Job Hunting in Construction and Engineering Takes 3 Weeks Longer Than in 2008

FAREHAM, ENGLAND, March 10, 2013 (Press-News.org) - Construction and engineering job hunters now spend 9 weeks finding work
- Interview process alone now takes over 7 hours
- Employers conducting 3 interviews per role compared 2 to five years ago

Job hunters in construction, property and engineering (the CPE sector) have found the average time taken to find a job in the sector has risen from six weeks to nearly nine over the last five years, according to research by Randstad CPE, the specialist recruiter.

Increased competition from other candidates and employers looking for greater experience and skill sets for comparable roles were cited at two of the key reasons why job hunters are finding the employment process has lengthened over the last five years. But while the time to secure a new job has increased in construction, property and engineering the time taken compares favourably to the ten weeks and five days spent on average across other UK disciplines.

Over two fifths (44%) of construction, property and engineering professionals who interviewed for a job in the last year state the process was harder than five years ago. According to an independent poll of 2,000 people carried out by market research firm Canadean, the average time spent interviewing for jobs in construction, property and engineering now stands at 7.2 hours compared to 6.5 in 2008. The national average for time spent interviewing is 7 hours.

Owen Goodhead, managing director of Randstad CPE, said: "Employers are becoming more selective when it comes to hiring staff. Prospective employees are having to jump through more hoops before they land a job. Firms are often looking for more bang for their buck, and a skill set that was satisfactory for a job five years may no longer be now, as employers look towards the long-term potential of new hires."

A separate poll of Randstad CPE's UK consultants suggests that the level of testing in the construction, property and engineering sectors during the application process has increased, too. Five years ago, 14% of CPE roles required some form of psychometric, technical or aptitude test, a figure which has now doubled to 28%.

The number of interviews employers conduct across the CPE industries with a successful candidate has also risen sharply since 2008. For a junior role, employers required an average of 1.6 interviews five years ago, this has now risen to 3.0. For senior roles employers now interview successful candidates 3.4 times on average, up from 2.2 five years ago.

The number of vetting checks carried out after the interview process has concluded has also increased in the sector. Five years ago, employers vetting credentials such as qualifications, CRB checks and references delayed the hiring process by an average of 6.2 days. This delay has now almost doubled to an average of 12 days.

The increased number of tests, checks and interview processes, has lengthened recruitment times from the employer's perspective too. Employers now spend an average of five weeks and five days per new hire, a figure that has risen 91% from two weeks and six days five years ago.

Owen Goodheadadds: "Many businesses in the construction and engineering world, particularly outside London, are being cautious in their hiring. Concern over committing the time and resources towards a new recruit, when work levels may not be guaranteed, has created a risk-averse recruitment environment and long-winded interview processes.

"It's telling that entry-level candidates now face a similar interview process to experienced professionals. Every hire is seen as crucial and as a consequence the traditional 1st and 2nd stage interview has long gone. As the sector recovers, employers will need to find a way of streamlining their recruitment or they will be beaten by a competitor to their ideal candidate."

Notes to editors

Randstad CPE is part of the Randstad group, one of the leading recruitment & HR services providers in the world with a top five position in the UK and a top three position in fifteen countries including the US, France and Germany.

In the UK, Randstad's business lines serve the public and private sectors across Accounting and Financial services; Business Support; Construction, Property and Engineering; Education; Health and Social Care; Interim Management and Search; Human Resources; IT; Legal; Retail; Sales, Student and Worker Support and In-House and Managed Services.

At the end of 2012, Randstad had 1,750 corporate employees in the UK, working in 203 locations. UK revenue in 2012 was EUR799 million. Randstad Holding nv was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands and listed on the NYSE Euronext Amsterdam. For more information see www.randstad.co.uk and www.randstad.com.

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The Wriglesworth Consultancy

James Staunton, Associate Director, j.staunton@wriglesworth.com 020 7427 1404
James Craig, Account Manager, j.craig@wriglesworth.com 020 7427 1405

Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering's sole focus is recruitment for the built environment; we operate across the whole spectrum of this diverse sector and recruit for all areas at all levels. We do not generalise but specialise into niche markets, our consultants all work in specific sectors to allow them to be experts in their field making us your recruitment partner of choice.