The New Year felt a bit cold, but as we warm up towards the summer… the industry seems to be warming up too!
This season’s salary guide highlights the wide range of different outcomes that the last year of uncertainty has brought about in each domain of the BIM world. This is leading towards a diverse landscape where some areas are more fertile than others.
Fortune has favoured some contractors, who have benefitted from big wins and can now open the coffers and bid high for the best BIM talent. Others have lost out and need to focus on nurturing more junior roles to deliver existing projects. For those who can afford them, BIM Lead opportunities are emerging tentatively, but not enough to really be a resurgence, yet.
Overall, the market for BIM talent seems to be in a good place, with salaries seeming fairly stable as we move into the next financial year. For the full breakdown of current salaries, view the latest salary guide
What do we want?
The exponential increase in demand for Information Management and data is still driving a need for new talent and those BIM professionals who have invested in their skills and knowledge in this area are highly sought after. Often these are newer entrants into the BIM world from other disciplines, who are making their own demands of employers.
Whilst a higher salary will almost always win the contest for the brightest star, it might not be enough to keep them. We are beginning to see that contractors offering high salaries are not always able to retain their new recruits, who discover that the culture is a mismatch for their expectations.
Word spreads quickly in our small BIM world, so the investment that some consultancies are making to foster better workplaces and nurture talent is earning them a valuable reputation, which is attractive to those disillusioned by a previous move motivated by salary.
Although major project bid-winning contractors will always be attractive on the outside, they may need to work on the inside to build and retain quality teams.
Where do we want it?
As we predicted in May, the current market is now less reactive, and companies are looking at strategic recruitment, which means finding the right people in the right place. But more and more are recognising that doesn’t necessarily mean geographical location.
Hybrid working is gaining more traction in the consultancy world, with fully remote options also being considered, which means they’re able to secure the best talent from any part of the country. Contractors are still behind the curve on this as they’re less able to adapt culture and process to the demands of the digital generation.
We’re seeing an increase in opportunities outside London but typically with lower salaries, so the best regional talent may prefer to work remotely until the levelling-up agenda makes enough progress for local project-based roles to compete.
Jamie’s Prediction
“As we move into a new financial year, demand for BIM Managers looks to be warming slightly, but demand for strong BIM Coordinators will remain. With uncertainty around HS2 and the like, we anticipate a shift… with more good talent in the market, salaries are unlikely to increase and employers will benefit.”
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