49 per cent of construction and property (C&P) companies will add to their head count in Canada this year, according to a recent survey conducted by Hays Specialist Recruitment. Across the industry, demand for roles ranging from site based employees to Senior V.P will increase and salaries will increase on average between three to six per cent.
“The response to our survey was brilliant this year and we were able to gather some really useful data and industry insight. Last year people working in the construction and property sector were hoping things would continue to improve since the recession,” said Rowan O’Grady, president of Hays Canada. “And these figures certainly point towards another year of positive economic growth in Canada.”
Results of the survey, which were published in the 2011 Hays Compensation, Benefits, Recruitment and Retention guide, are based on information provided by over 900 respondents and cover industry sectors including construction and property, civil engineering and architecture. The published guide indicates continued confidence across the construction and property industry this year as 63 per cent of respondents saw business activity increase in last 12 months, 67 per cent feel the economy will continue to improve in 2011 and close to 80 per cent of employers will offer individual performance related bonuses.
Across Canada, while the outlook certainly looks positive, the construction and property industry in Western Canada looks especially promising in 2011 as 58 per cent of companies will look to add to their head count and 77 per cent of new positions will be for full time roles.
In skill short areas, Western based companies will be more likely to recruit overseas candidates as 60 per cent of survey respondents would be willing to look outside of Canada to recruit for positions which prove challenging to fill with domestic candidates.
Throughout the country, Construction Project Managers, Civil and Structural Engineers, and Estimators with high rise residential experience will continue to be challenging to find and will see the greatest increase in salaries and offered benefits. In Montreal, bilingual candidates with high rise mixed use experience are in especially high demand due to a dramatic increase in development in Montreal’s downtown core.
In addition to increased salaries, respondents of the survey indicate that increased benefits will weigh heavily in the retention and attraction of skilled staff and list career growth, vacation, time off in lieu, extended health benefits and paid overtime as the most valued benefits on offer.
The 74 page Hays Compensation, Benefits, Recruitment and Retention guide offers anticipated salaries across nine industries, commentary on skills in demand, compensation and benefits trends, and a market summary of 2010 and into Q1 of 2011. Copies of the Hays Compensation, Benefits, Recruitment and Retention guide are available at no cost by visiting www.hays.ca/forms/salary-guide-registration.aspx
Construction & Property – 2011 at a glance
19 per cent – Construction and Property companies that have had to add additional benefits in order to address recruitment and retention concerns in 2010;
43 per cent – Construction and Property companies that have added to their head count in the last year;
49 per cent Construction and property companies that plan on adding to their head count in 2011;
53 per cent – Construction and Property companies recruiting in the engineering sector which have identified senior management roles as being especially hard to fill;
63 per cent – Construction and Property companies who have witnessed an increase in business in the last 12 months;
67 per cent – Construction and Property companies who see the economy as continuing to improve;
80 per cent – Construction and Property companies who will offer individual performance related bonuses in 2011.