Hiring markets are always changing – the COVID-19 pandemic proved this to be true. Certain industries took a hit when work was halted, but many of them are coming back hard. Architecture, engineering, and construction jobs are currently booming, especially in specific areas of the country. What used to be a company focused market is now favoring candidates.
Companies are consistently interviewing – even if their needs are already met
“Clients aren’t closing their doors on resumes at all,” says Rich Egloff, Director of Architecture & Engineering here at Green Key. “With so many positions open, we can overwhelm a candidate with almost six companies at once and 50% of them will bite.”
There’s transparency in the business now; companies know they need to interview faster and hire quickly. Otherwise, candidates have a wide-open pool of positions to opt for. Samantha Leveille, Senior Recruiter on the Architecture & Engineering team, tells us, “Our clients have to impress their candidates in order for them to decide to choose them.”
She also reiterates that many candidates in her market are making changes based on work-life balance and mental health, rather than salary. According to Forbes, companies in this industry who have switched to virtual tools are seeing the advantages. “Engineering organizations and owner-operators who have been at the forefront in adopting these technologies are seeing improved results while lowering costs, increasing safety and increasing their return on investment,” they say.
Construction is moving its demand
Many believe that Austin, Texas will be the next Silicon Valley. Bloomberg Businessweek claims, “Since the pandemic started, a subset of the California-based tech industry has declared the need to relocate, citing the state’s high taxes and prices, ineffectual government, and endemic wildfires. A few investors and executives loudly decamped to Miami, but an analysis of LinkedIn user data shows that about six times as many tech workers went from the San Francisco Bay Area to Austin.”
Sean Coyne, Director of Construction and Real Estate Development, is seeing this move in real time. “Projects and deadlines were extended and delayed due to COVID. Now everything is hitting at once.” Construction is a project-based industry. These tech companies require commercial real estate and the need for candidates to meet those deadlines is pressing. Additionally, with so many tech opportunities moving to Austin, so is residential real estate. Because of these shifts, the demand for construction candidates in the Austin area is thriving more than ever.
When asked about the hiring process, Coyne advises, “Certain clients can be as quick as 24 hours. Other clients have a few steps in their process – they are the ones losing people.”
Where to go from here
Architecture, engineering, and construction are industries that require strong skills and project dedication. If you are interested in entering or advancing your career, Green Key works closely with management firms nationwide.
Check out our Architecture + Engineering jobs board today or connect with one of our talented recruiters on LinkedIn!
