The transition into a management role is both exciting and challenging, marked by increased responsibilities and fresh opportunities for professional growth.
Then of course there are some of the other enticing benefits as highlighted in our January 2024 Salary Survey… higher salaries, larger bonuses and better benefits.
Assuming that all sounds tempting, how do you know if you are ready to move into a management position? how should you approach it? and what challenges should you expect as you take up your new role?
Core challenges of transitioning in management
The step up to management is a big one. In an ideal world, before fully embracing a managerial role, individuals would get the chance to dip their toes in the water and take on elements of their future responsibilities, for example mentoring new starters and managing small projects or budgets.
Then, once appointed they would benefit from a seamless handover and robust reporting structure to help them through the first months of the role. Of course, all too often situations aren’t perfect, so what are the common challenges new managers face? and how should they approach them?
1. Understanding the full scope of the role: the objectives and responsibilities listed on a manager’s job description may, on paper, all appear of equal importance and potentially even complexity but a key part of the managerial step up is learning to prioritise them and understand how best to use resources to achieve the team’s objectives. That means understanding each objective, why it matters, how it will be delivered and the challenges associated with delivering it.
2. Micro-management temptation: a little insecurity is common among new managers as they strive to build their credibility, however, a natural desire to demonstrate control and competence can result in micro-management. Open and honest communication, upward and downward, designed to empower those around you is generally a more effective way both to manage expectations and optimise use of resources.
3. Dynamic To-Do List prioritization: while junior managerial roles typically involve technical work they also involve other, often more time consuming, responsibilities. Balancing people management, budget oversight, planning, issues that require immediate action and the long-term team objectives make solid time management skills, effective communication and a keen understanding of team dynamics a necessity.
4. Letting go of the past: holding onto previous responsibilities generally provides a false sense of value. Delegating or redirecting requests that relate to the newly promoted manager’s previous role is essential to allow them to focus on their new responsibilities.
5. Effective delegation: clearly defining expectations (objectives, desired outcomes, guidelines and timeframes) is fundamental to successful delegation, while understanding a team’s skills and preferences will further improve the efficiency with which objectives are delivered. Having delegated responsibilities, the manager’s balancing act lies in successfully encouraging autonomy, ensuring those responsible for delivery have the right support and simultaneously putting in place checkpoints to ensure everything is on track.
6. Identifying and addressing weaknesses: the ability to recognise gaps in one’s own experience or expertise and to address them is crucial to good management. Although good self-awareness can help identify weaknesses, a willingness to seek out and listen to constructive criticism is often a skill that separates good managers from their peers.
“Am I ready to manage?”
Nobody goes into management as the complete package – it is a constant learning process. However, reading this blog suggests you have a willingness to learn, as well as an ambition and a self-awareness that all successful managers need. For candidates who are unsure whether they are ready for the step up, studying their recent performance reviews as well as to ask friends’ and colleagues’ advice about areas they should work on to be ready to manage can help clarify their thinking.
The reality is however that you won’t know if you’re ready to manage until you try it. So, unless others are giving you good reasons not to try to make the step up yet, then why not back yourself?
Securing your first management role
If you believe you are ready to move into a management role, then consider whether you want to apply for vacancies internally, externally or both.
If you are applying internally then speak with your manager as their support is likely to be important. If applying externally then a good recruitment consultant should be able to give you feedback on how your skills, experience and even personality measure up.
Assuming there are good opportunities for progression internally, the decision makers are likely to have a good idea of your capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. However, these internal perceptions of your capabilities can also be blinkered by your past roles and behaviours. Should that be the case, or if internal opportunities are limited, then seeking promotion externally provides an opportunity to start afresh.
Good luck!
We have just finalised our salary survey of 326 assistant buyers; buyers; senior buyers; procurement managers; supply chain managers; senior procurement / supply chain managers; and Heads of Procurement / Supply Chain within the construction, infrastructure, house building or building services sectors in the UK and some of the trends make for an interesting read.
Respondents’ future plans and primary motivations
The percentage of candidates actively looking for a new role has increased 7% since last year to 27%, however their priorities are shifting. Responding to this January’s survey, 83% of candidates identified ‘commute, travel and flexible working’ as a top 3 factor when considering a move. This is up from 72% in our January 2023 survey and means that it has leapfrogged basic salary (81% in 2024 up from 79% in 2023) to become the most commonly cited factor.
Home working benefits
The apparent increase in importance of work-life balance is likely to rub up against one of the survey’s other key year-on-year shifts i.e. employers pushing to get staff back into the office and on-site after many employees became accustomed to (and redesigned their daily patterns around) working from home during COVID. While according to our January 2023 survey 23% of respondents had fewer than two days per week working from home, this year that figure has almost doubled to 41%! Or to put it another way, in our 2023 survey the average number of days employees had working from home was 2.22 and this year that has dropped to 1.91. Although the shift back to the office suggests that organisations feel that remote working was having a negative impact on productivity, a lack of flexible working options may have a detrimental impact on the ability of employers to attract and retain the best talent.
Secondary factors influencing moves
However, there are indications that the market doesn’t favour candidates as strongly as it has in recent years, meaning employers won’t need to be as accommodating as they once were. With 40% of candidates citing job security as a top three consideration for their next move (up from 38% twelve months ago), it is reasonable to infer that there is a degree of angst about the prospect of redundancies in the short to medium term across the industry. Combine the prospect of a reduction in opportunities with increasing numbers of candidates looking to move in the year ahead and the employers’ position strengthens somewhat compared with much of the last ten years.
Fears for job security are not however causing candidates to batten down the hatches as can be the case in times of economic upheaval, and ‘career progression and training’ was one of the top three factors 34% respondents said they would prioritise when considering a move, suggesting that they continue to feel there are opportunities for development out there.
Of course, in any salary survey it isn’t possible to give a detailed analysis tailored to every candidate’s or employer’s situation. The dynamics are across the industry and for different roles vary enormously, so it is worth speaking with us to get a more nuanced understanding of your specific situation.
Salaries and remuneration
Irrespective of whether or not we are moving towards a more employer-led market, the continuing rise in salaries indicates that retention remains a priority for most companies. Almost three quarters (73%) of respondents received a pay rise in 2023, up from 66% in 2022. While the average rise may have been smaller this year (5.3% in the 2024 survey v 6% in 2023) it exceeded the Office for National Statistics’ reported cost of living increase by 1.1%, whereas in 2023 with inflation at 11.1% employees would have been on average worse off.
Remuneration is not all about basic salary however and benefits such as bonus and company car/ car allowance make a significant impact to overall packages at all levels. At assistant buyer level 44% of candidates enjoy a car or a car allowance on average worth 18% of average basic salary. At Supply Chain Manager and Senior Procurement / Supply Chain Manager level, 94% receive either a car or car allowance with an average value of between 7.5 and 9% of salary.
Bonuses can add a further significant contribution to total salary package. Almost a third of Heads of Procurement/Supply Chain received a performance bonus last year, with the payout averaging 20% of basic. Although at more junior levels the percentage of employees entitled to performance bonuses may be lower, e.g. only 15% of buyers receive a performance bonus, discretionary bonuses are common and not included in our survey.
Conclusion
So what does, all this mean for candidates and employers? The negotiating positions of employer and employee are more balanced than they have been in some time. And although there is a slight skittishness to the market, there are plenty of candidates willing to move, especially if employers are able to find working patterns that flex around candidates’ needs.
One of the things that has become evident in my 20+ years’ recruiting for procurement and commercial functions in the construction sector is that every company has certain roles that are hard to fill. In some case the challenge of finding good candidates is simple supply and demand i.e. a shortage of relevant skills and experience in the market; but even where this is the case some employers find it easier to attract candidates to fill their vacancies than others. So, what are the main reasons your company may find certain roles hard to fill? and what can you do about it?
Fixing the Top 10 reasons you’re finding it hard to fill specific roles…
While hiring managers may have only limited influence over aspects like the employee value proposition, they still have a huge impact on how easy or difficult it is to fill roles where good candidates are scarce. That influence can be categorised into three areas:
According to a poll I ran on LinkedIn recently, a massive 47% of procurement and supply chain professionals in the construction sector consider themselves to be poor at networking. Most of us acknowledge that networking is time well spent but, as happens with so many things that have a medium- to long-term payback, we then bump it down the list in favour of more immediate demands in our busy day-to-day roles.
So what are the benefits of networking? Is it important to your career development? And how can you efficiently and effectively build, manage and leverage your contacts?
Why networking matters for career development
While prioritising activities with more immediate payback is always tempting, effective networking will have a huge impact on your career progression over time. Two core benefits are:
Operational effectiveness - Exposure to alternative techniques and perspectives makes all of us better and more efficient at our jobs.
A strong network can both help you stay abreast of the ever-evolving legislation and regulation that is ubiquitous in construction procurement and can be leveraged to reduce the legwork involved in identifying and sourcing products and suppliers.
Furthermore, while engaging with your network, not only will you often pick up on hidden risks and opportunities relating to different suppliers – for example timeliness, cost and quality but you will also be more likely to sense trends such as imbalances in material availability/demand earlier than you otherwise might.
Career development - While being good at your job makes career progress far easier, who you know is also a significant factor.
Does networking impact your career?
Yes.
I know that’s a short answer, but it’s black and white. As outlined above, it makes you better at your job and leads to more career opportunities.
So how should you network…
How to network effectively
The good news is that although it requires thought, networking isn’t rocket science. The ‘bad’ news is that it takes both time and discipline.
Start by creating a networking strategy and then create a plan to deliver it.
In terms of the strategy think about what you want from your network… mentoring, better information, access to new opportunities, advice on managing situations etc. Which individuals or types of people do you need in your network to achieve that? How are you going to build and maintain relationships with them? And then crucially, how much time can you realistically allocate to networking?
Having thought those ideas through, I suggest developing two parallel networking plans, one to maintain your existing network and the second to add new contacts to it.
Network maintenance – relationships that you nurture most over time will be the ones that you are able to call on most easily and productively. As such it makes sense to segment your contacts.
Network building – the broader your network, the more likely it is to support your career aspirations and needs. While your day-to-day work will naturally grow your network, being proactive about growing it may help you add more interesting, insightful, useful and influential people. Attending conferences, awards, drinks evenings, training courses etc can all be great ways of meeting people outside your direct circle.
Remember that the bigger and more active your network, the easier networking becomes. Not simply because you become used to it but also because the more events you will be invited to, the more people you will know at those events and the more your network will actively look to stay in touch with you (rather than you needing to contact them). The most successful individuals are great, strategic networkers and while it may look effortless from the outside, that is because they have worked hard to make it automatic.
Although recruitment processes are supposed to sort the wheat from the chaff, it will always be the case that some interviewees come across exceptionally well, while others struggle to give a fair account of themselves. Referencing is one of the most effective ways of getting a picture of a prospective employee’s likely cultural fit and to affirm (or otherwise) the impression of their skills and experience that comes from their CV and interviews.
However, referencing has fallen out of favour. To do it well not only requires time but also skill and experience. There is no doubt that, even with assurances of confidentiality, it is more difficult to persuade people to talk candidly about current and past colleagues than it was 20 years ago. It feels as though the spectre of litigation and social media shaming hangs over every conversation.
It is also unpopular with applicants who can be very jumpy about the idea of someone calling colleagues and asking what they are like to work with, either because the reports may be unfavourable or because they are concerned that it will become general knowledge that they are considering a move.
The flip side is that appointing the wrong candidate can be a damaging, time consuming and expensive mistake. Furthermore, many of the candidates who get edgy about colleagues discovering they are being considered for another role are not serious about moving roles in any case.
If you approach referencing in the right way however the upsides outweigh the downsides. Here are some suggestions that may help:
One bad hire can quickly become very disruptive to a team reducing morale, creativity, communication and productivity as well as sowing the seeds of mistrust and division. That extra bit of research can make all the difference.
Some people change job more frequently than they buy a new phone, for others it is a stressful experience and last resort. But are there benefits to changing job that you are unlikely to get from staying put? What are the risks? And can you change jobs too often?
The rewards of changing job
The most obvious reward of changing job is the dramatic uplifts in salary that you can achieve. For example, according to our Salary Surveys of Construction, Infrastructure, FM & M&E Contractors in January 2023 and Housebuilders in July 2023 the average pay rise for those moving company is around 16%, while for those who stayed with their current employer that figure averaged just 6% if they received a pay rise at all (34% didn’t). Based on those averages, if you start on £30k and move jobs three times in six years, your salary rises to £57k, whereas if you stay with one employer and achieve a 6% per year rise that figure is more likely to be around £42.5k*.
The other important reward is career development. Moving company is more likely to result in exposure to new people and processes, and so can accelerate the breadth and depth of your experience compared with sticking with one employer. Furthermore, it is often easier to break free of existing perceptions and responsibilities by moving company as your existing employer may be reluctant to lose the knowledge of systems, structures and processes that make you so effective in your current role.
The risks of changing job
Moving company is, of course, a leap into the relative unknown and so carries a risk. In fact, in a Linkedin poll we ran with our network in July 37% said their biggest career regret was a move they made**. That is not to say that changing roles is unwisely risky – for example: had they not made the move they might have regretted that?; is it that they regretted accepting one offer over another?; and how many decisions to move have they made? 1 bad choice in 4 isn’t bad…
The statistic highlights an important fact though. Interview processes are designed to mitigate risk for the potential employee as well as the employer, so it is important candidates aren’t passive during the process. Don’t avoid asking interviewers difficult questions in the hope it will maximise your chances of securing an offer. Instead, candidates should use each process to interrogate whether the opportunity is the right one for them, an attitude that will also give the employer confidence the candidate is thorough in their approach and that they would be accepting the role with their eyes wide open.
Even with a thorough interview process there will still be unknowns. It may only be once you are immersed in the workplace that you really know if you’ll enjoy the culture and the work; or whether commitments about career progression and professional development are likely to materialise. However, there is also no way of knowing whether if you stay in your existing role promises of change will materialise and the atmosphere will stay as it currently is. In fact there is a commonly cited statistic that 90% of candidates who accept a counter offer from their existing employer leave within a few months in any case.
The next question that unsettles many candidates about moving roles is whether or not they will be up to the job. According to a LinkedIn poll of 162 of our network, 74% of procurement and supply chain professionals suffer from imposter syndrome at least some of the time in their existing role and so the prospect of starting a new role, with stretching career development opportunities and new colleagues has the potential to be terrifying.
In our experience, 95% of the time the person hired for a role is more than capable from day one and they will get better and better as they learn the ropes. The low failure rate of candidates appointed should give those considering a move confidence. Recruitment consultants and hiring managers won’t propose candidates for roles they aren’t suitable for as it damages their reputations. Having proposed them, modern recruitment processes are typically both considered and detailed, and not only sort the wheat from the chaff very effectively but also enable interviewers to compare you with other people considered potentially suitable for the role allowing direct benchmarking.
That is not to say that every job move works out perfectly. Issues of cultural fit, misunderstandings about the scope of roles and required expertise, changes to expected career paths etc do occur. But the majority of job moves work well for both parties and if they don’t, whereas 20 years ago changing job more than twice a decade was considered cause for concern, today two job changes in twelve months is almost never an issue.
Can you change jobs too often?!
Reading the arguments above, it may be tempting to move from company to company every six to eighteen months, however there are downsides to serial job hopping.
Top of the list is that a CV that reads like a directory of construction companies can damage your future ‘hirability’. Typically, it is months before an employee finds their feet and becomes a profit centre rather than a cost, so if an individual has a track record of moving on quickly then employers may question whether it is worth investing time, energy and money in them, especially if there are candidates available who appear to have greater stickability.
A lack of long-term commitment to any employer may also suggest to interviewers and recruiters that a candidate has an issue either delivering against what is asked of them or fitting in with colleagues. In either case hiring managers may start to question whether an individual is really going to be the asset the candidate’s abilities at interview suggest.
Furthermore, while exposure to a broad range of projects, approaches and colleagues can be very valuable, so can aspects associated with becoming embedded in companies and teams. For example, candidates who have spent several years with one employer are more likely to be able to show evidence of persistence when situations become challenging, seeing projects through from start to finish, being accountable for consequences etc.
There isn’t a formula for deciding whether or not to move, but if your current role isn’t making you happy, if you are undervalued or if you cannot see the progression that you feel you are capable of then give me a call.
*
** In a LinkedIn Poll in June 2023 we asked "What’s you biggest career move regret?”. Of the 176 responses, 37% said a move they’d made, 16% said not accepting a job offer, 11% regretted both making a move and not making one, while 36% have no career regrets.
Firstly, thank you to all the procurement and supply chain professionals who completed our House Builders Salary Survey last month. It shows a market that continues to be very active, with a workforce that is highly valued.
It’s worth noting that the housing market is currently facing tremendous challenges. Increasing interest rates, falling new orders and, more recently, increasing redundancies across procurement and commercial teams are all having a negative impact on the sector.
When considering this backdrop, our salary survey results make even more interesting reading.
Results Summary
The three most interesting statistics highlighted by the House Builders salary survey of procurement and supply chain professionals (PSCPs) were:
Further insight and analysis into the market
While 66% of respondents received a pay rise (average 6%) in the last twelve months, wage inflation continues to drive a game of musical chairs within the sector with candidates finding on average they can achieve salary increases of 16% by moving company.
Such significant salary increase are clearly a tempting proposition in the face of continuing cost of living increases and, according to our salary survey, only 33% of procurement and supply chain candidates in the housebuilding sector have no intention of looking for a move in the next 12 months (see table below). Comparing this with the contractor sector salary survey we did six months ago, it suggests candidates in housebuilding are more likely to move jobs in the year ahead.
| House Builders(July 2023) | Construction, Infrastructure, FM & M&E Contractors(Jan 2023) | |
| Candidates NOT looking for a move in the next 12 months | 33% | 37% |
| Candidates unsure if they will look for a move in the next 12 months | 39% | 43% |
| Candidates looking for a move in the next 12 months | 28% | 20% |
| Candidates citing job security as a top 3 factor when considering a move | 50% | 38% |
Any move is likely to see them stay within the same sector however as buyers, senior buyers and procurement managers in the house building sector earn anywhere from 8% to 29% more than those working in equivalent roles for contractors. Furthermore, they benefit from: superior holiday allowances (32% receive at least 28 days holiday compared with 27% of contractors receiving at least 27 days); better car allowances; and bigger bonuses.
While basic salary is a top 3 factor for 69% of respondents when considering a move, the unsettled nature of the market and increasing occurrences of redundancies I commented on earlier, are likely the reasons 50% of respondents to the house builders survey also cited job security as a top 3 factor when considering a move. This suggests that employers who are able to instil confidence around their business may be able to attract and retain staff without paying the same premiums that less successful or more highly leveraged firms may need to offer.
One aspect of the contractors’ employment arrangements that housebuilders likely envy is the flexibility. “Commute, travel and flexible working” was a top 3 factor for 77% housebuilders considering a move, however 30% of respondents had no home working option, with a further 20% only able to work from home one day a week. In comparison only 16% of contractors had no home working and 7% were limited to a day per week. Employers in the housebuilding sector who are able to offer 2+ days of remote working per week will find it relatively easy to attract talent.
If you would like to discussion any issues relating to recruitment or retention of procurement and supply chain professionals in the construction related industries then please contact me:
E: adam.richardson@arresourcing.com
T: 0330 174 6801 or 07795 148 182
My research has dug out surprisingly few robust studies into the impact of communications on the attraction and retention of staff, potentially because it is something that is highly subjective and difficult to measure. However, more than twenty years of recruitment leaves me in no doubt that the way companies communicate both internally and externally has a huge impact on both how easy (aka costly / time consuming) it is to attract new talent and staff turnover.
The importance of communication to attract new staff
From the recruitment consultant’s perspective, communication significantly impacts how easy it is to get candidates to engage with an opportunity and then in the ongoing desire of candidates to pursue an opportunity.
Hearing a company’s name will automatically trigger a reaction in prospective candidates’ minds because of their past exposure to that brand from press coverage, word of mouth, advertising etc. This perception is known as the ‘employer brand’. A negative employer brand can make it hard to attract strong candidates to a role to the extent that recruiters will sometimes get the candidate as far through the process as possible before revealing the prospective employer’s name. Companies who nurture their employer brand and put it at the core of their communications typically find it comparatively easy to secure the interest of stronger candidates without paying a premium and recruiters will use the brand name to encourage candidates to engage if the brief allows it.
With candidates engaged, ongoing communication throughout the process becomes important. At the most basic level candidates need timely communication from prospective employers at every stage of the recruitment process. Not only do they need a clear brief about the role but they expect to be told in good time how many stages there will be, what dates interviews will be on, and what format they will take. They also expect timely and meaningful feedback after each interview, as well as ongoing communication until they start in the role if they are offered the position.
However, employers who repeatedly secure the better candidates go much further than this, often working alongside their recruiter(s) to do so. Proactively working on messaging that ‘sells’ both the company and each role to prospective employees can transform the quality of candidate you are able to secure and the compensation package needed to attract them. Think about the company’s strengths and weaknesses compared with competitors and ensure that the recruiter and/or interviewers are sharing how the company is moving forward on these. Listen to candidates’ concerns and ambitions and think about how the opportunity can fit with these.
The importance of communication to retain existing staff
Much of this communication addressing organisational strengths and weaknesses, and listening to employees ambitions and concerns around working life and career progression, is also key to retaining staff. Speak with a recruiter and they will explain that if a prospective candidate has issues or doubts with aspects of their current role and there is no conversation with their current employer then, even if they are not already proactively looking for a new role, the door is open for a further conversation. Where the employer is communicating well, a recruiter’s job is much harder.
But communicating well even internally is difficult. Employees are constantly receiving messages from multiple sources (corporate, line manager, the water cooler etc) and what works for or is important to one employee may be entirely unsatisfactory to another.
What is obvious to recruiters is that employees are more likely to be happy when there is a consistent vision that is clearly communicated in a timely manner; when communication is two-way so that employees know that their ideas and opinions are being listened to; and, arguably most importantly, when communication is personalised so individuals have a clear understanding of their role and potential within the organisation. Of course, ironically, the time it is most important to communicate clearly and regularly is when circumstances are challenging, uncertain and fast moving…
Although excellent internal communication doesn’t mean that employees can’t be tempted away, it does make the bar for getting them to consider opportunities elsewhere much higher and mean that they will be open to counter-offers from their existing employer.
So, if you want:
• to be attracting high quality candidates without paying a premium then think about your employer brand and help us to ‘sell’ both your company and the role.
• us to be helping you to grow your team rather than replace churn then communicate regularly, make sure the messages are clear and consistent, ensure communications are two-ways and think about when to communicate.
All too often I speak with candidates who are starting to despair because recruiters aren’t getting back to them. It could be because their applications appear to be dropping into a black hole; because having registered with one or more recruiters a deafening silence has ensued; or because having started a recruitment process they no longer know where they stand.
There are many possible reasons for these various scenarios but given how important this subject is to those who experience it, I think it’s important to explore the main ones. Part 1 examines what happens once a recruiter receives an application, how we respond at AR Resourcing, possible reasons recruiters aren’t engaging with your applications and things you can try in these scenarios. Part 2 explores what to do if you’re registered with recruiters but are hearing nothing, what to do when a recruitment process goes quiet.
PART 1
What happens when a recruiter receives an application
The process of reviewing applications varies from company to company, however once a recruiter (or a researcher working with them) receives an application they will typically review it to identify how closely it matches the brief. Candidates likely to be suitable for this role, or other roles the company recruits for, will then be added to the CMS (candidate management system – a database of candidates) or, if they are already in the system, their record will be reviewed and updated.
The recruiter will then ensure that the candidate’s profile on the CMS is correctly coded with their skills, experience and ambitions so they should appear for future relevant roles when the database is searched. If the application is promising for any roles that they, or their colleagues, are currently recruiting for then the recruitment consultant or researcher will typically call the applicant to discuss their suitability and ambitions before potentially putting them forward on a shortlist.
Shouldn’t every application get a response?!
Each recruitment company has its own policy about responding to applications. Some set up an auto-respond to acknowledge receipt of every application, others may notify unsuccessful candidates once the shortlist has been finalised, others state on the application that if you haven’t heard anything by a certain date that you should assume the application has been unsuccessful, others only ever respond to the most relevant candidates etc.
Irrespective, for junior to mid-level roles, unless you reach interview stage the detail about why your application was unsuccessful is likely to be generic as the economics of recruitment simply do not allow a forensic discussion with every candidate.
AR Resourcing’s policy
At AR Resourcing we reply to all candidate applications we receive that are even a moderate fit for the role. However, we will not reply to applications that are entirely unrealistic, for example, because the skills are so far removed from those specified in the job description or because a candidate early on in their career is applying for a director level role… If the pay rise is more than 30% then consider whether the application is a sensible one!
If you would like specific feedback on your application or suitability for a role you are thinking of applying for, then please call us or email the relevant consultant and they’ll be happy to help. While, sadly, the economics of recruitment simply do not allow us to proactively call every candidate and provide a forensic discussion of every application, it is our policy to reply to every call or email asking for more information. Full consultant contact details are provided on our website for each job.
How do you identify the problem if you can’t get feedback?!??!?
If you aren’t getting feedback from your applications then it can be tempting to double down on the number of roles you are applying for. This is almost always a mistake. The chances are you will simply repeat any mistakes you might be making, resulting in the same outcome and, as your CV crosses a recruiter’s desk for the third or fourth time, they may start to subconsciously filter out your applications.
Instead, as a first step take some time to consider what you can change. The questions below are a good place to.
• Are you being realistic? A recruiter’s job is to identify the best candidates they can for a role and not, as some candidates think, to put every applicant forward for the role of their dreams irrespective of their suitability. There is also a reason that a job requirement states “10 years’ nuclear experience” or “large infrastructure experience” and recruiters will likely consider applications that don’t match the description as time wasters. Furthermore, if you have been wildly optimistic about your capabilities, recruiters may be concerned about the impact on their credibility of proposing you for roles that do meet your skillset or experience.
• Does your application do you justice? ‘Quality over quantity’ should be everyone’s job hunting mantra. Assuming six to eight candidates have tailored their applications to the job spec then you are unlikely to appear competitive if you submit a generic CV or covering letter, or your application is poorly written.
• Are you targeting the right recruitment companies? A big part of the reason that our clients value our service, is our inch wide, mile deep philosophy – we only recruit for procurement, supply chain and commercial roles for companies operating in construction related industries. Spending two minutes reviewing a recruitment company’s website should tell you if they are a good fit for your skills and aspirations. If they’re not, go to the jobs boards and identify a company that is before applying directly.
• Does the recruiter have a good prospect of placing you? In general, recruiters only get a fee if they successfully place a candidate. The more recruiters you are registered with, the lower their chances are of placing you. Rather than applying for every relevant role you see, identify 1-3 relevant recruiter(s) and send them each one targeted application, potentially referencing other roles they are advertising that interest you. Make them aware you are taking a selective approach and ask to speak with them.
• Is it worth applying speculatively? If your CV doesn’t directly relate to a role the recruitment company is actively working on then the team is unlikely to dedicate time to your job search at that moment. However, assuming your skills and experience are relevant to their specialism, they will likely add you to the CMS so that you will be on their radar for future opportunities. If you want feedback on your CV or the market generally, think about how you word your approach to them carefully, for example making it clear that you would appreciate a chance to discuss the current market and your skills.
• Would going exclusive make a difference? Candidates who offer themselves exclusively to one recruiter for a period of time can find it pays dividends. Exclusivity makes a big difference to that recruiter’s chances of securing the placement and so the recruiter will prioritise your job search. If you do consider this, then agree the length of the exclusivity with the recruiter and speak with them about what they will do in return – i.e. will they proactively contact certain companies? Will they provide a list every week of the companies they’ve approached about you? Etc.
PART 2
This is the second part of my blog examining why candidates may experience the infuriating situation of recruiters not getting back to them. This part of the blog explores what to do if you’re registered with recruiters but are hearing nothing from them and what to do when a recruitment process goes quiet.
What if you’re registered but recruiters aren’t contacting you about roles
If you have registered with a recruitment company but you are not getting opportunities then try a couple of things.
• Speak with one of the recruiters – arrange a call with a recruiter specialising in your sector to set your expectations. Before the call ensure you know what you want to ask – for example: are there many roles out there for your skillset and experience at the moment? is there anything you can do to strengthen your CV? how often should you get in touch with the recruiter going forward or how often will they contact you? when was the last time they placed a candidate with experience similar to yours? Etc
Don’t try to register with multiple recruiters at the same company as they will work as a team, keeping one another informed of active roles, reviewing all candidates on the company CMS and asking one another for recommendations about relevant candidates.
• Be aware of the market – for junior to mid-level roles, keeping an eye on the jobs boards will typically give a good indication of whether or not organisations are currently recruiting for your skillset or experience. If there is activity and you are not getting calls then contact the recruiter(s) you have registered with to ask where your profile is falling short - don’t be satisfied with an answer that there were stronger candidates but push for detail about where your CV was weak etc so that you can look to strengthen it accordingly. If the market is quiet or you are looking for a specialist or senior level role then it is worth emailing your contact at the recruitment company once a month to remind them that you are still looking.
What if you started a process but it has gone quiet?
Once you have been shortlisted for a role, you should expect detailed feedback about the strengths and weaknesses of your application, and if relevant, interview(s) as well as updates on progress with the process. Recruiters will typically update you regularly, however sometimes it can go frustratingly quiet all of a sudden. The most common reasons for this are:
• The client isn’t providing the recruiter with the information they need – while the obvious answer would be for the recruiter to tell you that they are waiting for news, sometimes they may not know when they will hear, they don’t want to start a conversation without more information or they don’t want to make the client look bad.
• The recruiter is juggling competing priorities – a recruiter will always be juggling multiple processes and this may mean that they are not able to respond with the detail that they need to provide you with immediately. If you have made contact and not heard anything after 48 hours then chase again. Chasing by phone is not always best – an email will typically trigger an autorespond if they are on holiday. If they are away, then they or a colleague should nonetheless get back to you in a timely fashion.
If you are looking for a new procurement, supply chain or commercial role in the built environment sector then please email me: adam.richardson@arresourcing.com or call 0330 174 6801.
Together with being unrealistic about market rates, a poorly run recruitment process is one of the quickest ways to make your company unattractive to the best candidates. Think of it like inviting someone out on a date, choosing a dinghy bar, then turning up late and being stand-offish, and then not following up afterwards.
The good news is that, according to a Linkedin poll we did last month, if you want to make a good impression, the chances are your competitors are setting the bar low! Of 88 respondents to the question “What percentage of job applications where you've got to interview stage have been well run?”
10 Tips to run a Good Recruitment Process
Take time to scope the role – changing the job spec during a recruitment process will, at best, make the company look disorganised and indecisive. At worst, and all too commonly, it will end up with the whole process needing to be restarted. Make sure to involve all potential stakeholders in agreeing the required/desired skills and that there is budget ringfenced before starting the recruitment process. Then ensure the correct job description is shared with the recruitment consultant and candidates once it is signed off.
Brief your recruitment consultant thoroughly and listen to their questions and challenges – if your recruitment consultant is to consistently identify relevant candidates then they need to be well briefed. As part of that process, expect them to ask questions either because they want clarification about the role or because they think that the brief would benefit from some changes. For example, if the candidate profile is more prescriptive than necessary that limits the pool of talent unnecessarily. However, if the brief is too vague both you and the recruiter will likely spend hours filtering through irrelevant applications. Currently many hiring managers are finding ongoing wage inflation means they’re needing to either increase budgets or reduce their expectations of the candidate profile for new roles.
Plan your employer value proposition (EVP) and how to sell this opportunity to candidates – while salary is typically the most important consideration for candidates it is far from the only one. Hiring managers should carefully consider the wider benefits and opportunities around each role such as career progression, team culture, the company commitment to sustainability, remote working opportunities etc. When salaries are broadly aligned, as is often the case, the impact of these softer benefits and the way they are sold can make a huge difference to offer-acceptance rates.
Plan the application process – a disorganised or drawn-out recruitment process will often result in the best candidates accepting offers elsewhere before your process finishes. Plan the recruitment process from start to finish and try to keep it as condensed as possible - some companies are offering within two weeks of advertising a role. Key to running a condensed process is ensuring a clear timeline internally e.g. the date candidate approaches will start or the job advert will go live; the date applications will close; when interviewers will receive candidate applications to review prior to interview; time blocked out for first and second round interviews in the diaries of everyone who needs to be involved before an offer is made etc. Communicating time frames for initial responses, first round and second round interviews to applicants also helps to keep better candidates engaged.
Train staff on how to interview – a candidate’s rapport with interviewers is often the most important factor in their decision as to whether they want to progress with a process or not. And while some people are naturally good interviewers, others benefit significantly from training. When the roles they are interviewing for have a plentiful supply of candidates the way they reflect on the company may matter less but for roles where quality candidates are scarce it is an investment worth considering.
Brief the interviewers – investing time to ensure that each interview is structured and with clear objectives both makes it easier to identify the better candidates and reduces the need for additional interviews that draw out the recruitment process. Each interviewer should understand how their interview will dovetail with previous and future ones as well as having a brief detailing what they are supposed to be probing with the candidate, for example specific technical skills, cultural fit, ability to communicate under pressure etc. Ensuring that interviewers have the candidate’s CV in plenty of time and have been debriefed about previous interviews is also key. Hiring managers should also ensure that candidates, especially if they ask, know the format and expected content of the interview so they can prepare as much as possible and approach the session in the right mindset.
Prioritise debriefing – too often interviewers don’t prioritise debriefing colleagues thoroughly or in a timely manner after interviews. If debriefing isn’t done promptly, it can lead to interviewers’ memories becoming less clear but even more importantly it can slow down the interview process; result in interviews revisiting ground already covered with candidates; make it more likely the candidates aren’t challenged as thoroughly as they should be on their weaknesses; and lead to stronger candidates not standing out as much as they should.
Feedback to recruiters about each candidate after each interview – successful or not, candidates value and deserve feedback. Successful candidates will often have concerns about their fit for a role and feedback from the interview is often a crucial part in keeping them engaged in the process and encouraging discussion around any concerns to see if these can be resolved. For unsuccessful candidates, the feedback is important to help them understand how they can improve or where the fit wasn’t quite right. While there may appear to be little direct benefit to the employer in spending time providing feedback to unsuccessful candidates not only is it courteous to applicant who has invested time in the process, but also it can damage the company’s reputation as an employer if they don’t. There is a further benefit in that the feedback also helps the recruiter deliver you a better service going forward as they can assess how well they are matching the brief and targeting suitable candidates.
Offer promptly and within the stated salary range for the role – there is rarely a good reason not to get a role signed off before the final interviews are complete. Being able to offer quickly after the final interview minimises the chances that a candidate is going to accept elsewhere and makes a considerable difference to securing your preferred candidate as they know you are confident, they are right for the role. When making the offer ensure that it’s in line with (or above) the figure originally advertised/ discussed, or the candidate is likely to feel insulted or deceived.
Keep in contact with the candidate – once the preferred candidate has accepted the recruitment process is NOT over. At graduate level, around two thirds of candidates would renege on an offer they’d already accepted if they found something better. At a more senior level those numbers are lower but it is nonetheless common. In order to minimise the chances of having to start a recruitment process again stay in touch with the successful candidate regularly between acceptance and their start date. It needn’t be time consuming. For example, drop them an email updating them on company performance, ask them if they have any further questions before they start, and/or invite them to join their team for drinks.
Running a good recruitment process isn’t rocket science but it takes planning and discipline and requires everyone involved to buy into the importance of sticking to the process. However, the benefits far outweigh the effort required.
If you would like further details about any of the trends or would like to speak with us about how we can support you then please email me: adam.richardson@arresourcing.com or call 0330 174 6801.
From contractors to engineering giants, many businesses in the construction sector are feeling the squeeze as a result of rising material and labour costs. Some are even making redundancies as they anticipate cash flow issues or reduced demand ahead.
If you have already been made redundant, believe you may need to find a new job soon or are worried about your career progression then the good news is that the long term planning and delivery timescales which are fundamental to our industry mean there are still opportunities out there for those who set about their search in the right way.
Here are our top tips for finding a role in a job market that is somewhat slower than it was a year ago.
Start looking early – the good news is that hiring managers across the construction sector are, for the moment, complaining of a shortage of good procurement and commercial candidates. However, with fewer roles available than a year ago there is more competition and the earlier you start your job hunt, the more selective you can afford to be about which opportunities to pursue and the less pressure you are likely to feel at interview.
Be targeted - don’t panic apply! – this is probably the most important point in this blog. Faced with the prospect of being jobless or with dwindling cash reserves it can be tempting to start applying for any vaguely suitable role advertised. DON’T. A bulk-application approach to job hunting will generally actually reduce your chances of getting a job so take a quality over quantity approach. Here’s why:
Most candidates who go on an application blitz don’t make the effort to tailor their CV and covering letter for each opportunity. Applications tailored to a specific job are far more likely to be shortlisted by the recruiter or hiring manager as they generally fit the job description more obviously and better than a generic CV used to apply for multiple roles.
The second issue with bulk applications is that the more recruiters/ employers you are involved with, the lower their chances of being the person who places you and so the less interesting you will be to each of them.
The most successful approach for the majority of candidates is to select between one and three recruitment companies that specialise in relevant roles and then run your job hunt exclusively through them. Choose wisely and the company/ies you choose will cover a significant proportion of roles on the market and the recruiter(s) will work proactively on your behalf.
Focus on your responsibilities AND achievements – on your CV further to listing your responsibilities you should articulate the impact you made in each role i.e. your achievements. At interview you will be expected to explain how you approached various challenges, why you chose your approach, the impact you made and any lessons you learned.
Redundancy – if you are made redundant then make sure you understand your rights and responsibilities. There are plenty of useful resources available, for example: https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights but don’t forget to review the detail of your contract, the redundancy process and any settlement agreement your employer offers. For example, some settlement agreements may be dependent on you not having an alternative offer of employment at that time or may try to preclude you from working for certain other employers for a period after you leave. Get it right and you may get paid twice! Get it wrong and it is easy to end up with a headache.
Don’t apply if you don’t have the skills – while there may be a shortage of candidates in many of the construction related industries it is important to be realistic when applying for roles. Recruiters are not going to risk their relationships with their clients by putting forward overly-optimistic candidates and one speculative application can taint perceptions of a candidate with that recruitment company.
If there is a role you are particularly interested in and your application would have some merit without being an ideal fit, then call the recruiter directly to discuss your potential.
Be patient and stay positive – it is important to be realistic about how long it takes to find a new job, the number of unsuccessful applications you are likely to make before you get an offer and how much time you are likely to need to invest in your job hunt.
Even at the best of times it takes anywhere from a few weeks to six months to find a new role according to different surveys. Many applications will get no feedback, some may not even be acknowledged. There will be gaps between being shortlisted and interviews, between first and second rounds etc.
And the process is likely to involve plenty of rejection. After all, for each candidate hired there will likely be a further five candidates who were interviewed but unsuccessful, and potentially dozens more who applied and didn’t even get an interview. Working with a recruitment company can help you get feedback on your applications and give you the confidence not to panic apply.
To keep your confidence high, keep a note of your greatest career achievements and your testimonials. To keep a sense of control over the job hunt make sure you keep a note of each job you apply for, when you applied, how you applied and the date of the next stage.
Don’t limit your options unnecessarily – with the market tighter than it was 12 months ago, the less prescriptive you are in your search the more likely you are to find something. Similarly, think hard before turning down a role because in the hope that an alternative role may materialise.
If you would like further details about any of the trends or would like to speak with us about how we can support you then please email me: adam.richardson@arresourcing.com or call 0330 174 6801.
This year we will be publishing four Salary Surveys and two Industry Moves Trends reports analysing remuneration for procurement and supply chain roles across the construction related industries.
While the Salary Surveys can be used on their own as a tool to benchmark salaries and improve retention, when that information is combined with our new Industry Moves Trends report, companies have a valuable tool to help them understand the cost of hiring new talent.
The publication schedule for these reports is:
About our Salary Surveys – an excellent retention tool
Our salary surveys are conducted online and are open to any UK employee currently working in the UK in the relevant industry, i.e. for this Construction, Infrastructure, FM & ME Contractors report we had 196 respondents all working for Construction, Infrastructure, FM & ME Contractors in the UK.
Each of the salary surveys will be divided into five sections: Basic Salary, Car & Car Allowance, Performance Bonus, Other Benefits, and Future Plans. The basic salary figures are broken down into lower quartile, median and upper quartile salaries by job title for the specific sector of the industry covered.
Employers will find the survey an exceptionally useful tool when working out how much they need to pay staff to retain them in a market where there is a shortage of talent.
About our Industry Move Trends Report – understand your hiring costs
The purpose of the Industry Move Trends Report is to understand how much a prospective employer is likely to have to offer above an employee’s existing basic salary in order to persuade them to make a move. We do this by analysing placements we have made in recent months. The report is divided into two sections looking at our:
NB - All placements detailed in this report are from permanently employed candidates moving from one industry competitor to another between July 2022 and December 2022.
A summary analysis of the results from the Q1 Salary Survey and Industry Moves Trends reports
As hiring managers across the country will tell you, there remains a shortage of qualified, experienced procurement and supply chain candidates in the UK construction related industries and this is driving up salaries across the board.
According to the Q1 salary survey covering construction, infrastructure and FM & M&E contractors, 66% or respondents had received a pay rise in the last 12 months. Depending on the role that rise was typically between 5% and 7%.
While these rises may seem significant and be applying pressure to company wage bills, they are nonetheless falling short of inflation. They are also very modest compared with the rises we have seen achieved by procurement and supply chain managers in the construction industries who have moved role in the last six months. The average rise in basic (calculated using the last five procurement, supply chain, category managers we placed with new employers) was a massive 21% compared with their previous role. For the last ten buyers, senior buyers, category buyers we placed that figure was 17%.
We expect wage inflation to be more modest in the year ahead, however companies will continue to find back filling roles with like-for-like candidates an expensive exercise. As such, employers who want to manage their wage bills should focus on three things:
If you would like to review a copy of our latest Insights email, then please email me: adam.richardson@arresourcing.com or call 07795 148 182.
If you would like to sign up to receive future reports, then you can join our Insights mailing list here: https://arresourcing.com/contact-us/signup-for-insights/
