Leading Chartered Surveyors, Bruton Knowles, has appointed Martin Westwood as the newest in-house recruiter within the Human Resources team to bolster the firm’s efforts to bring additional talent into the business.

Martin brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked in the recruitment sector for over 20 years, both internally across a variety of companies and sectors, and also in an agency environment. Most recently, he was a Recruitment Manager at the Mears Group, working with stakeholders to meet the staffing requirements of the housing and social care provider.

Across the building sector, there is a huge skills shortage, with 50% of construction companies struggling to find surveyors. According to the most recent Construction Industry Outlook, the problem is not just restricted to this technical sphere, it spans other specialties.

Brexit and Covid-19 have exacerbated the problem, which has also been caused by some of the workforce pursuing other careers, or going into retirement, as well as insufficient numbers of people entering the professions.

Martin explained: “Part of the challenge we face is not just about identifying the right people, it’s also about understanding prospective candidates’ ever-changing expectations and requirements. Across the marketplace, good quality surveyors are in very high demand and so they expect a tailor made offering commensurate with that position.

“A growing body of research also suggests that attitudes have shifted since the pandemic, and that people are also seeking a better work-life balance. We’ve refined our approach in light of this and have launched a “work your way” campaign so our people can work in a way that best suits them.

“More and more, what sets us apart from our competitors is this flexibility. Teams can operate from anywhere – be that at home, on site, or at their nearest Bruton Knowles’ office base – so they can fit their surveying commitments around their busy home lives. It’s an exciting time to have joined the business and I can’t wait to get stuck into the hunt for new talent.”

Martin reports to HR Director, Neil Young FCIPD, who is responsible for driving forwards the business from a people management perspective. Neil also shares Martin’s passion for finding the right people for the job and provides strategic support across the business to implement the graduate, placement, apprentice and technical engagement programmes.

These complement industry wide initiatives, which sector bodies like the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors spearhead. Their Inspire Programme delivers outreach work across schools and colleges and aims to inspire the next generation by raising awareness of the surveying profession and the diverse specialisms it covers.

Neil commented: “It’s great to have Martin on board with his abilities to source, attract and hire candidates for open positions. We’re always on the look-out for a variety of people at different stages of their career, from graduates emerging with geography degrees or experienced surveyors looking to broaden their area of specialism.

“Attracting a diverse cohort is a priority, which is why we proactively seek out graduates  through our extensive links with specialist Universities across the country. “Training and development is a fundamental part of our offer, and we offer extensive mentoring and learning opportunities to help all our people reach their full potential and gain chartered accreditation as required.

“The world is very different now compared to five years ago, so evolving our recruitment strategy line with market expectations is important in enabling the business to deliver its commercial goals and ensure continued growth across our client portfolio.”

As well as having RICS accreditation, Bruton Knowles holds a range of other accolades – including most recently the achievement for the 22nd year running of Investors In People status. This demonstrates the firm’s commitment to business improvement through best practice people management, something that is central to the success of any organisation.

Bruton Knowles offers a one-stop-shop for clients, with its four National Teams - Valuation, Commercial, Utilities & Infrastructure and Building Consultancy - providing a point of contact to deliver an entire project to the exacting standards required. These are underpinned by Land and Development and Rural services, reflecting the diverse needs of clients.