A new survey conducted by leading design and consultancy firm Arcadis, in partnership with Construction Manager, has highlighted that the motivations driving job seekers in the construction industry are increasingly diverse and complicated. Head of UK resourcing Bill Maynard discusses the findings.
Bill Maynard
This year’s buoyant job market is allowing individuals to really think about the kind of role they want. The recovery offers an array of opportunities for those in the construction industry, and as indicated in an article in Construction Manager in May, there is new stability in the construction market and this is prompting candidates to consider their options. In fact, 2015 has seen the biggest rise in construction vacancies for four years.
The Institute of Leadership and Management reports that 37% of workers plan to leave their job during 2015. This is a significant increase from the 19% who planned to move in 2014, and the 13% in 2013. Recruitment consultants are reporting increased salaries throughout construction. But what are candidates really looking for in a new role today?
A recent survey by Construction Manager in partnership with Arcadis, the the leading global built and natural design and consultancy firm whose UK presence unites the previous EC Harris and Hyder names, has shed some surprising light on the motivations and concerns driving today’s job seeker. Are job seekers today looking for the next 9–5 job, or do other benefits of a new employer come into play?
Today, working patterns are changing and we are spending more and more time at work. In a world where we are increasingly defined by our careers, working for a company that is able to articulate clear strategic objectives and business goals is something that is taking on ever greater significance. Well over half of respondents agreed that it was “essential” that the company they worked for has its own clear vision and values; against just under 5% who stated that this was “not important” at all. Just under half of respondents said it was very important that their own personal vision and values are aligned to the company they work for. This is certainly something that our experience at Arcadis backs up.
What is the most important benefit to you in a new employer?
From London Bridge to the Burj Khalifa, the big-name projects make the headlines. Yet surprisingly, the opportunity to work with a consultancy specifically known for its work on some of the most famous buildings in the world was not one of the top motivations for those seeking a new career role. Instead, when looking at the benefits most important for respondents looking for a new employer, the clear winner in the survey was work/life balance and flexible working: 40% rated a flexible working environment as the most important benefit of a new employer.
While the reward package came in second place, it’s perhaps surprising that this didn’t place higher. Third place was personal and professional development, underlining how seriously you take career progression and the ability to maximise opportunities for progress in your chosen field.
It would appear that employers in the industry need to be aware that salary is not the number one priority for most professionals these days. When asked to rate factors in order of importance in attracting you to a new employer in the future, salary again was not in the first position (See chart “What are essential factors for attracting you to a new employer in the future?”). It was rated secondary to having a supportive, professional working environment.
Surprising? Not when compared with issues which would discourage you from seeking a new role. Here, salary came out on top, with lack of career progression in second place. Lack of challenging roles was in third position (see chart: “Which of these issues would discourage you from seeking a new role?”). As long as professionals are supported in their career progression, given a challenging, diverse role and flexibility, salary is further down the list in order of importance.
What are essential factors for attracting you to a new employer in the future?
Strikingly, nearly 70% of readers would relocate for the right job too. This would indicate that the motivations behind this are more to do with work/life balance than previously thought.
By far the highest proportion of respondents (94%) agreed that the corporate social responsibility shown by a future employer is important to them. As a global firm, Arcadis is committed to using combined capabilities to work with companies to maximise the social, environmental and economic value of natural and built assets throughout the asset’s lifecycle. As a leader in sustainable societies (economic, social and environmental) their objective is to improve the quality of life wherever the project anywhere in the world.
Responding to the needs of our community is something Arcadis takes very seriously. In fact, we support UN-Habitat, the UN organisation working towards a better urban future, by sharing our knowledge and expertise in a global partnership. The goal of the initiative is to improve the quality of life in rapidly growing cities around the world, and calling it “Shelter” emphasises that efforts are both practical and helpful.
The Shelter team has been working with the University of Leuven, Belgium, to focus on support for the badly damaged historic town of Bungamati, near Kathmandu city in Nepal, to redevelop the city and prepare for sustainable urban growth with affordable housing. “The Shelter missions are a great example of bringing together our expertise to benefit those in need,” says Jamie Trybus, consultant at Arcadis in the UK.
Which of these issues would discourage you from seeking a new role?
Looking again at the factors attracting you to a future employer, another key issue is acquiring more knowledge and insight, which 39.6% of respondents indicated was an essential factor.
As a firm that places great value on knowledge and the sharing of knowledge, Arcadis is well equipped technically, with a good understanding of the business environment in which companies operate today. Having now come together as a single brand identity combining EC Harris and Hyder Consulting, Arcadis is able to offer a whole range of services and with it a more diverse range of job opportunities.
As Alan Brookes, chief executive officer of Arcadis in the UK, says: “The combination of EC Harris’s consulting expertise with Hyder’s design and engineering capability has cemented our capability as Arcadis to offer integrated solutions that encompass the whole project lifecycle.”
It is clear that when attracting people to an organisation, we must not only think about the fiscal reward but also the softer benefits such as professional development, working on the best projects, and making the world a better place.
Commenting on the survey, Liz Peace CBE, an adviser on property, politics and the built environment, says: “For the future, potential employees are going to be looking at a range of attributes in their employer and whilst salary is important they will also be seeking a good work-life balance and the opportunities for personal and professional development.”
No longer is a company purely chosen for the salary they pay and the work they do. This research has shown that an organisation’s clearly stated vision and values rate as an essential part in the decision-making process when changing jobs. Out of the more typical benefits offered by organisations, the research has shown that work/life balance rates higher than anything else, with the reward package second, closely followed by professional development and project scope.
