Market Update with Adam Street

Construction & Engineering Australian East Coast Update by Adam Street, Principal Consultant

WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING?

The market is a little slower than early 2020 but that is a usual trend as we approach EOFY.  We have seen the contract/casual workplace become more appealing to clients and some of our clients that are heavily involved in the Front End of a project have continued to hire and working from home is not uncommon to these clients.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE JUST GRADUATING & STARTING THEIR CAREER?

Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone.  Doing the hard yards early on can really set your career on the right path.  Taking a role that is not 100% what you are looking for may turn out to be the role you needed!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE AN EXPERIENCED JOB SEEKER? 

Similar to the above in some respects.  If a client is offering a residential role that you would never consider, could now be the time?  Stepping into a role that is either a sideways step or a downward step could very well open up new opportunities and directions

WHAT ARE THE MOST DESIRABLE TRANSFERRABLE POSITIONS AND SKILLS SET?

Site experience is always a nice to have.  We have moved a couple of site based Project Supervisors from Oil & Gas to Mining projects.  The processes in Oil & Gas are also heavily regulated so the safety focused mindset is already there as well as the knowledge of how to get a project done!

HOW ARE WE ASSISTING OUR CLIENTS IN CREATING NEW TALENT POOLS?

We focus on being consultative with our clients.  A number of our key clients are relationships that date back over 5 years and we understand their requirements.  We believe that understanding the clients expectations and their business enables us to support them in finding new talent.  We explore several avenues to source talents, the main one being our database which has over 200,000 profiles within it. 

WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU OFFER EMPLOYERS HELP THEM COMPETE FOR TALENT? 

Be proactive in your process.  If you identify a candidate who you think can really add value then now is the time to act. 

WHAT ARE YOUR MARKET PREDICTIONS OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS? 

I think over the course of Q3 we will see a gradual increase in work flow (barring any more restrictions)  I would hope the government will be fast tracking several projects to stimulate the economy.  Rail, Road and civil construction are all key areas that we expect to increase dramatically as we move into September/October.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ADAM

Adam Street heads up the Construction and Engineering team at Stellar along with Angus Lester.  The team recruits across the East Coast of Australia and no two clients are the same!  They work with Tier 1, 2 and 3 contractors, Sub Contractors and Consultancies.  Their focus is across technical white collar roles (casual/contract & permanent as well as retained recruitment) and they look upon our approach as more consultative.  They look to partner with a client with a long term mindset, offering market insights as well helping them to grow their team. Below Adam gives insight to his background and favourite stellar moments:

Like most recruiters from the UK I fell into the role after an injury curtailed any hope of a cricket career.  I worked as a Sales Consultant at a gym and knew someone who worked in the industry.  The rest is history!  I have recruited across several sectors including IT, Rail, Nuclear, Oil & Gas and Construction/Mining. 

One sticks in my mind.  It was in the first few weeks of joining.  A candidate was offered a role but decided not to pursue it for family reasons.  We kept in touch and after Christmas he came back to check if the role was still live.  It was and he is flourishing in the new position!

I don’t think you can print some of the words they would use.  Probably a typical whinging Pom?  Either that or an amazing bloke with a top sense of humour!

I don’t actually like sandwiches.  Its something from when I was a kid at school but I don’t do sandwiches.  However, a Chicken Caesar Wrap and I’m happy!