- 47% of industry professionals looking to leave their current employer in 2014
- 58% unhappy with current salary, with the industry average salary at £38,625
As the industry shows signs of recovery, professionals are bold about their career ambitions in 2014, with half (47%) hoping to leave their current employer in search of better remuneration, benefits and promotion prospects.
Rather than source information from job postings, for increased accuracy CareerStructure.com surveyed over 2,000 construction, engineering and built environment professionals to compile the interactive Salary Benchmarker, a comprehensive study of industry professionals’ sentiment towards working conditions, career prospects, and remuneration.
The study found over half (58%) of industry professionals are unhappy with their current salary, benefits (60%) and promotion prospects (59%), leading one in two (47%) to suggest they are looking to leave their current employer in the next year. Just 9% plan to stay in their present job for longer than two years, highlighting the importance of talent retention.
Built environment professionals in oil and gas were more satisfied than most, and among the top earners in 2013 with 10% earning £100,000 or more, and 44% gaining a pay increase of 5% or more.
Building services was found to be the least prosperous industry, with 21% of workers on £15,000 or less each year, compared to an industry average of £38,625.
Location was another important factor on salary, with London found to be where professionals could earn the most, with 20% earning £50,000 or more. Working abroad was found to deliver even greater rewards, with 71% of those in North America taking home £50,000 or more.
Salary came out top in the most desirable factors when choosing a new job (63%), followed by job security (61%), recognition (57%), and challenging work (57%).
The top ten most desirable factors in a new job |
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1. Salary (63%) |
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2. Job security (61%) |
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3. Recognition (57%) |
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4. Challenging work (55%) |
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5. Good relationships with colleagues (53%) |
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6. Responsibility (52%) |
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7. Career prospects (51%) |
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8. Training (47%) |
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9. Holiday entitlement (41%) |
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10. Working environment (32%) |
Rob Searle, Commercial Director stated: “Jobseekers are clearly eager for more in 2014. As industry confidence grows, the desire for change will build so we expect to see a lot of switching in 2014. Employers will need to work harder than ever to retain their talent, as jobseekers consider locations abroad and at home which offer bolstered remuneration packages.
In addition to salary, bonuses and benefits are high on professionals’ agenda, with 20% of respondents voting a guaranteed or performance related bonus as the top incentive. Beyond the bonus, paid overtime (8%), a share of profit (7%), a company car (7%), or international relocation options (7%) proved most popular.
The most desired benefits |
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1. Guaranteed bonus (10%) |
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2. Performance related bonus (10%) |
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3. Paid overtime (8%) |
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4. Company car (7%) |
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5. Profit share (7%) |
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6. Health plan (7%) |