Welcome to the CGC September newsletter. The new financial year is up, running and in full flight with the CGC team continuing to build on the great start mentioned in the August newsletter – by already smashing another quarter record! Let’s hear more about the Civil and Structural Design sector from our Director, James Grantham:

Industry briefing with James Grantham

When asked to contribute to this month’s newsletter is was difficult for me not to mention the current NSW roads engineering industry. It’s the huge road projects that have come, and are coming, to the state that will create excellent career opportunities.

Huge road projects such as the:

• Pacific Highway upgrades
• WestConnex (Stage 1, 2 & 3)
  
• NorthConnex M1-M2 Link
  
• Western Sydney Airports road infrastructure

What is also worthy of note is that the spend is not just on the ‘mega’ projects but also for the smaller road projects. $2.5billion has been allocated over the next 5 years to some of the following works:

• Western Sydney Infrastructure and Growth Roads
• Sydney Commuter Wharf Upgrades
  
• Regional NSW Major Road Upgrades
  
• Princes Highway
  
• Port Botany and KSA
  
• Moorebank Intermodal
  
• M1 Productivity Package
  
• Hunter Roads
• Great Western Highway & Bells Line of Road
  
• Established Sydney Roads
  
• Easing Sydney’s Congestion
  
• Central Coast Roads
  
• Bridges for the Bush
• Bridge Rebuilding
  
• Pacific Highway

In total some 60 projects costing $14 billion. For those who have been living and working in NSW for the last number of years this investment is both welcomed and necessary.

The new full time job growth in construction and engineering over the last month has outstripped predictions. Not only has the major (and don’t forgot the minor!) road infrastructure spend contributed to this but also the building sector.

Whilst there are signs of the housing boom slowing down we are still seeing huge demand for consulting professionals (drafters & engineers) in the building design market.

Having been requested by my key clients to attend their offices and assist with their staff resourcing over the last few weeks it is clear that the demand has suddenly picked up momentum. Whilst I would usually put this down to the trend we historically see at this time of the year, what has changed is the fact that my clients have instigated the meet and not the other way round!

It’s during these strategic meetings that we can use previous trends and assess the current supply of talent in the market and start putting together sensible timelines to start interviewing prospective employees.

I appreciate this isn’t a perfect world and sometimes there is a need “to get the work out the door” but by having these meetings with your recruiting partner you can plan, and importantly assess, the compromises you are prepared to make when demand exceeds supply.

I would urge companies to start thinking of those engineers that you could accommodate who may only fit the job specification by 80%. The time will come.. when will it be your time to compromise?

For those who have worked in a job-rich candidate-short market (pre 2007) we are able to foresee the work coming and the necessity to employ those who only partly fit the desired role. Can these drafters/engineers operate software to such a high level freeing up others to cover the potential gaps the new employee has? At what point will you consider offering relocation packages to less senior people? What markets and project types will you look at from overseas to fill your resourcing needs?

I merely pose some of these questions so employers think about how the engineering and construction market will look in mid-2016. How will you restructure your current team to accommodate those where you have to make a compromise? The underlying message is that it is exciting times ahead, and a little planning now could gain an advantage over your competitors.

Importantly in a job-rich market, job seekers are making decisions about who they want to work for as much as you are making decisions about them. They will likely have multiple choices, so you need to make sure you stand out. Through the selection process, take time to get to understand what motivates and drives them, and make sure you clearly align this with your employee value proposition. Facts and figures about your business will make them listen, but the way you make them feel will make them act.

Meet your specialist recruiter and get them working for you. Ensure they are an extension of your business and ask that the job seekers are fully informed as to the benefits of working for your company.

Call any of our specialist recruiters for a pro bono meeting to discuss your needs.

CGC Social with Evan Morgans

August was a very busy month on the CGC social scene, with half the team heading out to the 2015 Darts Masters at Darling Harbour. Being CGC, this presented a good opportunity to dress up, and the decision was made to base the theme around superheros. By the time the darts were over the scene was reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan rather than the Avengers! 

The calendar was absolutely bursting with amazing CGC perks. The traditional quarterly High Achievers lunch was held at the fantastic Riley St Garage Woolloomooloo where the well deserved group feasted upon an amazing smorgasbord of fantastic food. The MEP quarterly team celebration was held at The Cut Steak House for some incredible wagyu steaks followed by ten pin bowling in Darling Harbour, where Trev the rev Brown wiped the floor with the competition carding a blistering 130 points despite intense meat sweats!

This is a big sporting year, and being avid sports fans the CGC massive have made the sweepstake draw for the current Rugby world cup.

And finally, rather than a water skiing squirrel, we have CGC’s very own Pocket Rocket Rory Todd’s one year anniversary, congratulations Rory and also the King Pin of the ten pin bowling scene Trevor (T Bone) Brown’s 32nd birthday, many happy returns Trev!