How do we even get people to click on our industry?
But for the construction and property industries, the question of how to even attract the attention of a future workforce is perhaps the most pressing.
In an early discussion session between our Gen Z cohort from across the three businesses, one participant put it aptly: ‘how do we even get young people to click on the built environment, let alone our individual brands?’
Changing that default behaviour has been a strategic goal of policymakers, industry trade bodies and businesses in the sector since before many of Generation Z were born.
Some negative perceptions of the industry remain problematic; actively discouraging young people.
But, as this research highlights, there is an equally pressing problem: a lack of awareness about the industry causing many simply not to even consider it.
Our research first set out to establish what factors are important to Gen Z when choosing a career.
At this stage, respondents had no indication that the survey would move onto focus onto the built environment specifically.
When asked to list words positively associated with a career they aspired to, ‘pay’ ‘salary’ and ‘enjoyment’ were the most used.
Being well paid was the top response, cited as essential or very important by more than half (54%), with job security (51%) and the ability to develop skills (50%) also seen as priorities.
The ability to work in a career which has a positive impact on the environment was considered key by 34%, while the scope to work in an industry which benefits society more generally was a key motivator for four in 10.
It is unsurprising that remuneration and job security rank so highly. Most, if not all, workers see both as important.
However, Generation Z has grown up in the fallout from the financial crisis, which may further explain some of their attitudes towards uncertainty and job security. Their generation has also now experienced the COVID-19 pandemic too.
It is also a point worth remembering and prioritising when trying to promote a career working in the built environment.
Otherwise, there is a risk that the softer, and arguably deeper and more interesting elements, are prioritised in recruitment campaigns; when highlighting breadth and volume of well-paying roles, with salaries outstripping the national average may be more effective.
When analysing the different motivations between female and male respondents, there were some subtle yet interesting differences.
Women placed slightly more emphasis on working in a career which impacts the environment positively.
They also rated the ability to impact society positively, and benefit from flexible working conditions, as significantly more important than men did.
The Gen Z research sample were then asked to rank their consideration of a range of sectors. Half chose media as their preferred industry, which was the top response.
This was closely followed by healthcare (48%), retail (48%) and hospitality (47%). Service industries overall were perceived positively.
Worryingly, less than a third of respondents (31%) would consider a career in construction and the built environment.
The sector ranked second bottom, with only agriculture (26%) faring worst. Industrials as a whole seem to hold little attraction to Gen Z, with manufacturing (31%) and energy (32%) also among the least popular choices.
Construction was also rejected by more than half (57%) of women, highlighting that there is still real work to do to address female perceptions of the industry.
In terms of ethnic diversity however, our findings seem more promising. Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) respondents were 36% likely to consider a career in the industry which is 12% more than their white counterparts.
Drilling down into the reasons behind the poor response to construction, it’s apparent that many of the negative perceptions which the sector has worked to address for decades remain pervasive.
Just over a quarter of respondents indicated they would not consider a career in the industry due to perceiving it dangerous (28%) or dirty (26%).
The most cited reason for disinterest in the sector, however, was simply that it did not interest them (46%).
Clearly, the sector still has work to do to change some of the views which business and policy leaders would term outdated stereotypes.
Communicating the breadth of highly-skilled roles available – both on and off site – and the unerring focus that policymakers and the sector’s leading businesses place on health, safety and wellbeing, remains a priority.
Arguably of equal concern, is the fact that such a large proportion are simply not interested in the built environment.
An unwavering constant in previous research about Generation Z’s attitudes and priorities, is that this age group sees the climate emergency as the most pressing threat facing the world.
Our data confirms that the majority (62%) of Gen Z are still aware of and engaged with the climate emergency.
Perhaps more surprising, is the finding that awareness of the work being undertaken in the built environment to address the issue is so low.
Just one in three see the built environment as a sector where they can work to effect positive change on environmental concerns.
There was also a lack of awareness around the capacity to use and develop digital skills, with less than one in three (32%) respondents aware that the industry is undergoing digital transformation, and facing a similar demand for coders and data scientists as many other sectors.
This knowledge gap is another obvious area for the built environment to address. The sector has been comparatively late to adopt digital technology.
But from established tools like BIM (Building Information Modelling), to augmented and virtual reality tools, the industry is now embracing digitisation.
"To ensure that this progress does not become bottlenecked by the same skills shortage facing other areas of the sector, real action is needed. In doing so, construction can further dispel the myth that the work is solely hands-on and analogue; appealing to a digitally-native future talent pool."
