Preconstruction is facing a big problem.

But it’s probably not the one you’d expect.

Precon isn’t a vibe.

Or so think the younger generations.

Gareth McGlynn, of preconstruction staffing company Niche SSP and The Preconstruction Podcast host, says that only 1 in 100 applicants at college recruiting fairs are interested in preconstruction. The overwhelming majority of graduates with AEC degrees want to go into the field.

Why?

It’s because preconstruction and estimating work has a reputation of being boring, repetitive, overworked, with outdated processes, and without social interaction.

Preconstruction just isn’t cool.

However, this is far from the truth.

The future of construction is preconstruction. The future of preconstruction is talent and technology. If you haven’t gotten them right, you have no hope of competing.

Gareth McGlynn Niche SSP

The average age of a construction worker across all roles is the mid-40s. Ken Simonson, chief economist at the Associated General Contractors of America, says talented workers are becoming even more difficult to find because those retiring are leaving faster than new workers coming in.

"What’s most worrisome is that the construction labor shortage is forcing some general contractors to turn down new projects," says Kris Manning, chief operating officer of DESTINI Estimator user Clark Construction based in Maryland. And though it is primarily the construction labor shortage of skilled laborers, preconstruction is feeling the pinch, too.

As more estimators retire, the more necessary it becomes to attract a younger generation of qualified candidates for your preconstruction team.

Due to the rapid increase in construction technology, we can bring sexy back to precon to attract younger generations.

Machine learning, artificial intelligence, greener building practices, robotics, augmented reality, and innovative safety equipment are driving a revolutionary change in construction and preconstruction unlike the industry has ever experienced. These technologies are eliminating mundane tasks like clicking and dragging takeoff, copy and pasting, manual estimate reviews and giving precon teams the opportunity to be more productive and creative, which is a driver for the younger generation.

Workflows are getting more efficient, allowing estimators and preconstruction teams to focus on higher-value, more challenging tasks like data analytics, problem solving, forecasting for future trends, and utilizing and growing their soft skills like communication and collaboration with internal teams and owners.

This digital transformation in construction, along with bigger and more complex projects, are creating new roles, roles that are attractive to younger workers. Technology specialists and experts will be essential to fill these roles in preconstruction. Many forward-thinking general contractors are already creating and filling these roles like Preconstruction Technology Manager and Innovation Specialist.

As more general contractors embrace these innovative technologies, preconstruction’s role will play a bigger part in a project’s success with more emphasis on recognition and helping maintain relationships with clients’ trust. Estimators are evolving from cost calculators to construction data and technology authorities.

There are two generations the construction industry needs to focus on attracting right now—Millennials and Generation Z.

Millennials are roughly defined as the generation born between 1980 and 1996, while Gen Z is typically understood to be born from 1995 to 2010. Millennials have already entered the workforce, and some will have already reached middle or higher management level in their career path. The oldest of Generation Z began working in 2019.

Millennials

Millennials have been accused of entitlement and narcissism, but despite some of the negative stereotypes, this generation is tolerant, confident, and generous with a genuine desire to improve the world. Not only that, but they are also educated, tech-savvy, and self-aware—all building blocks of a good employee.

Unlike the generations before them, Millennials—and especially the generation after Millennials, Generation Z—have never NOT known technology. They have always used tech to work more efficiently and accurately, simplify their lives, and relied on it to instantly communicate with others.

What do Millennials want in the workplace?

9 out of 10 reports they want a flexible work schedule. Technology is the only way they will still be productive when remote working.

Millennials are on the move and report working while on the move more than any other generation before them. Digital technology like cloud-based apps and Software as a Service (SaaS) allows this generation to work while mobile.

This generation yearns to feel connected with coworkers and needs to communicate and share information freely and easily.

When there is a central source of truth that everyone on the project team can access, estimates are more consistent and accurate, and less time is wasted tracking down correct data. This helps build trust with project owners and saves time for the estimators.  

Copy of Copy of Attracting talent

Generation Z

Generation Z is the most diverse generation in American history. They have never known a time when cell phones, laptops, FaceTime, Zoom, social media, and smart TVs did not exist. They are so connected to the digital world that they aren’t just tech savvy, they are actually tech dependent.

This generation has been described by The Economist as “educated” and “well-behaved…” and research has found that Generation Z is more concerned with their academic performance than the generations that preceded them. The Varkey Foundation, a global organization that works to improve education around the world, found that one of the top drivers for Gen Z is their desire to get ahead in life.

What does this mean for you? This means there is an entire group of people entering the workforce who are motivated to work hard, climb the corporate ladder, and play in active role in growing the company. But without an attractive corporate culture, good salary, and willingness to embrace innovative technology, this generation will skip over your company and interview with ones they see as diverse, progressive, and tech progressive.

What does Generation Z want in the workplace?

Gen Z has an entrepreneurial spirit and needs a company culture that inspires creativity and collaboration.

Like Millennials, Generation Z also desires a flexible work schedule and finds great importance in work-life balance.

It is undeniable that Generation Z needs a company that embraces change and provides innovative technology.

Nearly 50 percent of employees aged 50 and under say they would leave a company for one with a more innovative spirit.

In the next five years, it is estimated that Millennials will make up the majority of America’s workforce. With over 10,000 people retiring every day, it’s time to start considering how your company will attract this new labor force, as well as retain them once they get there.

Six Areas to Help Attract Talent

We spoke with Gareth to gain his expert insight on how to attract the next generation of preconstruction professionals. He boiled it down to six major things a contractor must do to attract the brightest rising stars:

Promote your company culture

Have a solid tech stack

Make precon sexy

Teach college students early

Hire more people than you think you need

Invest in the recruiting process

Company Culture is #1 When Recruiting New Talent

Gareth says that positive company culture is the number one lure for attracting recent college graduates—especially a culture of innovation and progression.

What is Company Culture?

Company culture doesn’t (just) mean in-office happy hours, a game room, flexible working schedules, and free lattes. Company or corporate culture is defined by the environment, values, traits, and qualities that drive an organization’s actions, behaviors, decisions, and interactions.

Why Does Company Culture Matter?

Company culture forms the core of employee satisfaction. A successful company culture cultivates productive, engaged, and happy employees who find value in their work, advocate for your brand and products and help your bottom line.

Let’s face it, turnover is expensive. And the statistics on turnover are alarming. In a 2020 Gallup study, it was found that over half of workers were currently seeking new positions. This is especially true for Millennials, of which 6 out of 10 have no concern about job hopping.

Remember, showing off your company culture starts long before you list a position opening.

Beck Technology team members celebrating with a thumb's up.

You can no longer rely on the candidate to sell themselves to you. You must now sell yourself to the candidate.

Younger candidates want to be swooned by your company’s culture. They want an official presentation of an attractive offer and sold on your company’s key selling points. To put it bluntly, you can no longer expect potential employees to want to work for you.

Gareth relates it to the way the younger generations search for a romantic partner. They shop companies as they search for a date—by scrolling through social media.

They will do their due diligence and look at your Glassdoor and Indeed rankings. They will look at not only your company on LinkedIn but the preconstruction manager and other estimators’ activities on social media. The attraction doesn’t just stop at the job advertisement on the job boards.

How You Can Promote Your Company Culture

Get on social media
Define your unique selling points
Sell yourself

1. Get on social media.

If your company doesn’t have Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tik Tok, etc., it is time to invest in developing those social media channels that make the most sense for your company. Highlight your corporate culture by posting pictures of your employees having fun during company activities, posting blog articles of your company’s donations to local charities, and community involvement. Encourage employees to be brand advocates by posting on their personal channels how much they like their job—remember to ask them to tag you. It is important to show you care about keeping talent and create an environment where employees feel connected to their work there.

2. Define your unique selling points.

Gareth says when he asks his clients what makes their job listing better than the others, most respond with a shrug. The attitude has long been, “well, they should want to work for me.” But that just isn’t the case anymore. Sit down with your human resources and department heads, poll all your employees and ask them what the best part of working for your company is, what sets your company apart, and their favorite part of working for you. Once you know what makes your company unique, you’ll be able to honestly promote your open positions and attract the best candidates.

3. Sell yourself.

Highlight your company culture in your job postings. At Beck Technology, we list that we won Best Place to Work in Dallas 2018, 2019, and 2020 on every open job posting. The first three paragraphs of each job description define our corporate culture—before we list the job’s responsibilities and qualifications.

Be sure to highlight your benefits package. For Beck Technology, we list our unlimited PTO policy, hybrid work environment, and career advancement opportunities on the Careers page of the website.

Once you know what makes your company unique, you’ll be able to honestly promote your open positions and attract the best candidates.

Have a Solid Tech Stack

Gareth says the second biggest draw for potential job candidates is your company’s commitment to using efficient technologies—something he refers to as your “tech stack.” This means all the digital and computer tools and programs your company uses to complete work-related tasks.

What tools does your precon team use to complete estimates?
How long has it been since you updated yours?
Are you using outdated software that is no longer supported?

If your construction estimating software still looks like rows of Excel sheets and not much else, that can be a big reason as to why you’re still struggling to get new talent to your team. You’ll never attract the top newest talent if your company is using outdated and unsupported technology or if they perceive your reluctance to change has made your company stagnant.

Project management application, Wrike, found that 18 percent of Millennials have quit jobs because of inefficient work processes. Millennials and younger generations look for companies with an innovative spirit, one which isn’t afraid of disruptive thinking.

There are several great reasons behind the emerging workforce’s desire to see an improved tech stack, and it’s not just because they’re addicted to screens. Updated technology gives employees fewer barriers to producing better work, in addition to streamlining workflows. It also helps cut down time spent searching for information, allowing employees to spend more time finding new projects.

However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because you have the flashiest tools on the market means you’ll automatically have recruits falling at your doorstep. You could have the most cutting-edge software in the world, and it’s not going to matter a bit if you:

Don’t know how to fully utilize it or
Use that as a reason to become complacent and stop pursuing innovation.

What recruits want to see is a willingness to change—an openness to being wrong, to admitting that certain processes just don’t work anymore, and taking the risk of trying something new instead. So, although it’s important to keep your construction estimating software as efficient and standardized as possible, it’s equally as important to show potential hires how you innovate in other ways. How do you use your existing technology to maximize your resources and wins? What are some challenges that your team came up with a creative solution for? Don’t be afraid of these kinds of questions. Ask and have the answer before you start recruiting, and you’ll find that you have a much stronger response from the best and brightest.

Glamorize Precon

We touched on it earlier, but it’s worth repeating, preconstruction isn’t exactly known for being the most riveting of disciplines, within and without the industry. The hard question we must ask ourselves, though, is whether this is truly the fault of preconstruction as an industry, or if it is the way we’ve chosen to talk about what we do.

Let’s be honest, there are a lot of truly exciting innovations coming out in the world of construction estimating today. But how often do you hear people talking about them? A lot of times, what we end up discussing sounds about as inspiring as a cardboard box: being “stuck” in an office instead of being out in the field, crunching numbers, dealing with never-ending deadlines.

Preconstruction is so much more than that—and it must be acknowledged that technology has played a huge role in its transformation. With today’s tools, such as PowerBI and 5D modeling, estimators now can become data analysts, visual storytellers, and at times even artists.

Perhaps even more importantly, the industry has come to realize just how powerful the impact preconstruction has on every stage of a project. It sets the foundation for every project and can chart the course to its success—or failure. In many ways, estimators can change the world around them through their work, helping create a more accessible and sustainable community with the projects they’re involved in.

This is the narrative that you want to make sure you’re sharing with those who are just starting to consider preconstruction as a potential career path. Don’t just stick to the basics. Let them see what they’ll be capable of with the right tools and training. Have them talk to some of the trailblazers on your team and let them see your process before they even fill out an application.

Teach Students About Preconstruction Earlier

For most of us, when we think about construction-related degrees or courses, we usually think of things like architecture, engineering, and construction management. We don’t typically consider preconstruction as having its own field of study; it’s often seen as more of an afterthought, a role that you just sort of stumble into.

Early intervention is necessary if you want to get skilled estimators onto your team straight from college. Gareth even suggests that you should start teaching kids about the world of preconstruction as early as high school, just like you would in any other trade. But practically speaking, what does this mean for your team?

It’s critical to establish relationships with the universities in your area. Beyond that, it’s also important to touch base with the universities your employees graduated from. Don’t be afraid to tap on those connections and see if you can work out a guest lecture, demonstration, or exhibition.

training

Hire More Precon People Than You Think You Need

In Gareth’s 20 years of experience working in preconstruction recruitment, he says preconstruction makes up 30% of most general contractor’s workforce but if the fundamental biggest decisions are made in preconstruction, you need to focus your efforts on hiring more talent for your preconstruction department.

If you’re running what basically boils down to a skeleton crew, they are overworked, stressed, and will make mistakes. They will leave your company or at the very least, leave precon and go into the field.

Invest in Recruiting

With projects back on track and the growing demand for new projects, it feels like there’s less time now than ever to sink your resources into recruiting a new generation of preconstruction professionals. However, the time and expense it takes replacing unfit employees, takes time away from your team to pursue new projects and win more bids.

Fortunately, there are recruiting companies that specialize in preconstruction that do the work for you.

In the world of construction, preconstruction is the most difficult position to fill. There is a deficit of experienced estimators and a shortage of precon-educated students. You have probably already felt this pain point the last time the preconstruction department had an opening and you received little to no response to the job listing.

Your in-house recruiting efforts can last months of searching, while organizations that focus on your needs will weed through candidates for you; making the hiring process smoother, quicker, and ensuring there is a right fit. Gareth says, “It makes perfect sense to outsource the difficult parts” when hiring.

At the end of the day, this is the most important thing by far: collaborating with others and getting their advice and insight to improve your recruiting efforts. While we hope these resources are a great jumping-off point for you, we also encourage you to remain connected with your peers in precon. This new generation entering the industry is the future. To get the best, you need to invest.

To see how the DESTINI suite of preconstruction software can help you recruit and retain the top talent in the industry, request a demo today.

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