CAREERS | HAYS SALARY SURVEY HOLDING ALL THE CARDS With salaries rising and plenty of jobs, building services engineers are seeking good pay and a healthy work-life balance. David Blackman analyses the 2022 Hays Salary Survey and asks industry leaders how they attract the best talent P roperty and construction is entering 2022 in a bullish mood. That is the verdict of the latest jobs and salary survey of the sector, carried out by recruitment consultancy Hays for the CIBSE Journal. Nearly all construction and property employers surveyed are optimistic about the year ahead, with 98% expecting their organisations activity levels to increase or stay the same over the next 12 months. The survey was conducted before the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant, which sparked renewed restrictions and economic uncertainty in December. However, Gaelle Blake, director for construction and property at Hays, says sentiment has rebounded sharply since the new year, as it has emerged that the variant is not as severe as first feared. This relief has poured oil on what was already a hot market, she adds. Reflecting this buoyant outlook, 83% of construction and property employers plan to recruit over the next 12 months, an increase on the figure of 70% recorded in last years survey. For Blake, who oversees permanent recruitment for Hays across all sectors, this level of anticipated recruitment is unprecedented. Ive not seen that sort of level in any industry, she says. Nearly half (45%) of building services engineers surveyed reported that they had moved jobs in the past 12 months, and a further 31% considered moving. More than half (54%) of building services professionals plan to look for a new job in the next 12 months, slightly down on the previous year (56%). Confidence has also grown among professionals. The proportion of building services engineers who feel positive about their career prospects has nearly doubled, from 35% this time last year to 68% now. There is no doubt lots of people are moving, says Blake. The experience of working remotely has bred a more footloose relationship between employees and companies, she adds: Peoples emotional ties to organisations have loosened, because they havent been in the office and are more willing to move. This more turbulent hiring environment means that human resources departments must up their game to Olympic athlete levels, Blake says. Anyone who thinks head hunters arent after their staff are out of touch, she adds. 26 February 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Feb22 pp26-29 Salary survey.indd 26 28/01/2022 16:20