On the back of Brexit there have been many ambitious promises made. Promises for better infrastructure, promises for facilitating a transition to clean energy, promises to deliver affordable housing and public facilities such as hospitals. Not to mention the controversial go-ahead for HS2. All of these have one thing in common: A promise to build…
In construction, the rail sector is one that is certainly embracing technology and digital transformation. The implementation of digital signalling systems, for example, is helping trains operate more efficiently, maintaining timely schedules even with greater frequency. Smart monitoring systems are providing operators with real time alerts for faults and helping with pre-emptive maintenance that reduces…
Traditionally the construction industry has relied heavily on contract labourers, many of them immigrants and workers from the EU. Now with the turmoil that is Brexit, it’s shining a spotlight on labour sources. If the UK institutes more stringent immigration laws then many existing contract workers may face deportation and not be allowed to continue…
There’s a lot of talk about getting hiring right, finding the right fit, matching personalities with culture and values. As much as HR and recruiters believe they are getting this right, not all managers that they’re hiring for agree. Here are my four suggestions to overcome this: Involvement HR may be responsible for hiring but…
You have to admit, the goings on in the construction industry have been a bit of a circus in recent years. It seems the industry is always on the back foot, having to come up with excuses as to why performance and output is down yet at the same time crying about the skills shortage…
In recruitment, one of the challenges we are faced with daily is evaluating the skills available in the industry. As we recruit primarily for senior positions within the top 50 main contractors, the questions we ask are; Are these the right skills for what main contractors need, and will they be able to help companies…
The New Year is usually a time for reflection when many people consider making career moves. Finding a new position is the exciting part, but then there’s the unenviable task of resigning. If your reasons for leaving have less to do with the new opportunity and more to do with getting out of your current…
It is almost as if the construction industry is scrambling to find the panacea that will turn around its fortunes. Amid all the headlines forecasting doom and gloom with regards to Brexit, and reports highlighting less than impressive output, digital transformation consistently comes up as a suggested solution to the industry’s problems. But is it?…
With more than 154 000 construction workers in the UK currently from the EU (According to ONS data for the period 2014 to 2016), and 500 000 senior workers expected to retire from the industry in the next decade, the construction industry will be hard pressed to avert a skills shortage in the short and medium term….
There is the belief that when an employee leaves a company it’s because they’re unhappy. While this may be true some of the time, more often people leave for other reasons such as a more senior position, a better salary or an opportunity to work with an emerging technology. This is especially true in senior…
Recent budget announcements have supported the need for a greater investment in infrastructure in the UK. A 2015 report by PWC[i] cited that spending in UK infrastructure was likely to increase to £110bn by 2025. While this is positive news for the industry, ensuring that funding is being made available for the infrastructure needed, the…
