A survey conducted by employment agency Reed and YouGov has revealed that staff in the construction and property sectors are looking to employers to offer more in bonuses and benefits.
The survey accompanies an analysis of typical salaries in the sector, based on vacancies advertised on reed.co.uk and salaries of jobseekers, with key tables reproduced below.
Over the past year, 44% of respondents to the survey had received a pay rise, with 28% of employees receiving a bonus and Reed predicts that this number will rise over the next 12 months as employers invest to “keep valued staff”.
But the survey also showed that 23% received no benefits at all and only 17% received any formal training in the past year.
However, Reed believes this could change over the next year as “skills shortages become more troublesome for growing businesses”.
According to the survey results, 62% of construction professionals say that if they had their time again, they would take a different career path after leaving compulsory education.
This compares unfavourably with other sectors where a slightly lower 57% would have chosen a different path.
The survey suggests that 23% of property and construction professionals are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their current role, with 14% of the workforce actively looking for another role.
John Seasman, divisional director at Reed Property and Construction, said: “In a candidate-led market such as this, employers in the construction sector need to think hard about how they attract and retain staff. What this research shows is that although salary is very important, now we’re out of the recession it’s no longer just about pay – employers need to consider many other factors, such as flexible working and how they can offer the greatest job satisfaction.
“Employers need to start taking action and think wider than just the salary package.”
Typical salaries for several positions in the industry based on vacancies advertised on Reed.co.uk and construction employees registered with the company are given below.