We asked our followers a simple question before Christmas: what is important to you in a job these days?
Our little poll doesn’t claim to represent the whole community of Digital Construction professionals but the results are quite clear:
Salary is not the top of the list anymore. So although we’re expecting the next DBE.careers Salary Guide (release date 11 January 2022) to show that salaries are beginning to respond to the supply and demand dynamics playing out in the market for BIM talent, that is not necessarily the main factor that will motivate employees to take a new role, nor stay with the one they have. In fact, only 20% of respondents said this was their priority.
Another historically-important principle that is declining in importance for a modern, digital workforce is job security. This featured in just 8% of responses to our poll, which indicates that people are expecting to move round more during their working life, perhaps indicative of the project-based work prevalent within the construction industry. However, the actual work or projects themselves also rank lower than one might expect (just 8%) for an evolving discipline with new technology and solutions being developed constantly.
Unsurprisingly, the unprecedented changes that COVID-19 has brought to our working lives seems to have caused people to re-evaluate their careers and privilege the flexibility that working from home can bring. Just 6% answered our poll with an emphasis on location or working environment, perhaps illustrating that physical workplace environments are no longer as relevant. Employers who are able to manage remote teams effectively will become more attractive to over 30% of candidates, who are looking to achieve a good work-life balance.
Retaining good people in a highly-competitive talent market is difficult and our poll shows that having a big name brand on a LinkedIn profile isn’t necessarily enough to keep someone in post. Only 2% ranked this as the most important feature of a role. Much more important, and representative of the ever-evolving nature of digital construction, is the need for good career progression and training. A quarter of our respondents named this as the most critical factor they’re looking for at work. This is a trend that has been building over time and we have seen a growing number of hiring firms showcasing their digital vision and personal development focus as Good Digital Employers.
If you find yourself starting 2022 in a role that isn’t delivering what’s important to you, have a look at the current opportunities on the Job Board to see what your next move could be.