Blogs by tag - Construction

A recent Construction Skills Network (CSN) report has said that an extra 225,000 construction workers may be needed by 2027. So the recent review and updates to the Shortage Occupation List by the Government have been welcomed by the Construction industry. But will it be enough to plug the gap? Highlights from the report include:​225,000Additional workers will be required to meet UK construction demand by 2027 (45,000 workers per year, down from last year's figure of 53,200).​UK-Wide GrowthAll nine English regions plus Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are set to experience growth.​RecruitmentThe major sectors for demand are:Private housingInfrastructureRepair and maintenance2.67 millionWorkers in the construction industry by 2027 if projected growth is met. With demand higher than ever and skill shortages remaining an issue across the industry, it’s great news that five more trade sectors are to be added to the UK’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL) making it easier for skilled trades to apply for work visas and fill the skills shortage gap.​What is the SOL?The SOL contains key jobs thought to be in short supply within the UK by the UK Government. These roles are given more relaxed criteria for sponsored work visa applications.Those working in a shortage occupation can be paid 80% of the job’s average salary and still qualify for a visa while benefiting from a lower visa application fee. ​To help meet demand for labour in key sectors, the government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a ‘rapid assessment’ of the existing SOL for the construction industry.  Which skilled construction trades have been added to the SOL visa list?Bricklayers and MasonsRoofers, Roof Tilers and SlatersCarpenters and JoinersPlasterersConstruction and building trades N.E.C.Further construction trades awaiting a review decision for inclusion are: Steel ErectorsScaffolders, Stagers and RiggersRoad Construction OperativesCeiling FixersMobile Machine Drivers and Operatives N.E.C.Elementary Construction OccupationsWith that in mind, how do we attract new people into the industry?The CITB Construction Skills Network forecast has said that Construction has bounced back quicker than expected from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the demand for skills is higher than ever.​To compete, thrive and grow in an ever-changing industry, new skills are essential, any business looking to compete for staff in this market must look at their long-term plans as well as the immediate issues. A successful apprenticeship scheme will be central to that.CITB Policy Director Steve Radley said:‘It’s great to see construction coming back so strongly and creating lots of job opportunities. We need to adopt new approaches to meet these growing skills needs and deliver these quickly. We are working closely with the government and FE to build better bridges between FE and work and make apprenticeships more flexible. We are also making significant investments in supporting work experience that make it easier for employers to bring in new blood.’​Encouraging courses from a young age could help guide young people into construction careers via the apprenticeship route.​So, what is out there currently to attract people into apprenticeships as well as tapping into new talent pools?​CITBCITB's Strategic Plan 2021-25 supports employers to bring people into work and provide the training they need. The Plan includes expanding work experiences, creating a new pathway from FE into apprenticeships and jobs, and boosting the number of apprentices completing their programmes.​Highlights of the Strategic Plan include:​Investing £110m to support apprentices and employers, on top of grant support, to increase overall numbers and completion ratesSupport for 28,000 taster experiences and investment in Go-Construct to give people the chance to see the wide range of opportunities construction offers and how to access themUsing the Grants Scheme and other funding to help employers invest in training to first rebuild after the pandemic and then modernise and raise productivity.The Strategic Plan can be seen in full here​Want to find out more?If you’re feeling inspired and would like to find out more about how your business could get involved? You can do that right here.Women into ConstructionWomen into Construction is an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes gender equality in construction.​They provide bespoke support to women wishing to work in the construction industry and assist contractors to recruit highly motivated, trained women, helping to reduce skills gaps and create a more gender-equal workforce.​They support workers and businesses with:Bespoke Short Employment ProgrammeSeconded WiC Project ManagerStudent Mentoring ProgrammeSub-contract Entry to Employment ProgrammeWork PlacementsWith women making up half the population, it’s great to see the industry looking at tapping into this talent pool. Want to find out more about how your business could get involved? Click here. These are just some examples of initiatives that are focusing on a long-term solution for the staffing and skills shortage. Construction has the potential to offer real career opportunities for young people and women, whatever their background – we need to let them know what is available to them.​Future talent pipeline is something that we talk about a lot as a team, let us know your thoughts on what’s currently available around the skills shortage. Know of another great initiative? Let us know!​

​The new year, a new job trend truly kicked in, with applications 57%, up month on month and 32% over the 2022 average, higher than in any month in 2022 according to the latest recruitment trends report from WaveTrackR. And with an average cost to re-hire executive positions, up to 213% of the employee’s salary to replace them, making the right hire the first time is more important now than ever.​Getting the right fit is imperative. If you do then ideally you secure a candidate who works for you for years to come, if not you find yourself having to recruit, onboard, and train again in at times a few weeks, months or years’ time.​A way of assessing someone’s ‘fit’ is psychometric testing. But what exactly do these involve? How can a candidate prepare? What does it cost?​We’ve put together a quick run-through for you on what is involved in the psychometric testing that we ourselves use both internally and externally, the costs, and how we can help your business by offering up to two, free psychometric tests per year, (£250 per test normally!)​Finding the right candidate for your position can take more than simply sourcing someone with the right work experience, certificates, and skills. Understanding their numerical and communication skills, as well as understanding their temperament, working style, and how that will fit within your existing team, should be a big part of your decision-making process.​As a business, we work with Thomas International which helps businesses make smarter recruitment and development decisions and predict which candidates are most likely to be successful in a role.Does psychometric testing work in recruitment?Studies have shown that psychometric testing can, indeed, save time and money while recruiting, and employers have admitted to feeling more confident when choosing candidates. Experts in the field maintain the reliability and accuracy of these tests, but also advise that these tools are best used alongside traditional methods such as face-to-face interviews. One study found that 75% of The Times’ Top 100 Companies were using psychometric testing alongside other tried and tested recruitment methods and tools.What are the benefits?Eliminating unsuitable candidates at an early stageScreening candidates for interviewsObjectively determining someone’s ability, personality, motivation, values, and reactions to their environmentsIdentifying the strengths or weaknesses, missing in existing teams and helping to make strategic recruitment decisionsProviding management with guidance on career progression for existing employeesWhat are the different types of psychometric tests?BehaviourAptitudePersonalityEmotional IntelligenceEngageThere are four main groupings or categories: aptitude, behaviours, personality, and emotional intelligence. While aptitude measures cognitive abilities, behaviour testing will look at how a candidate acts or communicates. Personality testing explores candidate traits and how they might fit with a particular role whereas E.I., or emotional intelligence, can be measured through its own set of tests.Looking to recruit and think psychometric testing could help you? Try it for free.As the preferred recruitment partner of the NAS, Thorn Baker Construction takes an active role in all aspects of your industry. As the only recruitment company to achieve this status and we’ve done this by delivering quality professionals to the construction industry for over 30 years, and being a trusted brand.We’re committed to supporting NAS members with two psychometric tests per business per year with bespoke feedback from our Construction Director Rob Ford.If you have a role coming up that you think could benefit from our offering please complete the form below and Rob will be in touch with directly.​​​

Money is definitely a hot topic right now. Whether it’s salary, the value of the pound, or how much we’re now paying for food and heating – everyone is thinking about it. With that in mind in this blog, we’re looking at average pay rates from job boards across the country for our hottest jobs. How do they compare? Keep reading...​ Two-thirds (64 percent) of UK businesses say more employees are asking for pay rises, research has found.​Salary calculators and information around job pay rates are available online via multiple job boards, we get that as busy hiring Managers you won’t always have time to look into each job. Below we have collated information from the latest Indeed salary checker for three hot jobs in the construction sector. If you currently advertise on Indeed and haven't taken a look at their Hiring Insights tool we recommend that you do, it has some great information available for you to benchmark where your jobs are in the current market.Both tools are interesting and whilst they can give you a good base idea of pay rates being advertised it would still be best to speak with your Recruiter about the end pay rate – these can differ from job board reports.​My team has plenty of examples where a pay rate needed to be raised. This has a lot of contributing factors, area, duration, urgency, etc.​And it’s easy to ask why pay rates weren’t higher, to begin with, but the reality is projects/ orders/ tenders are processes that have been done months if not, in some cases, years in advance when we were in a completely different economic time. The value of the £ has changed.​If you’d be interested in getting more information regarding salaries and rates specifically for your jobs, please get in touch with the team and we can go through this with you.​In a couple of weeks, we will be sending you a survey to get your feedback on this blog a key part of it will be to gauge our communities desire for a salary guide based on our own data. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to give your opinion, it helps us to shape to content we send to you.​LabourerJoinerBricklayer​​​​As mentioned at the beginning of this blog these are averages based on pay rates advertised and whilst they're great as a starting benchmark they could be different from what is currently being paid. If you’d be interested in getting more information regarding end salaries and rates specifically for your jobs, please get in touch with the teamand we can go through this with you.

During peak season, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the (potential) chaos. Do we have enough Trades and Labour to complete the scheduled works? Have we planned enough holiday cover? In this blog, we’ll share our top 3 tips to ensure you’re ahead of the curve and hiring the best staff for your site during peak.​COVID-19 certainly brought new challenges to the jobs market, it’s changed what workers are looking for in a job and that change seems to be here to stay. The days of posting a job and having applicants galore are long gone. The pandemic gave people time to look at what they really want from their employer, in our previous blog, Skills Shortage: What Are Construction Candidates Really Looking For? we shared the results from our candidate survey that went to over 40,000 people and the results are interesting, if you haven’t already read the blog take a look today.​And the latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates that over the previous quarter, there was an increase in the employment rate, while unemployment and economic inactivity rates decreased.​The UK employment rate increased to 75.9%The number of full-time employees increased during the latest three-month period to a record high.The most timely estimate of payrolled employees for June 2022 shows a monthly increase, up 31,000 on the revised May 2022 figures, to a record 29.6 million.The unemployment rate for March to May 2022 decreased by 0.1 percentage points in the quarter to 3.8%.The number of job vacancies from April to June 2022 rose to 1,294,000The data is showing what businesses are feeling right now – everyone is busier without enough staff to get everything done. We all know that getting a head start in terms of hiring for peak season is a good business move, but with labour shortage still being a real issue what can you do to stay ahead of the curve?​Have a Plan in PlaceDo you have a hiring strategy in place? Being prepared for the peak hiring spike can ensure that your candidates get the right first impression of your business. Establishing best hiring practices for your business is a great place to start and will make the process far less stressful.​Remember it’s a candidate market. If you want to hire the best, you’re going to have to treat them with respect, flexibility, and sensible job offers.​Focus on why working for your company is great. The support, flexibility, improved technology, training budget, etc. Whatever it is you are doing well, shout about it! Can you offer different shift times? A selection of our clients has already done this, and they’ve seen great results. By changing their previous hours to suit school hours as well as part-time they’ve attracted more staff and retained them. Building an online community is a great way to attract staff. Pay rates will always be an attraction but it doesn’t always compensate for being happy in your job.​Spend some money on your recruitment. Whether that is with agencies like us, advertising, specialist job boards, sponsored Facebook adverts, or an internal refer a friend scheme, etc. A free advert on Indeed is not going to get you the staff you need.Do You Have a Solid On-Boarding Process?Take a look at your current process. This is more than just when someone walks through the door, what experience do they have leading up to that? From application to signing a contract each step of your process is an opportunity to show what kind of business you are. Delays in response, information, interview dates, etc. don’t give a good impression of what it’s like to work for your business.​A big part of well-being from a jobseeker’s perspective is a feeling of being wanted, unfortunately, some companies are failing to address it.​During the pandemic, some employers needed support and hired quickly, as a result, poor habits started to creep in. For example, delays getting back to candidates with interview feedback and with offer letters or contracts. These might seem like small things, but they feed into the sentiment of feeling wanted.If you’re not making a good impression in the recruitment and onboarding process, the reality is that people will leave and go to your competitors who are doing it better.​Many candidates are getting two or three offers at the same time, so emotion comes into not only the recruitment process but the pre-start phase and first days in the job.​Make the Most of a Recruitment SpecialistWork with an agency. Make sure they are promoting your business (not just the job). At Thorn Baker Construction we focus more on what staff are looking for now. Working with your recruiter will ensure you get the best outcome, it’s what we do all day, make the most of our knowledge and connections.Enlisting the help of a staffing firm can aid in sourcing top candidates and developing a strong talent pipeline. Staffing firms can source candidates from a vast talent pool. Leave the candidate sourcing to the experts so you can focus on onboarding.​Competing with other businesses. This is something that’s not always thought about but if you’re already working with an agency communicate with them what your own plans are. You will undoubtedly end up in competition with each other on jobs – and in the end, you’ll end up spending more money than you need to.​At Thorn Baker Construction we’re absolutely committed to improving the recruitment process and helping businesses during this peak season and labour shortage.​We work with businesses that struggle to hire Labourers, Joiners and Bricklayers every day. Contact the team today to find out how they’re already helping your competitors and how they could support your hiring needs. Or complete our enquiry form here and we'll contact you.

Recently we have discussed ways that a business could become more attractive to employees. How Industry bodies are reacting to the skills shortage and what solutions they are offering, now it’s time to look at what our candidates have to say. In this blog, we will share our survey results.Times are getting harder for all of us, from petrol to pasta everything is getting more expensive. While the below figures do suggest that more people are coming back to employment, we still need more staff.So, if you’re a business that is already working to tight margins what can you do to be a more attractive employer? Is increasing salary the only competitive edge a business can offer?​The latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) (January to March 2022) has shown that over the quarter there was a decrease in the unemployment rate, while the employment and inactivity rates increased.​Key points:​The UK employment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points in the quarter to 75.7% but is still below pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic levels.Total job-to-job moves increased to a record high of 994,000, driven by resignations rather than dismissals.No. of payrolled employees for April 2022 showed a monthly increase in March 2022, to a record 29.5 million.For the first time since records began, there are fewer unemployed people than job vacancies.The number of job vacancies from February to April 2022 rose to a new record of 1,295,000Our survey was sent to over 40,000 people and we’re delighted to share the results with you – from key job attractors to favoured benefits and perks.​Our first question might be the most obvious but it’s an interesting result...​When looking for a new role what attracts you to a job the most?​Not really a surprise that salary hit the top of the list. But what’s interesting is that career opportunities came a pretty close second.​If you’re a business that is already working on a tight budget you can’t always amend the salary but you can change the positives about your business that you promote. Talk about the great career opportunities that you have in-house, training staff takes time which is effectively money so promoting within is not only better on your bottom line but it’s always a fantastic talking point when recruiting.​It’s attractive to potential staff to know that a job has become available because you promote from within.​‘I’m looking for training and long-term career opportunities.'And the below graph backs this point up.​When asked which they would rate the most attractive feature when applying for a job (bar salary) career opportunities were the clear winner.​Which perks are businesses offering vs. Which perks do candidates find attractive?This is quite interesting when you look at the results there are some surprises (and some that aren’t) and on the surface, there seems to be a mixed bag of responses but if you look a little closer there could be some quick wins for your business.​​A couple of things stand out from the above, the first being Refer a Friend. This is something that we as a business do and we have found that it gets quite a lot of traction (read about it here). It’s something simple to organise and implement, it boosts your online content, and it rewards your current workforce. Sounds like a win.​The second is paid training. We recently shared with you some resources currently available to help with training in our blog Skills Shortage: What Training is Available? Money is going to be tight for everyone for some time it seems, so when you look at the advantages of making the most of training help and support it makes sense.​We already know that workers are looking for career advancement opportunities and if they’re currently working for your business you know their potential, make the most of this and help give your current workers the chance to train, progress and ultimately spread the word about how fantastic it is to work for your business.​The third is the staff canteen. Now, this isn’t always possible, it’s dependent on your site so it’s not going to apply to everyone. If you do have one on-site it’s clear from the above that you should be talking about it, and if not what could be done?​Maybe you’re on an Industrial estate or on a site, is there a great cob/roll/barm (depending on your location) van nearby? A breakfast cob can be a great thing on a Friday we all know that especially when the weather gets colder. If you’ve got one nearby why not talk about it or if there’s one you can strike up a deal with to be there at certain times why not ask.​To summarise I would say to look at what data is telling us or better yet run an internal survey as well. Who better to ask than your own workers? You can’t always help restrictions or competition with salary, but you can highlight why you’re a great business to work for. Just because somewhere has a high salary or maybe joining bonuses doesn’t mean their staff turnover won’t be high as well.​Think about your positives and highlight those, even something as simple as free parking can make a big difference to a household budget.​If you’re looking to talk about how you could make the most of your business's best points contact the team today.

The country's labour shortage is one of the hot topics right now. No doubt as a worker you are being bombarded with new job offers with increasingly enticing benefits every day. How could you as a worker make the most of what is most definitely a candidate-driven market?​We’ve all seen the impact from the severe shortage of HGV drivers on everything from our local supermarket shelves to our pharmacies to possibly not having turkey this Christmas. ​This is not a Talent or a Skills Shortage (although, that has long been the bane of the construction and technical markets) – this is a Nationwide Labour Shortage.​CITBhas reported that Construction has bounced back quicker than expected from the Covid-19 pandemic and the industry will reach 2019 levels of output in 2022. By 2025, the industry will need to recruit an additional 217,000 new workers just to meet demand.​There are simply not enough people looking for work in this country to fill all the jobs available.​​Jobs in the UK: What are the numbers saying?The ONS’s vacancies and jobs in the UK October report said that in July-September:​Job vacancies were at a record high of 1,102,00012 out of 18 job sectors saw an increaseAll sectors are above or equal to their pre-pandemic levels, food and accommodation services seeing the biggest rise of 59%All industries had a record number of vacanciesUnemployment is currently at 4.6%Employment is at 75.2%Nett Migration is at minus 10% (more leaving than arriving), with an estimated 1.3 million EU nationals have left the UK in the last 12 monthsAverage pay has increased by 7.4% (excluding bonus payments)​​However, the rate of vacancy growth is beginning to decrease, with a rise of 27.7% it is down from the previous quarter (38.9%).​As recruitment specialists this is a trend we can confirm, the difficulties of Summer do indeed seem to be easing.​As a Group we work across a broad range of industries and the conversation with the offices has been that although it is still tough market conditions are getting better. Applications are increasing, advertising spending has eased (a little) and candidates are once again asking what work we have available.​And the announcement this week the UK’s “national living wage” is to go up to £9.50 an hour from next April, meaning a pay rise for millions of low-paid workers. This is a 6.6% increase from £8.91, which applies to workers aged 23 and over. For those aged 21 to 22, the minimum will increase from £8.36 to £9.18.​So, if things are looking brighter why do we still seem to have an issue?​​Is migration the easy answer?This could be seen as a yes and a no answer. On the surface, it would be simple to blame Brexit and the difficulties around worker visas. However, according to Alan Manning, economist and professor of economics at the LSE we need to look at it from a different view – are there not enough people to do the job or do people not want to do the job (because of poor pay and/ or conditions)?​In his blog, Alan Manning discusses these issues more in-depth and it’s a great read, you can see it here.​A summary for you is:​The Pandemic:At the end of June 2021 there were still 1.9 million workers on furlough from 580k employers, some of them in the same sectors that are also reporting shortages.Brexit:Some European workers have returned home, or perhaps they believe they now have better options elsewhere.‘One horticultural company quoted a loss of 25% of staff since Jan 2021 due to those returning to Europe as pay is now much better in Norway’.IR35:It has forced many drivers to swap their status resulting in falls in income of up to 25%​​​What ‘real life’ top tips could benefit you right now?There’s no denying it’s tough out there at the minute, but there are things you can do to help your job search.Think about your career goals. What kind of career do you want? Which job/s appeal to you in the long term? If you’re just about to enter the job market this is a key moment to figure exactly what you are looking for. In the current market, you will have a whole host of options in front of you, it could be as simple as indoors vs. outdoors or maybe you like to be active and the thought of being at a desk is just not appealing. These steps can help you narrow your job search to positions you are passionate about and will help you advance professionally.Be bold in your applications.Maybe you really like the sound of a particular job but you only fulfil some of the requirements. Now is the time to take that risk, employers are definitely thinking outside the box in terms of transferable skills.Been thinking about upskilling?This is a great time to look at taking a course to help develop your career. Maybe this is something you could talk to your Manager about if you’re currently in a job, it’s worth asking the question. An employer or a local job centre could have access to training funds that you could benefit from.Research businesses.Right now you will more than likely have every person and their dog throwing jobs at you, it can be overwhelming. Especially when they have enticing joining bonuses etc. But does that mean you’ll be happy there? Does the company reflect your values and can they offer more in terms of investing in your future than just additional £’s?Be confident.As the job seeker, you have a monopoly on the market. Make the most of it. But remember that these markets can and do change, keep in mind if you are working with recruitment agencies who helped you, who understood your needs? Hopefully, you won’t need to get in touch again but it’s always best to shake hands on a good note.At Thorn Baker Construction we’re absolutely committed to improving our recruitment process and helping our candidates find the very best jobs for them during this labour shortage.Contact the team today to find out how they can help you today, or if you know someone looking for work fill out our form here and you'll be entered into a draw to win a £250 Gift Card.

The country's labour shortage is one of the hot topics right now. There’s been a lot of debate as to what is causing the shortage from migration to wages, but what is the solution? From a recruitment agency point of view, our aim is less why is there a shortage and more of how do we help solve the shortage problem?​We’ve all seen the impact from the severe shortage of HGV drivers on everything from our local supermarket shelves to our pharmacies to possibly not having turkey this Christmas. ​This is not a Talent or a Skills Shortage (although, that has long been the bane of the construction and technical markets) – this is a Nationwide Labour Shortage. There are simply not enough people looking for work in this country to fill all the jobs available.​​CITBhas reported that Construction has bounced back quicker than expected from the Covid-19 pandemic and the industry will reach 2019 levels of output in 2022. By 2025, the industry will need to recruit an additional 217,000 new workers just to meet demand.​​Jobs in the UK: What are the numbers saying?The ONS’s vacancies and jobs in the UK October report said that in July-September:​Job vacancies were at a record high of 1,102,00012 out of 18 job sectors saw an increaseAll sectors are above or equal to their pre-pandemic levels, food and accommodation services seeing the biggest rise of 59%All industries had a record number of vacanciesUnemployment is currently at 4.6%Employment is at 75.2%Nett Migration is at minus 10% (more leaving than arriving), with an estimated 1.3 million EU nationals have left the UK in the last 12 monthsAverage pay has increased by 7.4% (excluding bonus payments)However, the rate of vacancy growth is beginning to decrease, with a rise of 27.7% it is down from the previous quarter (38.9%).​As recruitment specialists this is a trend we can confirm, the difficulties of Summer do indeed seem to be easing.​As a Group we work across a broad range of industries and the conversation with the offices has been that although it is still tough market conditions are getting better. Applications are increasing, advertising spending has eased (a little) and candidates are once again asking what work we have available.​And the announcement this week the UK’s “national living wage” is to go up to £9.50 an hour from next April, meaning a pay rise for millions of low-paid workers. This is a 6.6% increase from £8.91, which applies to workers aged 23 and over. For those aged 21 to 22, the minimum will increase from £8.36 to £9.18.So, if things are looking brighter why do we still seem to have an issue?​​Is migration the easy answer?This could be seen as a yes and a no answer. On the surface, it would be simple to blame Brexit and the difficulties around worker visas. However, according to Alan Manning, economist and professor of economics at the LSE we need to look at it from a different view – are there not enough people to do the job or do people not want to do the job (because of poor pay and/or conditions)?​In his blog, Alan Manning discusses these issues more in-depth and it’s a great read,you can see it here.​A summary for you is:​The Pandemic:At the end of June 2021 there were still 1.9 million workers on furlough from 580k employers, some of them in the same sectors that are also reporting shortages.Brexit:Some European workers have returned home, or perhaps they believe they now have better options elsewhere.‘One horticultural company quoted a loss of 25% of staff since Jan 2021 due to those returning to Europe as pay is now much better in Norway’.IR35:It has forced many drivers to swap their status resulting in falls in income of up to 25%​​​What ‘real life’ solutions can you implement?There’s no denying it’s tough out there at the minute, but there are things you can do to help your business recruit great staff.​Focus on why working for your company is great.The support, flexibility, improved technology, training budget etc. Whatever it is you are doing well, shout about it! Spend some money on your recruitment. Whether that is with agencies like us, advertising, specialist job boards, sponsored Facebook adverts or an internal refer a friend scheme etc. A free advert on Indeed is not going to get you the staff you need.Work with an agency.Make sure they are promoting your business (not just the job). At Thorn Baker Construction we focus more on what staff are looking for now. Working with your recruiter will ensure you get the best outcome, it’s what we do all day, make the most of our knowledge and connections.Competing with other businesses.This is something that’s not always thought about, but if you’re already working with an agency communicate with them what your own plans are. You will undoubtedly end up in competition with each other on jobs – and in the end, you’ll end up spending more money than you need to.Remember, it’s a candidate market.If you want to hire the best, you’re going to have to treat them with respect, flexibility and sensible job offers.Flexibility.Can you offer different shift times? A selection of our clients has already done this, and they’ve seen great results. By changing their previous hours to suit school hours as well as part-time they’ve attracted more staff and retained them.Promote your business online.Building an online community is a great way to attract staff. Pay rates will always be an attraction, but it doesn’t always compensate for being happy in your job.Invest in training.There’s a wealth of excellent Candidates out there with the right attitude and the wrong qualifications.Benefits packages.Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, pension plans above and beyond the statutory minimum, increased holidays, private healthcare, and a whole host of flexible benefits and rewards. There are so many ways to improve your offering above and beyond improving the basic salary.Remote working.People want less commuting and more leisure time (at least a couple of days a week) and that attitude is here to stay. Plus allowing your people to work from home where possible will boost your environmentally friendly creds too. If it’s feasible for your business to offer this, why not?At Thorn Baker Construction we’re absolutely committed to improving the recruitment process and helping businesses during this labour shortage.We work with businesses that struggle to hire Labourers, Joiners and Bricklayers every day. Contact the team today to find how they’re already helping your competitors and how they could support your hiring needs. Or complete our enquiry form here and we'll contact you.

Are you a Construction Professional who can’t hire enough skilled Trades & Labour and White Collar staff to ensure your sites are completed on schedule and within budget? You will find this blog useful.The skills shortage within construction and infrastructure is a much-discussed subject across the industry. As specialist recruiters, the team and I can definitely lend an outside view as to why there is a shortage of skilled Trades & Labour and White Collar staff.​Over the last month, the team and I have been conducting a survey to get an insight from those at the coalface of the subject – you! We’ve been speaking with Construction, Commercial and Project Managers who are struggling to hire the very best Site Managers, Technical staff or Trades for their sites. With Brexit still being a heavily discussed issue, we expected a lot of answers to focus on this but the results were surprising…​Survey Results: The Top 3 Causes of the Skills Shortage in ConstructionApprenticeships‘I believe one reason for skills shortages in the UK construction industry is due to the lack of apprenticeships for school leavers. Schools should also encourage pupils to undertake work experience with construction companies to promote an early interest in the numerous trades within the construction industry and the route to site, contract & project management.’Brendan Alexander, Project Manager ​Like Brendan, many others that we spoke with agreed that apprenticeship availability was a major issue – especially when the Construction industry remains a large contributor to the UK economy.​The ONSrecently stated that It generates almost £90 billion annually (6.7% of GDP) and employs in excess of 2.93 million people, the equivalent of about 10% of UK employment.​However, only 1% of employers have looked to take on an apprentice or inexperienced staff member for training to ease the skills shortfall. The government has invested over £1 billion into training and apprenticeship schemes; however, the schemes alone do not guarantee employment. Earlier this year we wrote a blog about an apprenticeship scheme that was being developed specifically for people seeking a career in health & safety –you can read it here.​Poor Image‘For whatever reason, I believe some people tend to look down at tradesman and choose the university route as they believe taking an apprenticeship is a step-down. I believe in a not so distant future there will be a massive shortage unless this is bottomed out.’Ben Hebden, Junior Contracts Manager ​The current poor image of the Construction Industry has a detrimental impact on construction businesses’ ability to recruit and retain people with the right type of skills. ​The CITB ReportChanging Perceptions: The Growing Appeal of a Career in Construction has shown that the overall appeal of the construction industry as a career option for young people is low, scoring 4.2 out of 10 among 14 to 19-year-olds. It is perceived to be about 'being outdoors and getting dirty' and most suited to 'young people who do not get into college or university'.​Wage RelatedThis response whilst being our third most popular opinion was split across the North, Midlands and the South.​​So, what is the average salary for Construction jobs?​The average salary for Construction jobs according to Total Jobs is £42,500. How much Construction jobs pay varies across UK locations and industries – when you break down their cross-section (sample size of 14, 456 people) the breakdown of the average is:​The North: £57,059The Midlands: £47,500The South: £59,122When you take into account the difference in average living costs across the country, it’s easy to see why the Midlands and the South are more vocal about wage issues in these areas.​It’s been a valuable exercise to conduct this survey to not only get our clients viewpoints but also for us to sit back, take stock and reassess how we source our candidates. Also, it raises the point of how we can help the construction industry to fill the ever-growing skills gap that Construction Professionals now face on a daily basis.​Supplying both white and blue-collar workers across the UK I would like to think we have our finger on the pulse when it comes to staffing availability. If you’d like to discuss the results of our survey, maybe you have a different point of view – contact the team today.