A more ‘sustainable’ approach to recruitment

As a business leader in the construction industry, have you had to recruit over the past 18 months? Found it hard by any chance? Do you feel like there is limited availability of suitable candidates? Spent a fortune on recruitment fees?

I suspect anyone reading this has had similar experiences, and it is clear to me that as the external pressures of delivering construction projects are ever increasing. As construction professionals, there is no greater time to realise and harness the link between education and industry, supporting project delivery now, and to introduce the new generation that will go on to deliver projects in the years to come.

The term sustainability is regularly used in all facets of our lives, but sustainable recruitment, for me, has to focus on a bottom-up approach, giving undergraduates and graduates a taste of what it’s like to work in our industry. To expose them to the everyday challenges, collaboration, technologies and traditional skills we use every day to bring a group of people, materials, supply chains and technology together to deliver our clients’ projects.

There is nothing new here, back in 2003 I undertook my own placement.  For the recruiter, in this case a leading main contractor, they got an enthusiastic pair of hands, who not only formed part of the team and helped senior individuals during the year I was there, but at the end of my degree they got a new graduate who had experienced the firm, who knew the individuals, the culture, the processes and procedures, and went on to quickly develop my career and over time lead projects.

Now, as a director of Identity Consult, I’m able to share the experience of many business leaders, having the privilege of being able to give the next generation the opportunity; to really start their career, to show what they can do, and to genuinely be given an industry experience that will give them the kickstart to their working life.

As noted by our most recent placement student, in a recent blog about his placement experience:

“I have had the opportunity of working on numerous ongoing projects, all with their unique quirks and each offering invaluable experience of clientele, design teams, project type, and problems to overcome. Despite my short tenure at Identity Consult, I have been a part of projects at all stages of the project lifecycle, from our appointment to the tendering and contractual process, through to construction and achieving practical completion.

“I found myself growing alongside these projects as my knowledge of the industry grew and more responsibility was entrusted onto me. I went from taking minutes to chairing project team meetings. From being nervous to speak up in meetings to being excited to contribute. Finally, as my last month at Identity Consult approaches, from being the new Trainee now to being tasked with handing over and teaching our new placement student”.

Growing from the bottom up is nothing new, placement years are nothing new, and giving opportunities to the next generation is certainly not new, but with rising cost and limited resources, there is no better time than going back to the basics of strengthening and growing our links with education bodies, looking ahead to the future, and giving the next generation the opportunities I was presented almost 20 years ago, a model that still clearly works with our own placement students almost 20 years later.

I realise this doesn’t solve the immediate issue of resource needs, no sustainable approach offers an overnight fix, but as we have moved into the new digital age, let’s stay connected, and make sure these opportunities are just as accessible.