Demand Continues to Outpace Supply
Despite attractive salaries, strong project pipelines and geuine career opportunities, finding experienced Quantity Surveyors is proving increasingly difficult.
This isn’t simply a recruitment challenge. It’s a talent challenge affecting the wider construction industry.
Construction remains under pressure to deliver more homes, more infrastructure and more sustainable buildings. At the same time, commercial oversight has never been more important.
Every project needs skilled professionals who can manage costs, mitigate risk and protect margins.
The problem is that the supply of experienced Quantity Surveyors is not growing at the same pace as demand. Callum states:
“Good Quantity Surveyors have become one of the most sought-after skill sets in construction. The strongest candidates often have multiple opportunities available to them before they’ve even started considering a move.”
We’re increasingly finding that many of the best candidates are not actively searching job boards. Instead, they’re being approached directly through their networks, contacted by recruiters or referred into new opportunities before they ever become active job seekers
The Growing Experience Gap
One of the biggest challenges is the lack of professionals in the middle of the market.
Whilst new graduates continue to enter the profession, many experienced Quantity Surveyors are approaching retirement. The result is a shortage of professionals with the three to ten years of experience that many employers are seeking.
“There’s a real bottleneck developing. Many businesses are looking for Quantity Surveyors who can step straight into project delivery roles, but there simply aren’t enough available,” says Callum.
Counteroffers Are Changing Hiring Dynamics
Another trend impacting the market is the growing prevalence of counteroffers.
When talented Quantity Surveyors receive external offers, many employers are responding quickly with salary increases, enhanced benefits packages or accelerated progression opportunities.
Whilst this makes complete sense from a retention perspective, it also restricts movement within the wider market.
Is Quantity Surveying Being Sold Effectively as a Career?
Construction offers excellent long-term career prospects, competitive earnings and opportunities to work on significant projects that shape communities.
However, today’s young people have more career choices than ever before.
Technology, finance and digital industries often receive greater visibility amongst students and graduates, despite Quantity Surveying offering equally rewarding career paths.
“Many people still leave school with very little understanding of what a Quantity Surveyor actually does. If we want to strengthen the future talent pipeline, we need to do more to showcase the profession and the opportunities it offers.”
Greater engagement with schools, colleges and universities will be essential if the industry is to attract the next generation of commercial professionals and how developments in IT and AI can impact the role.
Flexibility Matters More Than Ever
Workplace expectations have changed.
Whilst construction remains a project-led industry, flexibility and work-life balance have become increasingly important factors when candidates assess new opportunities.
We’re regularly seeing candidates compare employers on more than just salary.
Flexible working arrangements, company culture, career development and leadership all play a significant role in decision-making.
Organisations that fail to adapt to changing expectations risk limiting their appeal within an already competitive hiring market.
Are Employers Looking for Perfection?
In a candidate-short market, waiting for the perfect CV can often mean missing out on excellent people.
Some of the most successful hires we’ve facilitated have come from candidates who didn’t tick every box but demonstrated strong commercial awareness, ambition and the right attitude.
Through ARVIEW (ARVIEW Better Recruitment incorporating video interviews) our pre-recorded interview platform, Callum regularly helps clients assess these qualities early in the process, giving a much fuller picture than a CV alone.
“Technical skills can be developed. What often sets people apart is their attitude, communication skills and ability to grow within a business and our video interviews are a great way of getting this across.”
Looking Ahead
The real question facing the industry isn’t simply where all the Quantity Surveyors have gone.
It’s what employers, educators and industry leaders can do to attract, develop and retain the next generation of commercial talent – Callum believes:
“The businesses that invest in people, develop future talent and remain flexible in their approach to hiring will be best placed for long-term growth.”
For construction businesses looking to grow, the ability to find and retain commercial talent may become one of the defining factors behind future success.
Need help securing commercial talent or if you’re Commercial Manager or QS looking for your next role – speak to Callum Howard and the ARV Solutions team to discuss your hiring plans and the current QS market.
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