As a result of the introduction of BIM (Building Information Modeling), the Swiss construction industry is increasingly looking for specialists to fill vacancies in organisational and financial functions. The Horváth Human Resources Barometer recorded an increase of more than 50% in vacancies in these areas in the second quarter (April to June 2018). Urbanisation, more complex building projects and increased digitization are leading to significantly higher demand for specialist professionals.
The increasing urbanisation of Switzerland and the infrastructure that is not keeping step with the needs of the population require that construction projects are completed more efficiently and faster on less space in order to optimise returns. The trend is towards automating future construction projects and driving forward using Building-Information-Modeling-platforms (BIM), which in turn opens up new professional roles such as BIM coordinators. Consequently, the demand for qualified staff in organisational roles increased by 155% in the construction industry in the second quarter. Improved planning capacity and data management are key success factors for large construction projects. Horváth & Partners expect the competition for qualified resources in these roles to further intensify.
The increasing demand for financial professionals goes hand in hand with the growth in the construction sector: the Horváth Human Resources Barometer recorded an increase of 14% in the second quarter of 2018. The number of construction projects has not significantly increased, but they have become larger and more complex. ‘Mega projects’ with a budget of over a billion Swiss francs, particularly in the infrastructure sector, are making higher demands on financial controlling, risk management and modelling (BIM) and management skills.
‘The potential for increasing productivity is higher in the construction industry than in any other. Innovations such as BIM that make operations more efficient are increasingly coming to market. Digitisation enables complete transparency of construction processes, costs and risks. Companies that manage to realign themselves between the market trends and technical innovations in particular will give themselves a significant competitive advantage and emerge as winners in the dynamic environment of the construction industry,’ says Dr Andreas Kollmer, Head of Business Unit Organization & Operations at Horváth & Partners.
Construction industry | Change Q2 |
Financial roles | +14.15% |
Organisational roles | +155.56% |
About BIM:
The term Building Information Modelling (BIM) describes a method to optimise construction project planning, implementation and management using a software. All relevant building data are digitally modelled, combined and recorded. All parties work with the same database and are continuously informed about project changes, adjustments or news.
Horváth Human Resources Barometer
The Horváth Human Resources Barometer measures the number of vacancies advertised (full and part-time) on Swiss company websites. Every month, it records more than 2,500 advertised positions in Switzerland in the selected functional areas of organization, purchasing, finance and controlling via web spider technology. The data provides information on the key areas in which Swiss companies, of all sizes, require personnel. This identifies their key resourcing issues thematic priorities.
