee's job description (tasks, duties and
responsibilities) and job specification (knowledge, skills and abilities) need to be
specified. Making an inventory of current employees' skills, education about the
firm’s culture and policies, internal training, special abilities, and potential for
promotion offer a good forecast for the supply of internal candidates. Also, to keep
the company records, the current performance and promotion potential of internal
candidates' personnel replacement charts should be used. Another thing is a position
replacement card which is very important for showing potential replacement
candidates and their qualities if it's necessary.
3. The supply of outside candidates- As it is a startup company, trend analysis won't be
possible. Moving forward, we have to do a ratio analysis. Ratio analysis helps to
understand and compare the performance of the company in a given period. External
candidates like retail investors, competitors, financial analysts etc. It helps in
knowing the company's performance and makes it easy for investors to compare
companies in the same industry.

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Yield Pyramid of the firm

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Employee Selection

Employee selection is one of the most crucial tasks for a business. It is the employees who
significantly influence a business’s success or even failure. The right selection of candidates
helps the business to flourish and achieve its organizational goals, whereas, the selection of the
wrong type of candidates may result in the complete opposite. To hire the right person for a
specific job, there are several tests, investigations and other types of screening methods which
help recruiters to find the most suitable employees for their organization.

Employee Testing

Since there are different types of job positions in an organization, their testing should be
according to the position’s requirements as well.
For hiring an accountant, the test should be mainly focused on cognitive ability tests such as
aptitude tests which involve specific mathematical calculations, inductive and deductive
reasoning etc. The main job of an accountant is to ensure financial records are accurate
throughout the year and based on that make financial decisions for the business. In such cases,
work samples are reliable to test an applicant’s ability. For example, the applicant can be asked
to prepare a forecasted balance sheet for the current business year.
Project managers should be tested based on intelligence and personality. A project manager
should have the personality to direct his/her subordinates and maintain good communication
with each other. This will help the project manager get his work done smoothly. He/she should
also possess some general intellectual abilities such as verbal fluency to communicate properly

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with the other employees. An applicant for a project manager position can be tested through
work simulation. For example, he/she might receive training on how to break down a project’s
tasks and assign them to subordinates. Then the recruiters can evaluate his/her performance
and decide whether to hire the candidate or not.
In the case of hiring an architect or an interior designer, the company may conduct achievement
and personality tests on the candidates. Achievement tests may include assessing the
candidate’s previously done projects to demonstrate his skill which will help the recruiter to
understand what type of work the candidate is capable of doing and their overall expertise on
the subject matter. On the other hand, personality tests may help examine what type of a person
the candidate is and how he/she interacts and deals with people. Since architects and interior
designers will have to handle clients from various backgrounds to cater for their varying
preferences, they must have the personality to adapt to any kind of situation while handling
clients. Work samples can be used to test an architect or interior designer, for example, they
can be asked to prepare a model for a building or provide an interior décor plan for an office
or flat.
Background Investigation

The company should conduct a background investigation to verify the information provided by
the candidates and to uncover damaging information. The company must have authentic
information about the candidate to avoid any sort of inconvenience in the future due to a lack
of proper prior investigation. Conducting background investigation is inexpensive and useful
if done right. This can include background checks, employment reference checks, criminal
records, driving records, medical examinations like blood or drug testing etc. This information
can be collected from the candidate’s former employers, current supervisors, academic
supervisors and social media sites.
Employers can use background investigation to verify the information provided by the
candidate in his/her resume, application and during the interviews. This will give a preview of
the candidate’s capabilities that are required to perform the job. Sometimes resumes contain
exaggerated or false information, so these investigations will help to check if the candidate is
the person they claim to be, i.e., does the person have qualifications, technical skills and other
information such as previous employment history, attitude towards coworkers etc. This type of
background investigation can be conducted for job vacancies like project manager, account
manager, customer-relation managers, architects and interior designers.

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Interview

The company should follow an interview structure that has a combination of both structured
and unstructured forms which can include some fixed questions along with a conversational
style interview. In this way, the company can get the advantages of both forms. The structured
part will collect the basic or straightforward information through a sequence of fixed questions
while the unstructured part is likely to bring out information which would not have been
revealed by the candidate otherwise.
The interview should have questions based on various contents to assess the job candidate and
his/her true potential. For example, behavioural-based questions to know how they handled a
situation in the past and situation based to know how they would respond to a situation in the
future such as dealing with a client with a very low budget. It should also contain job-related
questions to find out the candidate’s capability regarding the vacant position.
The company should conduct a ‘Panel interview’ with two or three interviewers who interview
a candidate simultaneously. This is likely to enable the interviewer's behavioural-based ask to
follow-up questions and hence may bring out more meaningful and important responses which
would not be possible through a ‘one-on-one interview’. Also, this can be carried out by using
a ‘structured sequential interview’ which will make it easier to decide whether to consider the
candidate or not, based on the ratings that the interviewers will give the candidate in a standard
form.

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Training and Development

1. How should the company conduct Training Need Analysis (TNA)

In all forms of training needs analysis, a set procedure is followed. Here is a process for
analyzing training needs in 4 steps:
Step 1- Performance Gap Analysis: Here, performance gaps are identified by comparing the
actual and desired operation results of the employee performance.
Step 2- Root Cause Analysis: Finding the fundamental problem causing the performance gaps
can be done through root cause analysis.
Step 3- Needs Analysis: To create and implement the best intervention to address the
performance difficulties, a thorough analysis is conducted.
Step 4- Recommendations: An acceptable training solution is put forth in this step. It indicates
the appropriate training program that a company should implement to increase overall
workplace efficiency.

2. What should the most frequently used Training Implementation

methods in the company?
• Technology-based learning;
Computerized training is becoming more widespread as technology advances. It's also
known as e-learning or computer-based training (CBT).
• On-the-job training;
With on-the-job or hands-on training, the practical skills required for the work are
covered right away. With this training approach, new hires get to work immediately.
• Instructor-led training;
The most conventional and well-liked technique of employee training is this one. This
approach simulates the preparation and facilitation of the experience by an instructor,
typically through an instructional presentation with a visual component.
• Group Discussions and Activities;
Group talks and activities may be a great training option for this particular area because
architectural firms typically operate as a team on every project. These debates and
activities can be led by a teacher or assisted by online prompts, then reviewed by a
manager.

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 3. Should the company use any sort of management development program or not? If
yes then what type of program for which employees?

Yes, the company should use a management development program. There are two types of
management development programs for employees;
1. Off-the-job programs
2. On-the-job training program
The goal of the management development process is to increase organizational effectiveness
through the performance of current and upcoming managers. By doing this, the organization
strengthens its internal human capital. The strategy focuses on both the now and the future.

4. How the company can implement any kind of organizational change within the
organization?

Steps for implementing organizational change within the organization;

1. Identify the change and perform an impact assessment
2. Develop a plan
3. Communicate the change to employees
4. Provide reasons for the change
5. Seek employee feedback
6. Launch the change
7. Monitor and evaluate the change

Setting Objectives for The Employees

Managers may have specific goals in mind for every employee, but they will certainly get more
insightful responses if they ask employees to identify goals that are specifically related to their
job and meaningful to them. There is a significant difference between imposing goals on
employees and encouraging them to propose their own goals. When their proposed goals align
with the company's objectives, a manager can collaborate with employees to develop action
plans to achieve those goals.

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Smart Frame Work

The SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based) framework can
assist in outlining the steps required to achieve a goal. Each component of the SMART
framework, as described below, collaborates to establish boundaries, define the next steps,
identify required resources, and pinpoint indicators of progress. When working with
employees, consider using the SMART goal framework to help them lay a solid foundation for
success.

Specific
Making our goals as clear and specific as possible. When we first meet with the employee and
ask them about a goal they want to achieve, their response may be vague at first ("I want to do
better on interior design sales calls"). However, the more specific the employee's desired goal
("I want to increase the number of customers viewed our offered designs"), the better we can
help them understand the steps required to achieve it. Some questions that should be asked to
the employees in such situations are:
 What are you hoping to achieve?
 Who is a part of this mission?
 What steps must be taken to achieve this goal?

Measurable
The "M" in SMART stands for measurable, which allows us to assess our farm’s success or
failure. Our farm’s objectives should have some kind of objective way to measure them,
whether it's a deadline, a number, a percentage change, or another measurable element.

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Benchmarks are one method for accomplishing this. Benchmarks show us what's "normal" in
our company for specific, recurring scenarios, so we know what to expect. Using standardized
benchmarks, we can set more relevant, measurable goals. Some example questions are:
 How much progress are you hoping to make on the current interior designs offered?
 What key performance indicators have you used in the past, and how successful have
they been? Is there anything that needs to be changed with this new goal?
 What indicators will indicate that you've achieved your goal?

Achievable
A well-defined goal is one that an employee can accomplish while also stretching them in their
role and making them feel challenged. We will consider any constraints that may prevent the
employee from achieving the goal during this stage of goal-setting. While working with
employees, they shall be asked questions like:
 Is this a realistic goal?
 Do you have everything you need to complete the task?
 What role does this goal play in your overall workload?

Relevant
A relevant goal should be aligned with other goals while also being beneficial to the employee.
They should be able to see the benefit of pursuing the goal, understand how and why the goal
is important to the farm, and assist in reinforcing how their work fits into the larger picture.
When determining the relevance of goals, we would ask employees the following questions:
 Is this goal worth pursuing?
 How well does this goal align with the mission of our architectural farm?
 Is this goal in line with current business priorities?
Time-bound
A deadline should be set for the SMART goal. Without a time limit, the project may drag on,
with unclear success metrics and scope creep. Deadlines create a sense of urgency, preventing
short-term tasks from dragging into long-term goals unnecessarily. If it hasn't been done
already, creating a detailed project timeline right away is a necessity.
Depending on the position, specific productivity and efficiency goals, such as making more
sales calls in a day or resolving customer issues in less time, can be very effective. Working
with our employees in an architecture farm to answer the following questions when developing
SMART goals:
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  What is the deadline for submitting this new design to that customer?
 What is the significance of this deadline?
 Is the completion of this goal dependent on any other initiatives?
For an interior design firm that works as an architectural company, we will have to deal with
various single projects at a time. Our motive will be to set the goals and objectives we work to
achieve
i. before starting to work on a new project freshly received from the customers
based on their preferred designs
ii. before conducting new recruitment

Since our farm will be dealing with several single projects together, every project’s objective
details should be cleared out first. Also, new employees should give us a brief idea about how
much our farm is going to achieve with their addition to our company.

Performance Feedback sessions

As an architectural farm, our work will be associated with small projects, let’s say 3/4 projects
a year, that we’ll be receiving from the customers. The performance feedback sessions, having
numerous benefits, should take place after every completed project and in cases of big and
important projects, once in the middle of the project when half of it is done. That sums up to
be 4/5 feedback sessions per year.
Performance discussions, even if brief, should take place regularly throughout the year, and
our interior designing farm’s manager should take the lead on this. However, annual
performance reviews are common in performance management programs, which
unintentionally promote rare performance feedback sessions held by managers. As a result, if
the manager does not initiate regular performance discussions, the employees must do. The
benefits we are looking forward to as we’ll be conducting regular performance feedback
sessions are:
Making it clear that you are meeting your manager's expectations and that you understand what
those expectations are.
✓ Avoiding the unpleasant surprise of discovering that we are failing to meet our
customer’s expectations.
✓ Finding out sooner rather than later that our customer is dissatisfied with our
performance means it will be easier (hopefully) to get back on track.

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 ✓ Identifying developmental opportunities promptly when they are required (instead of
six months to a year later).

Now, our architecture farm will be conducting the performance feedback sessions through our
managers and employees, by gradually maintaining the following steps:
1. It’s Not a Crime to Ask for Feedback:
To begin, making it clear that it is acceptable to request performance feedback if it is not in the
manager's nature to provide it. It is significantly important for our farm’s development. Two
of the top five most important aspects of job satisfaction for employees were communication
with senior management and their relationship with their supervisors. Annual performance
reviews are no longer sufficient, so it’s okay to make an appointment with the manager to
discuss every small or big project’s performance.
2. Scheduling a Meeting with the Managers and Employees regularly:
Conducting 30-minute meetings once a month, every other month, or after a project, to discuss
the overall performance and current priorities. This will allow us to make the employees
understand our farms; or, for a shorter term, the manager's expectations and how they’re doing
from their perspective. This is especially important if new employees have been hired to the
farm.
3. Keep Track of Data throughout the Year:
It can be difficult to recall everything our farm did and accomplished throughout the year when
completing a short portion of the performance appraisal. This is why, even if it feels
inconvenient at the time, it is in our best interest to document our work activities throughout
the year. It will save us a lot of time and trouble when it comes time to finish the employee’s
performance appraisal, and it will also ensure we don't forget anything. It will also make it
easier to update employees’ resumes if the occasion arises.
4. Remembering that it is Just Feedback.
The employees may become overly stressed and sensitive to the information they receive
during their performance review, even if the majority of it is positive. As we all have areas for
growth and development, providing areas for improvement is part of the feedback process. It
is preferable to view such comments as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. Also, if the
performance review does not go well in opinion, it's critical to keep in mind that it is simply
information about how one individual or organization views the performance. It's only
feedback.

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Performance Appraisal

We think the manager should have a key role in our farm.

Unfortunately, performance appraisal is seldom put to good use because present performance
appraisal systems do not consider employee performance results. To prevent performance
reviews from turning into a useless collection of words, we (HR managers) need to make some
changes to how we now do them and try to incorporate some well-known appraisal techniques.
From which the following discussion will focus on the two strategies that work the best:
1. The 360 Degree Feedback: Everyone associated with our company will evaluate the
employee's performance in this instance; the stakeholders will have access to the
employee's performance. This covers anyone who will access the employee's work,
such as supervisors, direct reports, peers, clients, and even the employee himself. By
employing this strategy, we guarantee that our company is impartial and, as a result, a
message that benefits our company is propagated throughout the industry. Additionally,
it enables the many stakeholders to express their viewpoints and might even facilitate
direct access to the evaluations. Consequently, the risk of one-source bias is removed
in the process!

2. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale: This is frequently referred to as "BARS,"

which is a fusion of two of the most widely used methods. It combines the Graphic
Scaling Method, in which employees receive feedback based on a variety of
characteristics, with the Critical Incident Method, which evaluates an employee's best
and worst performance (individually). As it guarantees both an employee's
characteristics and deficiencies in competence, this technique has shown to be one of
the most efficient ones for employee assessments. Through this method, we can also
monitor every employee separately and rate them depending on their performance. For
these reasons, doing this periodically will increase effectiveness and provide better
evaluations.

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Employee Benefits

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Financial Benefits

Sick Leave: If the employees are sick, they will be given sick leave. And it will be paid sick
leave.
Festival Bonuses: The employees will be given two festive bonuses every year on Eid-ul-Fitr
and Eid-ul-Adha
Medical Benefits: Employees' spouses, children as well as themselves, will benefit from
having 25% of their hospital charge paid when required, and 50% of the bill funded if major
surgery is involved.
Maternity Leave: Every expectant woman in the workplace will be granted a four-month
maternity leave beginning in the eighth month of pregnancy and ending three months after
giving birth. During maternity leave, the employee will receive their full monthly salary.

Insurance Benefits

Health Insurance: Each employee will receive an HRA (Health Reimbursement

Arrangement), an IRS-approved, employer-funded health benefit that can be used to pay for
out-of-pocket medical expenses, individual health insurance premiums, or both.
Disability Insurance: The employees will be given disability insurance for both short-term
and long-term periods. Accidents or circumstances that keep an employee out of work for a
few weeks to a few months are covered by short-term disability insurance. Short-term disability
situations that may be covered include broken limbs, outpatient surgery requiring recovery
time, and even pregnancy or maternity leave.
When an employee's short-term disability options run out, they will start drawing on their long-
term disability insurance plan. This usually takes between three and six months. Long-term
disability situations include cancer, mental illness, and physical difficulties that require
multiple surgeries.

Non-financial benefits/ Leave policy

Vacation leave- Other than the weekends, Each employee will be permitted to take two 14-
day vacation leaves per year.
Extra Leave- The employee of the month will receive two extra days of leave as a reward for
the current month.

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Leave policy- Employees will be paid for up to 12 days of casual leave and will be paid while
on leave; however, the casual leave cannot exceed four days in a row. Employees must notify
the Human
Resources at least two days before taking leave. Expectant mothers can take a
four-month leave beginning in the eighth month of their pregnancy and must
notify HR at least 20 days in advance, whereas vacation leaves must notify HR
two days in advance.

Certification- Employees will be recognized for their outstanding performances semi-

annually. They will be given certificates for that too.

Wellness Programs

Employees can participate in a yoga class twice a week, with the employer covering half of the
class fees. The organization will also offer its employees a quit-smoking program that includes
both lifestyle coaching and pharmacological support. Moreover, an annual retreat will be
organized for the employees too.

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Employee assistance programs: The organization is willing to provide free counselling
sessions to employees and conduct a fitness evaluation every six months to assess their
cardiopulmonary fitness level, strength, flexibility, body composition, and nutritional status.
Flexible working hours: Employees will be given flexible working hours if they need it. They
must verify the reasons with HR too. And in that case, the employee’s performance will be
kept in mind too.
Retirement Benefits: The company will establish a SIMPLE IRA (Savings Incentive Match
Plan for Employees). This plan will be funded through both pre-tax employee and employer
contributions.

Employee Relations/Engagement

Building Cross-Functional teams: Cross-functional teams are formed with teams from
various departments. Individuals from various departments will be able to pool their talents
and work toward a common goal for the company through Cross-Functional Teams. Putting
together such teams allows employees from different departments who have never worked
together before to get to know one another. When all of those people work together, they can
let go of their assumptions and better understand each other's points of view. It will help them

34
understand how their team members make decisions and think. It improves their mutual
understanding and acceptance. It will also spark new ideas.
Extracurricular initiatives: One of the best ways to improve your employees' well-being and
workplace health is to provide activities and events inside and outside the office.
To strengthen employee bonds, the organization will organize tournaments or hold sports days,
as well as hold competitions such as races and select enjoyable activities also like challenging
the office to a cook-off. In addition to that, the organization will also arrange annual retreats
for the employees. Employees will also have access to indoor games like chess, table tennis,
and video games.
Workplace parties: Keeping the workplace alive with activities other than work is critical.
It is also important to recognize the organization's accomplishments. As the saying goes, “We
work hard but we party harder.” So, to celebrate the accomplishments, the organization will
hold small random parties such as pizza parties or burger parties, and so on. Furthermore, like
many other offices, this organization will attempt to host annual parties at which employees
will bring their families. Parties such as Eid parties and New Year's Eve celebrations will make
employees feel like they are a priority to the company and will motivate them to work harder.

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Recommendation
With the knowledge earned from this course as an HR manager, we can suggest a few things
in order to improve the firm’s internal Relationship and working environment, which will
eventually boost the morale of the employees, their effort and efficiency too.
A few suggested things for an Architecture and Interior Designing Firm are:
• Planning big means planning for multiple years not a single year. One needs to think
about where he/she wants to see their firm in the next 5 years.
• Keep good relations with some firms so that they can help with Human resources when
needed.
• Observe Employees and help them with appropriate training if needed.
• Compensation needs to be adjusted with competing firms else the turnover will be high,
which would put the firm in a bad reputation
• Other recreational benefits should be added in order to reduce workplace fatigue as
architects have to work for long hours.
• Employee recognition is a good start to bring out the best in any employee on their
outstanding performance.
• It is recommended for HR to create cross performing team so that the internal
Relationship among the employees doesn’t hamper and they can better function as a
team in need.
• The workplace environment should be happening, not only with work but with other
facilities to motivate employees to do more.
• workplace hierarchy should be flat to avoid misunderstanding and maintain relations
with top management too.
• They should do meetings monthly to know the overall things of the company.

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Reference
July, R. K., & Karim, R. (2022, July 16). Interior Design Market catches the light with well-
off's move into Smart Homes. The Business Standard. Retrieved December 13, 2022,
from https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/industry/interior-design-market-catches-light-
well-offs-move-smart-homes-459002

How to set goals for your employees. Paychex. (2021, March 9). Retrieved December 13,
2022, from https://www.paychex.com/articles/human-resources/7-tips-for-effective-
employee-goal-setting

Career advise. TopResume. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2022, from

https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/why-performance-feedback-should-be-
more-frequent-than- once-a-year

How to do performance appraisals. Edward Lowe Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved December

13, 2022, from https://edwardlowe.org/how-to-do-performance-
appraisals/#:~:text=Generally%20the%20employee's%20supervisor%20leads,and%20v
alidity%20of%20 appraisal%20results.

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Appendix

Name Contribution

Arian Marjuk Abid Recommendation, Findings(B), Industry

(1911436630) Analysis (Interior Designing), Organogram
Fariha Haque Chowdhury
Findings(E), Industry Analysis
(2132461630)
Ilma Jahanara Findings(C), Logo Designing, Industry
(2111969630) Analysis
Munshhura Hossain Faria Findings(G&H), Recommendation, Industry
(2013023630) Analysis
Nuzhat Tabassum
Findings(F), Industry Analysis
(2121983620)
Tanjina Hossain Arpita
Findings(D), Industry Analysis
(2012804030)
Taswar Eshraq
Findings(A), Industry Analysis
(2131682630)

38