Recruiting and retaining scarce skills in engineering and infrastructure development

At QCG we are finding our services increasingly called upon in the infrastructure development and engineering sectors. For some time now, employers in the industry have been facing a number of complex issues, some of them long-term – and all of which raise challenges for HR. The big issues include:

• Skills demand in a complex and diverse industry – and particularly in areas of publicly-funded projects (where the impact of the economic downturn has been much less).
• Long-term skills pipeline issues – for example, shortages of engineering graduates and a declining trend in the numbers of Chartered, and Fellow, Civil Engineers.
• Diverse workforce expectations ­ – not a ‘ one size fits all' in terms of what professionals are looking for in their choice of employer or role.
• A shortage of robust data to inform HR responses – for example, a dearth of reliable data on pay and non-pay approaches for supporting recruitment, retention and motivation.

In response to these challenges, QCG has launched (and now manages) a Steering Group for Senior HR Managers in the industry – QCG's PET Club (PET = Project management; Engineering; & Technical).

The PET Club brings Senior HR Managers together to assess the situation (for example through research that QGC carries out independently on their behalf) and share useful ideas and approaches which meet the various needs of the organisations and their stakeholders. One of the products of this already is the QCG / PET Club survey of pay and benefits for project management, engineering and related roles. The survey covers twenty-one key delivery roles in structured job families, with separate data cuts by London versus National (excluding London) and where possible by Rail sector versus Non-rail sectors. Additionally, the survey analyses data on non-pay recruitment and retention approaches and other terms and conditions relating to non-standard working weeks, mobility / working away from home, etc – these elements are rarely captured in salary surveys.

Through the PET club and other assignments, QCG is gathering empirical data to help HR Managers create a balanced and evidence-led business case – helping them invest in the right areas and in the right ways. QCG is committed to supporting the industry in securing the needed skills, optimising value for money from HR and reward interventions, and engaging the commitment and energy of the workforce.