How to Make the Most out of the Get Britain Building Scheme

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13th August 2024

Recently, Chancellor Rachel Reeves re-affirmed Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million houses within five years and further committed to their target of 330,000 homes per year.

Reeves also touched on Labour’s plan to end the ban on the construction of more off-shore windfarms in England.

In her address, she also explained some specifics of Labour’s plan to accelerate the planning process, including 300 new planning offices and 14,000 new homes in areas like Liverpool Docks, Worcester, and Sutton Coldfield.

The bottom line is that there looks like much more investment in projects, which will, therefore, result in plenty more contracts for companies in the construction sector.

However, the skills gap persists in the English construction industry. According to the Search Consultancy, over 35% of candidates for executive construction roles aren’t qualified.

Construction contractors need skilled candidates to carry out operations and take advantage of the increased investment.

This means that the price and competition for qualified candidates will only get tougher, and construction companies need to examine their recruitment strategies and identify ways to attract qualified talent.

 

Offer A Progression Path

It can be easy to boil down what attracts qualified candidates to simply the compensation package. It does make sense. It’s one of the biggest pulls that any job can offer. However, 86% of qualified employees say they’d leave their jobs to one where they have opportunities to grow their careers.

A concrete career progression pathway can be very attractive to skilled workers as they look to develop their careers.

 

Communication with Talent

Diligent communication with talent is more than proactive about scheduling interviews and being polite on the phone. It requires you to actively listen and value what a candidate brings, both in terms of qualifications and personality.

Similarly, you must keep your candidates updated on their application progress. Even if they don’t get the job, 56% of people say that a positive experience in the application process will mean they are likely to recommend a company to their peers or re-apply to a different role.

So even if a candidate is not the right initially but a new role opens up, a well-maintained and respectful relationship will increase the likelihood of them being open to re-applying.

 

Proactivity and Engaging Passive Candidates

Some of the best candidates in the market aren’t actively looking for a new role. About 70% of the construction workforce say they would be open to switching companies but aren’t actively looking for a new job.

These passive candidates are often highly skilled but feel that looking for a new role compromises their relationship with their current employer.

However, engaging with a passive candidate isn’t as simple as sending them a message and asking them to apply. The construction industry relies on relationships, and by directly targeting talent, companies can get the impression that you’re “stealing their talent.”

Moreover, finding the right passive talent and engaging with time can be incredibly time-consuming to get your approach right.

 

Outsourcing/Pinnacle

Finding the best-qualified talent and attracting them in an increasingly competitive market can be a full-time job on its own. You may be tempted to hire in-house help. However, this creates a long-term commitment you can’t easily scale up or down.

 

A partner can provide the diligence needed to get the best talent in a fraction of the time, but not all recruitment agencies are equal.

At Pinnacle, we leverage our 20 years of experience and established network of quality talent to find the best fit for your firm.

 

If you’d like to discuss your recruitment strategy or need help finding talent, please contact: [email protected]

 

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