Data-Driven Hiring | Using Market Insights to Set Competitive Salaries
Posted by Steve Thomas , Construction Recruitment Director, UK & Canada on Friday, March 6, 2026
Recruiting in the construction and engineering sectors has become increasingly complex. With talent pools tightening across many specialist disciplines, employers can no longer rely on intuition or dated salary benchmarks when setting salaries. A data-driven hiring strategy allows employers to attract the best professionals while remaining cost competitive in a challenging labour market and a challenging period for the construction industry.
For organisations hiring quantity surveyors, project managers, planners, commercial managers and construction consultants, understanding current salary trends is essential. Using reliable market insights helps employers set competitive offers, reduce hiring delays and secure the best talent available.
Why Salary Bench Marking Matters in Construction Recruitment
Across the built environment sector, employers need to realise they are operating and interfacing with smaller and more specialised talent pools. Infrastructure delivery and housing sectors are experiencing skill shortages within cost and commercial management, estimating, planning and scheduling as well as estimating, engineering and project management. This means that experienced professionals often have several job opportunities and offers available at any one time to choose between.
Actual salary levels are shaped by what candidates ask for and what the market actually offers in response, who is willing to pay at or above expectations. Hence, salary expectations are shaped by current market demand rather than historic pay structures. If an offer falls below market rate, candidates are increasingly likely to decline or accept a competing offer.
A data-driven approach to recruitment helps employers:
- Benchmark salaries accurately against the market
- Understand regional pay differences across the UK and internationally
- Anticipate candidate expectations earlier in the recruitment process
- Reduce time-to-hire for critical roles
- Increase successful hiring outcomes
Employers who base hiring decisions on credible market intelligence are far more likely to secure high-quality candidates.
The Challenge of Smaller Talent Pools
A key issue currently affecting construction recruitment is the shrinking availability of experienced professionals.
Several structural factors are contributing to this trend:
- An ageing workforce across traditional construction roles
- High demand from large infrastructure and development projects
- Competition between contractors, consultancies and client-side organisations
- Greater mobility among experienced professionals willing to move for stronger offers
- Disproportionately high competition for the best candidates, the current leaders and the future leaders
As a result, many employers are competing for the same limited pool of experienced candidates. Organisations that set salaries using up-to-date market insights are better positioned to secure top talent before competitors do.
Key Market Data Sources for Salary Benchmarking
Effective salary bench marking should combine multiple industry data sources to provide a clear picture of market conditions.
Professional Industry Bodies
Professional organisations regularly publish workforce surveys and salary insights that highlight pay trends across the built environment sector.
Some of the most valuable reports come from:
These reports draw on large networks of industry professionals and provide valuable insight into salary expectations, employment trends and skills shortages across construction and property.
Industry Training and Workforce Data
Labour market intelligence from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) also provides useful insight into future workforce demand.
Reports such as the Construction Skills Network analyse workforce requirements across the UK and forecast where skills shortages are likely to increase. For employers planning long-term recruitment strategies, these insights can help anticipate future salary pressures in key disciplines.
Real-Time Recruitment Market Intelligence
Industry reports are valuable, but they are often published annually. For more immediate insight, employers should also consider real-time recruitment market data.
Specialist consultancies like Maxim work daily with both employers and candidates can identify emerging trends quickly, including:
- Salary increases in niche disciplines such as dispute resolution or delay analysis
- Regional demand for quantity surveyors and project managers
- Changes in candidate priorities such as flexible working or benefits packages
Looking Beyond Salary | The Total Employment Package
Salary remains a key factor in attracting candidates, but it is not the only one. Increasingly, construction professionals are evaluating the overall employment package when considering a new opportunity.
Competitive offers often include:
- Flexible or hybrid working arrangements
- Clear career progression pathways
- Support for professional qualifications and chartership
- Performance bonuses or project incentives
Employers who combine competitive salaries with strong benefits and career development opportunities often see higher acceptance rates and stronger long-term retention.
The Strategic Advantage of Data-Driven Hiring
Organisations that adopt a data-led recruitment strategy gain a clear advantage in today’s competitive hiring market. Instead of reacting to rejected offers or extended hiring timelines, employers can align their salary structures with real-world market conditions.
This approach helps construction employers to:
- Secure specialist talent faster
- Reduce recruitment risk
- Improve workforce planning
- Stay competitive in a tight labour market
For organisations hiring across the built environment sector, access to accurate recruitment insights is essential.
How Maxim Recruitment Supports Employers
Working with a specialist construction recruitment consultancy can provide employers with valuable market intelligence, salary bench marking and access to specialist candidates.
At Maxim Recruitment, we support employers across the UK, Canada and internationally with recruitment for roles including quantity surveyors, project managers, technical managers, planners, delay analysts and claims consultants.
By combining industry data from CIOB, RICS and CITB with real-time recruitment insights, we help employers make informed hiring decisions and secure the professionals they need to deliver successful projects.
If you're planning to recruit in today’s competitive construction market, adopting a data-driven approach to salary bench marking could make all the difference. Please get in touch with Maxim to find out how we can help.
Steve is responsible for Maxim Recruitment in the UK and Canada. He is based in the Maxim head office in Leicester, UK and the Toronto office in Canada. He regularly travels to meet employers and job seekers and attend construction industry networking events in the UK, Canada and worldwide. Steve has over 25 years of experience in construction and property recruitment and enjoys working with many repeat clients. He manages dedicated search and headhunting assignments for a range of premium UK, Canadian and international clients.