Quantity Surveyor Job Description Advice for Employers

When advertising for future employees the job description is all important for grabbing a potential employee’s attention, keeping their attention and culminating in a job interview to assess suitability.

Because Quantity Surveyor jobs involve a number of duties, it is perhaps more important than in other construction recruitment to be exacting and concise within the Quantity Surveyor (QS) job description. Although QS job vacancies will usually only be looked at by Quantity Surveyors, not all QS jobs will fit what all Quantity Surveyors are looking for. Conversely, you the employer also want the most suitable candidate for the job. Both parties want a good fit, but from opposite angles. An employer and employee should ideally meet halfway.

It is true for a QS job description as with any other job description that the first few elements are generally the same relatively speaking. Job Title should feature ‘Quantity Surveyor’, ‘Salary’ should be competitive or negotiable and ‘Location’ will filter out any candidates from too far afield or are unwilling to travel far. Although most long-distance/abroad QS jobs include travel expenses and accommodation, these types of jobs are not for everyone. The obvious aside:  

Quantity Surveyor Recruitment: First Things First

The type of job or project is a good start to let the candidate know if the job is something within their area of current or recent experience. The job description details for Quantity Surveyor recruitment and employment should mention if the type of job is in the public sector or private sector. If the QS job being advertised is working for a local government or is based in a consultancy (private practice), the job applicant will know the job is more likely to be standard office hours and require a less hands-on approach. Whereas a QS job working for a construction contractor may be based on-site, the hours may not be standard office hours (and will likely be longer) and this type of project work may require shift work. The candidate will need to weigh these factors in line with the stated salary. If the QS job advertised is not an accurate reflection of working conditions, this could lead to both employer and employee being unhappy and unsuited to each other and the method of working that needs to be undertaken. An accurate and detailed QS job description will cut down on time required to interview candidates, and worse-case scenario, unwittingly employing an unsuitable employee.

Irrelevant and relevant information for Quantity Surveyor Recruitment

Although Quantity Surveyor careers are arguably a niche profession, there are over 58,000 Quantity Surveyors in the UK alone and so recruiting the right QS is all important!

Once the work sector and type of project has been established, responsibilities and duties are an important and absolutely relevant to include in a QS job description. These can vary depending on the type of job or project and so the specific main responsibilities or duties for a particular job or project should be plainly stated. This will help any applicants understand if the QS job is right for them, especially if you the employer require a certain amount of experience or type of expertise paramount to the project’s success. Again this may seem obvious, but getting as many suitable applicants to interview as possible (allowing for limited time frame), will provide greater odds for you the employer of finding and employing the right QS for your needs.

Irrelevant information can be confused with the ‘desired skills or experience’ as in they are secondary wants or requirements, however, ‘desired skills’ can be as valuable an inclusion on a QS job description as the main responsibilities. Although occasionally, irrelevant information can slip in ‘desired skills’ and make for an over lengthy job description, this is where an employer posting the QS job advertisement needs to really give thought to what they most need from an employee. Thought to possible crossover from ‘main responsibilities’ being reiterated slightly differently in the ‘desired’ section can also be a stumbling block when writing a good job description. A QS job description doesn’t want to be essay length and leaving out the irrelevant will help hold the reader’s attention.

Qualifying Quantity Surveyor Recruitment

The most common qualifications for a QS is either (or both) a BSc degree in Quantity Surveying or Commercial Management, and attaining Chartered status with either the RICS, the MCIOB or the InstCES.  Clearly deciding and then stating in the job description whether these qualifications are not required, are desired or are actually essential is an important aspect to include in the job description.

The Quantity Surveyor Job Benefits

As an employer, a possibly surprising clincher for securing your perfect QS employee can be found in the ‘Benefits/incentive’ category. The right person for your QS job may most want to work for your company when you demonstrate your commitment to staff benefits and welfare by demonstrating what you offer and how you can help your staff.  Include any bonuses, holiday pay, travel costs, childcare support and anything else you can offer that stands out or can at least compete favourably with other QS job descriptions.

Is Your Quantity Surveying Job Description as Good as the Candidates you are Seeking to Attract?    

For an employer to reach, impress and employ an ideal QS candidate in a highly competitive construction industry, the job description advertised must sell the QS job vacancy. With careful thought and placement of employer’s needs and preferences coupled with a Quantity Surveyor’s needs from a job, a good fit for both parties can be worked towards.

Quantity Surveying is a complicated role, covering at various times aspects of cost and risk, valuation and contracts. These same analytical skills required of a QS, also apply to the preparation of a good calibre QS job advertisement and getting it right will give a good impression to possible QS applicants.

For further advice for QS and construction employers on preparing and advertising Quantity Surveying job vacancies don’t hesitate to get in touch. The Maxim Recruitment team can help with all your QS job needs.

Kelvin Brown
Maxim Recruitment Intern