The Benefits of Recruitment Consultants

Deciding on your next construction job for is not something that should be taken lightly. While a high salary is always welcome, finding a workplace where you can find your niche and do your best work are the best ways to create a fulfilling career. But how do you know which companies are right for you? Do you need a recruitment consultant, or do you have all the information you need thanks to the internet? Let’s do some research.

Example: Kier Group

Barbour ABI creates a monthly report of the Top 50 Contractors, Architects, and Clients, based on the amount of projects won and the construction value. For May 2019, Kier Construction Limited-Building UK was at the top of the list, winning 12 projects worth £397 million in the previous month. Taken in isolation, this sounds like a great company to work for who will be in need of staff imminently. Yet the financial situation that Kier has been dealing with for the past year or so means that hiring at the moment is sporadic and difficult. Another consideration would be the Glassdoor.com reviews, where employees have given it an average of 3.4/5 stars. When looking for construction jobs, this information would give you mixed feelings at best.

Example: Wilmott Dixon

Impressively, Wilmott Dixon was 4th on the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2019 list, which is has ranked on for several years in a row. The entry describes a company with a low staff turnover rate (6%), learning funds for loyal staff, and community refurbishment projects. In contrast to the 90% of employees who responded they are proud to work there on the Sunday Times survey, Glassdoor.com employees gave an average of 3.6/5 stars. Are a few sour grapes tarnishing an otherwise sterling reputation?

Example: Morgan Sindall Group

Just last month, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure topped the NCE100 Best Companies to Work For list, chosen for their innovative and collaborative working methods. In fact, they won the Innovation in Project Management, Diversity Leader of the Year, and Impact in Water categories, and were shortlisted or commended for two other categories. They are even 34th on Barbour’s list of Top 50 Contractors for May, winning 8 projects worth £27 million. The Glassdoor.com reviews are also good, with a 4/5 star rating by employees, yet only 62% would recommend them to a friend – so what is the disconnect?

To Apply, Or Not To Apply?

These companies are quite large, making them harder to evaluate with the information available. What one office does well another may struggle with, or there may be more personality clashes. Depending on your needs, a smaller company may be a better fit – Abbot Risk Consulting and McGoff Construction were 16th and 64th on the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For list this year. Because there’s a smaller sample size, perhaps the results are more representative of what you’ll experience at these companies. But that’s the problem – there’s no real way to know, unless you know someone who works there who can provide an insight as to what the company is really like.

That’s where a good recruitment consultant comes in. While they don’t work at the company directly, they’ll have built up a relationship with the person in charge and have an understanding of their business and the type of person they are looking for. And if they have an established relationship with the company, they’ll also know if the company needs more staff to grow or if there’s a high staff turnover rate. A recruitment consultant can help you get the right match for your personal circumstances by giving you the insider knowledge that you need to make an informed decision before you leap. As experts in quantity surveying consulting and claims, delays and dispute resolution we don’t work with every contractor, but we do have an enviable network of contacts in these sectors. So, get in touch to discuss your next construction job, or send us your CV to keep updated with the latest vacancies in your field.

About the Author

Steve Thomas
Construction Recruitment Director, UK & Canada
I am responsible for the Maxim Recruitment office in the UK where our team of recruitment consultants specialise in the recruitment of quantity surveyors, commercial managers, delay, dispute and claims consultants for civil engineering and building contractors and specialist construction consultancies.  I am also responsible for growing our recruitment operation in Canada and the USA where we are increasingly busy.  I have over 20 years’ experience in construction recruitment and enjoy working on both contingency and search/headhunting assignments for our repeat clients.
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Email: steve@maximrecruitment.com