Labour and Product Shortages putting Pressure on Construction Industry
This month has been a tale of two halves. With merchant’s value sales up 79.6% in May 2021 compared to May 2020 according to the BMBI report, & plumbing & heating sales doubling in May, sales and demand in the sector is certainly looking positive.
We have recruited into the Construction Supplies Sector for over 15 years, and right now we are seeing unprecedented demand for talent and people looking for new roles. It’s an exciting time for the sector and people looking to advance in their careers.
However, labour and product shortages are putting pressure on the construction industry. With the unprecedented demand for building products which has been reported throughout the year and now a lack of labour, partly due to employees having to self-isolate when being ‘pinged’ by the NHS test and trace app, is a rising concern.
John Newcomb, CEO, Builders Merchant Federation commented in the Builders Merchant News
“The basic trends of the last six months remain, with global demand far more than supply leading to product shortages, rapid and sustained price inflation, long lead times and uncertainty regarding deliveries. It is also clear that the global shipping industry is far from recovered from the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with congested shipping routes, container cancellations and higher costs still evident.
The products most affected are those used in housebuilding and domestic repair maintenance and improvement, including roofing products, timber, insulation, landscaping products, blocks, sealants/PVA, PIR Insulation, kitchen carcassing and products that use plastic, for example drainage, some windows and bagged cement.”
Newcomb added: “The supply chain is extremely stretched on all fronts but our members are pulling out the stops to keep supplies in branches and deliveries out to customers in very challenging circumstances.”
With the expectation supply shortages will continue due to the on-going uncertainty, the other pressure on businesses is the labour shortage exasperated by the ‘pingdemic’
Frank Elkins, Group Chief Operating Officer for Travis Perkins, said “We are disappointed that our colleagues have not been included on the list of workers that can be made exempt from full self-isolation if they are alerted by NHS test and trace.
“Having worked hard to put in place measures that safeguard our staff while they have played such a vital role in helping to maintain essential services that are so crucial to keeping us all dry, warm, safe and secure, we urge the Government to look again at the broader construction supply chain and its importance to the country at large.”
In addition Martyn Coffey, Chief Executive Officer for Marshalls, said: “After the challenges in 2020, no one could have accurately predicted the shape of demand in 2021. This demand continues to grow and the effects of Covid the ‘self-isolation’ practices are now beginning to bite within the Marshalls business.
“Health and Safety has always been our number one consideration throughout this pandemic. We have gone above and beyond government guidelines to keep our people safe.”
Businesses reported that on average 15% of their workforce were pinged last week and had to self-isolate leaving business leaders with an inability to plan for cover for these workers. A sector already pained by labour shortages, business leaders are seriously pushing for the Construction and Building Supplies sectors to be deemed ‘essential’ so double vaccinated workers who are ‘pinged’ by the NHS Test and Trace app won’t need to self-isolate. Hopefully, the changes to the isolation rules this month but improve the labour shortages.
Need more talented people in your business? We can help.
e: enquiries@gcsassociates.com
t: 0161 660 2548
Arnold Laver & GCS Associates
Arnold Laver is part of National Timber Group, the largest independent added-value timber distribution and processing group in the UK.
National Timber Group serves a diverse customer base including joiners, house-builders, and contractors, and is a favoured supplier of large-scale infrastructure projects. The Group has combined turnover approaching £300 million, over 1,300 employees and 55 processing and distribution sites from the North of Scotland to London and the South-West.
Aims & Objectives
After a restructure, Arnold Laver had several critical management positions which were needed to ensure not only business as usual but to facilitate growth. GCS Associates were initially tasked with implementing the right calibre personnel into 6 new and existing roles within time frames that ensured no detrimental impact to the business.
Recruitment Fulfillment
GCS successfully fulfilled a National Sales Management position for Arnold Laver at the start of 2021 before going on to recruit for 4 Senior General Management positions within the required time-frame. GCS continued successfully recruiting for Arnold Laver with the quick appointments of 2 brand new, specialist roles with great feedback from all involved.
Marc Bertrand
HR Director, National Timber Group
“We’ve worked with GCS for about a year and in that time GCS have recruited a number of critical roles for us. Working with GCS has always been a simple, straight forward process; I brief the team on our requirements, and they immediately go and find the right people for our business. They simply know the market incredibly well and have a wide network of contacts within the sector.
In summary, they produce a great shortlist of high calibre candidates, and we always struggle to pick from the great options they present. What more could you want from a recruitment consultancy!”
GCS have gone on to develop strong working relations with the key stakeholders within Arnold Laver filling several additional critical roles in the first half of 2021. GCS also ensure ongoing compliance with regulations and employment legislation, and manage screening & vetting for every candidate, giving Arnold Laver complete peace of mind.
Patrick Guest
Managing Director, Arnold Laver
“Arnold Laver have partnered with GCS Associates for some time now on a number of key recruitment initiatives. We are very pleased with high level of service & speed when GCS have recruited key roles for us and we look forward to continuing working together in future.”
Michael Parry
Managing Director, GCS Associates
“Working with Arnold Laver and the wider National Timber Group has been genuinely a pleasure. As a recruitment consultancy, we look for those clients where there is mutual appreciation and lines of communication are wide open and transparent.
The sort of relationship we have come to enjoy with Arnold Laver acts as a real driver to be the very best we can. We are always striving to improve and are looking at ways we provide improved efficiencies and cost savings for Arnold Laver when it comes to recruitment and talent attraction.”
GCS Associates are specialist consultancy providing talent acquisition and staffing solutions to the building materials, construction, technical & engineering sectors. With over 15 years’ experience partnering with a wide range of businesses from FTSE 100s to SME’s & smaller independent businesses – we simply provide the right talent to the best organisations.
Promote your Business & Attract Top Talent using Video Marketing
Video marketing can be used for everything from building customer rapport, to promoting your brand, services, or products. Additionally, video marketing can serve as a medium to help recruit the best talent in the market.
A video will bring your business to life by explaining your products & what it’s like to work in your business. It’s such a powerful tool to use when looking for new business or employees. – video will help your business connect with potential customers & employees instantly.
Video is the bridge that links what you say to who you really are, allowing potential employees to peer behind the curtain and get to know you, your business, and your teams.
- Videos boost information retention. If your potential customers hear something only, they’re likely to retain about 10% of that information three days later; by contrast, if what they hear is accompanied by relevant imagery, they’ll retain an average 65% of that information three days later.
- In 2022, video content will account for an estimated 74% of all online traffic. Video content engagement has skyrocketed in recent years. Would-be customers love video, which means good video marketing will engage and attract more customers.
- Email subject lines that include the word “video” see a 19% increase in open rates, and a 65% boost in click-throughs.
- Four times as many candidates would prefer to watch a job video than read a job description.
If your business or team is growing rapidly or you simply want to explain to potential customers & employees what your business does, creating a company video is the answer.
Contact GCS and we’ll create videos that will bring your business to life and engage & attract new customers and employees.
Need more talented people in your business? We can help.
e: enquiries@gcsassociates.com
t: 0161 660 2548
Meet The Team: Steve Schaap, Head of FMCG Recruitment
Tell us about your career so far?
I spent my early career in print advertising working for major newspapers in the US. I was a territory manager looking after geographical areas in Colorado, Texas and Omaha, Nebraska – where I was born.
When I moved to the UK in 2008, after settling in, I decided to make a career change to recruitment. I started working for a generalist agency and really liked the work, however it was clear to me that a specialism was the way forward. In 2016, I started with an agency specialising in food manufacturing, recruiting interim and permanent managers up to Managing Director level, and I have enjoyed working in that market ever since.
I joined GCS earlier this year, in the newly opened office in Loughborough. I am very pleased to join the business at this exciting time of growth and look forward to contributing to its continued success.
What are your specialist sectors at GCS Associates?
I am currently Head of FMCG. I recruit manufacturing roles, specialising in food manufacturing and have experience across other consumable manufacturing. I specialise in both interim and permanent placement and typical roles I recruit are Development Technologists, Process Managers, Business Unit Managers and Shift Managers (to name a few!)
Tell me about how you help clients/ candidates?
I help my clients by offering them simple, honest and knowledgeable solutions. My clients usually call me because they have an immediate problem that needs an immediate solution. They expect me to understand their problem whether it be related to Operations, Engineering, Process or anything else related to their manufacturing site.
Steve Schaap, Head of FMCG
My candidates benefit from working with a consultant that knows the industry and has a history of working with integrity.
What do you do outside of work?
When we are not fighting a global pandemic, my wife and I like to travel and spend time with our family and friends.
If you are looking to recruit or considering a new job within food manufacturing, I’d love to hear from you!
CONTACT STEVE IF YOU ARE HIRING IN 2021 OR WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS FINDING A NEW ROLE.
e: steve.schaap@gcsassociates.com
t: 07309 659 339