Employer-of-choice characteristics in the construction industry

In many countries, ageing populations, skills shortages and increasing inter-sector labour competition has made graduate recruitment and retention a priority in the construction industry. Understanding what constitutes an employer-of-choice in the eyes of graduates is important in meeting this challenge. A survey of 160 undergraduates across 26 international universities concluded that the top three most important workplace characteristics for university students on construction courses are: positive work relationships, being able to learn on the job, and a workplace that is passionate about work. Distinct gender differences were exposed between preferences as were differences in preferences compared to the preferences of graduates in other industries. These findings contribute to our understanding of how students make choices about employers, what factors are important in making those decisions and how these factors vary between different graduate groups. They also contribute to our understanding of how to design better recruitment strategies to attract talent to the construction sector in an environment where demand is anticipated to exceed supply for some time ahead.