How we can help you find the elusive professional construction staff you urgently need
Posted by Steve Thomas , Construction Recruitment Director, UK & Canada on Wednesday, June 29, 2022
The UK construction industry has been growing for years and is still expected to be very busy despite the prospect of an economic slowdown later in 2022. Large projects such as the High Speed 2, the Liverpool Waters £5bn redevelopment and many other multi-billion projects are beginning in London and around the country. With such a booming and vital industry surely it must be easy to bring in the best talent for exciting construction projects? Unfortunately, this seems not quite to be the case. In this article we’ll discuss some of the problems faced by construction companies looking to recruit new staff and the quickest (and easiest) way to fix to this issue.
The Big Issues
There has been a reduction in the rate of growth of the labour force, reflecting a shrinking availability of labour. However, this isn’t to say construction companies aren’t recruiting; it is quite the opposite. According to the East Midlands Chamber (EMC) Q2 Economic Survey revealed at a recent meeting I attended, a whopping 66% of companies in the East Midlands region were seeking to recruit (largely unsuccessfully) in Q2 2022. Is job security a factor in all this? And might this change if the economy changes?
People working in construction jobs often desire job security, and projects that are certain to span a longer length of time are very likely to provide this. The Bank of England is predicting inflation will hit 10% by the end of 2022, regular pay has fallen by 1.6% for private sector workers and 4.5% for public sector, and March and April saw GDP fall by 0.1% and 0.3% respectively. Construction companies who do not tend to take on lengthier projects may continue to struggle in selling themselves against these risks to candidates in the current market where candidates can pick and choose their job. Top quality construction professionals are likely to stay put or move to high security jobs instead of risking a move into the unknown?
In situations like this, good construction employers need someone experienced in marketing all the positives to joining a new company in the current climate. Making a bold move at this point can be incredibly beneficial for candidates looking to progress along the career ladder; it’s easier for an entry-level candidate to find a new construction job and those with experience will likely find it easier to negotiate a better deal with a new construction employer. Both types of candidates will be able to gain some incredible skills to discuss in interviews, such as resilience and versatility.
The second issue many construction companies face when struggling to fill their roles is the lack of proper recruitment training and experience. The EMC stated that when surveyed, 8 in 10 relevant employees struggled to fill any of their vacancies. They specified struggling with Skilled Manual & Technical positions, Professional & Managerial positions, and Clerical positions. The lack of recruitment experience within companies and a lack of training offered to new and existing employees can really affect the number of positions filled. 63% of construction professionals are expecting a rise in prices, with the third main pressure driving this being the cost of staff. As such, when hiring it’s incredibly important to make sure you’ve found the perfect candidate for the role to minimise potential costs and get value for money from your staff.
All this sounds simple, but it’s easier said than done to successfully implement. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix that saves on your company’s time and staff resources…
Maxim Recruitment – Specialist Construction Recruitment Consultancy
Using a specialist construction recruiter to fill your construction jobs has an array of benefits, and we’ll discuss some of the key ones here.
Despite the slightly precarious UK economy right now, the construction industry is still growing. This means employers are wanting to spend their time on the stuff that matters most and requires the work of trained, experienced professionals. Hiring a recruiter such as Maxim cuts out any need to pay for extra staff and the training it involves – especially if you don’t have an already established internal recruitment team, you could end up paying double the cost to send staff on external courses.
With a specialist construction recruiter, you’re saving time and money whilst knowing the job is being done with highly trained professionals. With Maxim Recruitment, you don’t pay anything until you’re sure the candidate is right for you. In a tight market, Maxim can provide the highest quality candidates that fit your construction recruitment criteria.
Maxim Recruitment understands the needs of construction sector employers, and we consistently meet those needs. If you’d like to get in touch with one of our consultants, check out our Meet the Team page to see who’d best help you with your construction recruitment query. Still unsure about who to contact? Complete our Contact Page and we’ll automatically connect you to the most relevant member of staff.
Steve is responsible for Maxim Recruitment in the UK. He is based in the Maxim head office in Leicester, Leicestershire and regularly travels to meet employers, job seekers and to attend construction industry networking events all over the UK. With over 20 years' experience in construction and property recruitment he works with a number of repeat clients and engages in search and headhunting assignments for a range of premium UK and international clients.