How pay transparency cultivates leadership in architecture

Outside of annual reviews, compensation isn’t normally discussed at traditional architecture firms. However, this lack of transparency can leave architects feeling disconnected from their firm’s mission.  

Financial secrecy is not the only way. Our firm, Work Program Architects (WPA), is among a handful of firms doing things differently, embracing transparency and treating the business of design as an iterative process.  

Since its founding in 2010, our Norfolk, Va.-based firm has offered its team members deep insight into its operations and decision-making processes. At the heart of this approach is the firm’s open-books policy, which includes full pay transparency. Salaries are openly shared among employees, from junior designers to principals.

This level of openness is one of the things that enticed me to join the firm five years ago. At the time I had no idea that it would expedite my growth as an architect and lead me to become an owner of the company. I have since found that radical transparency fosters the kinds of honest conversations and constructive collaborations that are rare in our industry but should be much more common. 

How transparency informs culture 

WPA’s open-books policy fundamentally changes how architects engage at work.  By providing open-book access to financial information, the policy allows employees to see how revenue, expenses, and salaries are interconnected, as well as how these financial elements relate to their role on projects.  

Employees can see salary structures across all levels, from early-career architects to seasoned leaders. This visibility provides a clearly defined pathway for growth, linking responsibilities to compensation, and highlighting how individual contributions impact the firm’s revenue and profitability.

This transparency also fosters a sense of shared responsibility, encouraging employees to take ownership. With a clear understanding of the bigger financial picture, team members are empowered to advocate for their ideas and themselves while keeping the overall health of the firm in mind, fostering confidence and fueling career growth.

For a firm, these benefits extend beyond individual development. Transparency supports employee satisfaction, promotes retention, and cultivates a workplace culture where everyone feels valued and aligned with the company’s goals. By demystifying financial processes, the open-books policy at WPA has created an environment of trust and collaboration, strengthening the organization. 

Building a culture of curiosity and improvement  

Financial transparency isn’t a cure-all, but it plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of open communication and ongoing improvement.

One of the biggest benefits of transparency is that it enables us to ask — and answer — the “why” behind important decisions, including how pay is structured. When employees have access to transparent salary data, it becomes much easier to have honest conversations about performance and expectations.  

If an employee’s salary doesn’t meet their expectations, the conversation isn’t about guesswork or assumptions; it’s about specific data, metrics, and transparent goals that have been set together, often with the help of the salary framework in the AIA Compensation and Benefits Report.

This approach ties into our firm’s broader philosophy of constant iteration and improvement. The open books policy encourages a belief that our business can always be refined and enhanced with proper nurturing. It allows us to look at the company’s structure, identify areas for improvement, and make thoughtful adjustments over time. Rather than feeling stuck in an unchanging system, everyone feels empowered to contribute to its ongoing development.

In this environment, everyone has agency to ask questions, propose solutions, and actively participate in shaping the future of the firm. By engaging in these conversations, we’re not just transforming our company culture—we’re collaboratively designing it. 

Redefining future success in architecture 

WPA’s pay transparency policy is a statement about what we value as a company, and not just about improved financial metrics. By fostering transparency, we’ve created a workplace where equity, growth, and collaboration can thrive.

In the context of my personal development, the shift from a traditional firm to WPA has been nothing short of transformative. I’ve grown from an early-career architect unsure of how I would attain the knowledge needed to move into leadership, to an associate principal with a long runway to learn and practice managing the future of the firm. Along the way, I’ve seen how transparency can help in the difficult work of dismantling barriers, building trust, and empowering individuals to reach their potential.

The open books policy at WPA is proof that when we trust our teams with information, we enable them to build something greater than any one of us could achieve alone. And for me, it’s a reminder that an open and equitable workplace isn’t just good for business—it’s essential for growth. 

Erin Agdinaoay, AIA, is the Virginia Young Architect Representative for the Young Architects Forum and an associate principal at Work Program Architects.