PULSE BENEFITS SURVEY
by Calibre Search
STRATEGIC WORKFORCE INTELLIGENCE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, PROPERTY & CONSULTING INDUSTRY
Summer 2025
INTRODUCTION
"Smart employers align their benefits offerings with the people at the career stages they want to hire."
The key to company growth is its people. Attracting and retaining high-quality staff leads to better service, which drives success and expansion.
The Construction, Property & Consulting sector continues to face significant skills shortages, meaning companies must work harder to both attract and retain their best people.
Whilst companies are often tethered to salary bandings and types of work; benefits can be tailored to really stand out. Across different career levels in the sector, job motivations do vary. Armed with this information, companies can tailor their benefits to most suit their target level.
Our role as a Talent Partner is to help our clients and partners navigate the changing and volatile modern workforce - we're here to help our partners with their short and long-term workforce planning.
To better understand what truly matters to professionals at different career stages, we surveyed almost 300 people in the Construction, Property and Consulting Sector, across multiple disciplines and locations. We split the analysis by career experience and seniority level – Executives, Managers, Intermediates and Early-Career professionals.
The central question we asked was: On a scale of 1-5, when considering an employer, how would you rate the importance of certain benefits? With 1 having no impact on decision-making and 5 being a deal breaker.
KEY INSIGHTS
Those seeking new roles prioritise additional flexible working options above almost all other benefits.
Executives are open to roles across different types of companies, driven primarily by the pursuit of new challenges.
All benefits hold similar levels of importance, suggesting that a 'pick and mix' approach to benefits may be the most effective recruitment strategy.
Candidates are less likely to want to change jobs at present - only 17% are actively looking for new opportunities.
For Intermediate-Level Professionals, personal development remains a key focus as they look to build and advance their careers.
Managers are more inclined to stay put, perhaps prioritising the protection of their existing flexible working arrangements.
Due to a small percentage of the market actively looking for a new role, employers must offer a compelling reason for people to leave one company and join another.
Early-Career employees rank all benefits highly, viewing them as fundamental components of a standard package rather than optional perks.
Those seeking new roles prioritise additional flexible working options above almost all other benefits.
Executives are open to roles across different types of companies, driven primarily by the pursuit of new challenges.
All benefits hold similar levels of importance, suggesting that a 'pick and mix' approach to benefits may be the most effective recruitment strategy.
Candidates are less likely to want to change jobs at present - only 17% are actively looking for new opportunities.
For Intermediate-Level Professionals, personal development remains a key focus as they look to build and advance their careers.
Managers are more inclined to stay put, perhaps prioritising the protection of their existing flexible working arrangements.
Due to a small percentage of the market actively looking for a new role, employers must offer a compelling reason for people to leave one company and join another.
Early-Career employees rank all benefits highly, viewing them as fundamental components of a standard package rather than optional perks.
MARKET OVERVIEW
Across all career levels, there is a noticeable trend of lower job-seeking activity, with only 17% of those surveyed rated themselves 5/5 for actively job-hunting. This suggests that many professionals, particularly, are currently prioritising stability.
While salary remains important, there is a clear shift towards work-life balance as a top factor for candidates looking for new jobs in the sector. This trend is consistent across all seniority levels, indicating a fundamental change in what professionals value most.
"Employers looking to attract top passive talent must offer exceptional packages, strong financial incentives, and a compelling work environment to encourage movement."
Company size preferences vary significantly by career stage, with executives showing more openness to different company sizes than their junior counterparts. This suggests that more senior professionals are motivated by the challenge and opportunity rather than the organisation's size or prestige.
The current market conditions require employers to be more strategic about their benefits offerings, particularly when trying to attract passive candidates who are not actively seeking new opportunities.
EARLY-CAREER PROFESSIONALS
They rank all benefits highly, indicating that they view them as an essential part of the standard package rather than additional perks...
Looking For Work
Just 22% of early-career professionals are actively job hunting - surprisingly low for those starting their careers. On the flip side, with only 34% reporting they are extremely happy in their current roles, many could likely be enticed away with the right opportunity.
What Early-Career Professionals Are Looking For
- Flexible working and holiday entitlement were rated 4.3 and 3.9, confirming work-life balance as the top priority for early career professionals. Personal development (3.8) was also a clear focus, with candidates at this level expecting support and progression from the outset.
- Healthcare services, sickness cover and parental policies (all 3.5) were more important to this group than to others, though they did not influence decisions as strongly. Diversity (3.4), corporate responsibility and environmental impact (both 3.2) were relevant, but not deciding factors when considering a role.
- Pension contributions and insurance policies (3.3) were moderately important. Gym memberships, volunteer days and professional fees (3.1) were rated lowest, suggesting these benefits have limited impact at this stage.
- Benefits scores were more closely grouped than at other seniority levels, pointing to an expectation that a wide range of support should be part of the offer, not seen as extras.
INTERMEDIATE PROFESSIONALS
Personal Development Is Important As They Build Their Careers
Looking for Work
Currently, only 15% of respondents at the intermediate professional level are actively looking for work, suggesting that most professionals at this stage are prioritising stability and might be hesitant to change roles.
This is lower than in previous years and previous research we have undertaken, highlighting how 'slow' the candidate market has become
What Intermediate Professionals Are Looking For
- Flexible working/hybrid work arrangements (4.3/5) and holiday entitlement (3.9/5) ranked as the most important benefits for intermediate professionals, highlighting that work-life balance is a top priority at this career stage, consistent with other levels surveyed.
- Personal development ranked highly (3.8/5) - the third highest priority - and was scored higher by intermediate-level professionals than any other group included in this survey. This reinforces that employees at this stage are still actively looking for ways to advance in their careers and value employers who invest in their growth.
- Access to healthcare services (3.3/5) and enhanced sickness cover (3.2/5) were ranked as moderately important, as were pension contributions (3.2/5) and insurance policies (3.1/5).
- Corporate responsibility (3.0/5), diversity (3.0/5), and environmental impact (2.9/5) were noted as relevant. But interestingly, these factors received lower ratings than those seen in the managers surveyed.
- As with all career levels surveyed, peripheral company benefits - gym memberships, volunteer days, and professional fees (2.9/5) - ranked lowest in importance.
MANAGERS
Staying Put To Protect Their Benefits?
Looking for Work
The majority of Manager-Level candidates in our survey expressed a preference for working in larger organisations, with over 80% indicating they would only consider medium (50 to 249 employees) or large companies (250+ employees) when looking for work.
Currently, only 19% of respondents at the manager level are actively looking for work, suggesting that most managers are prioritising stability and might be hesitant to change roles in the current market.
This reflects what we are seeing in the wider market across disciplines and seniority levels. To attract passive management talent, employers must get the basics right and offer a strong benefits package. Because most are not actively looking, methods like advertising are going to be less successful and more proactive approaches must be used.
WHAT MANAGERS ARE LOOKING FOR
Flexible Working is the top priority for managers, rated 4.3 out of 5. Many are staying in their roles to protect this benefit, making flexibility one of the strongest levers for attracting and retaining talent.
Additional Holiday and Enhanced Pension Contributions scored 3.8 and 3.5, reflecting the priorities of experienced professionals seeking time off and long-term value. Adjusting these benefits can strengthen appeal.
Healthcare Access, Sickness Cover, and Insurance Policies scored between 3.2 and 3.4. While valued, they are often less influential than flexibility or time off.
Sustainability, Diversity and Environmental Impact were rated between 3.0 and 3.3. These are appreciated but rarely drive career moves.
- Gym Memberships, Volunteer Days and Enhanced Parental Policies were rated lowest, with scores from 2.6 to 2.8. These perks carry less weight for managers in today’s market.
Flexible Working is the top priority for managers, rated 4.3 out of 5. Many are staying in their roles to protect this benefit, making flexibility one of the strongest levers for attracting and retaining talent.
Additional Holiday and Enhanced Pension Contributions scored 3.8 and 3.5, reflecting the priorities of experienced professionals seeking time off and long-term value. Adjusting these benefits can strengthen appeal.
Healthcare Access, Sickness Cover, and Insurance Policies scored between 3.2 and 3.4. While valued, they are often less influential than flexibility or time off.
Sustainability, Diversity and Environmental Impact were rated between 3.0 and 3.3. These are appreciated but rarely drive career moves.
- Gym Memberships, Volunteer Days and Enhanced Parental Policies were rated lowest, with scores from 2.6 to 2.8. These perks carry less weight for managers in today’s market.
SENIOR EXECUTIVES
Open To Roles In Different Types Of Companies - The Chase Of The Challenge...
Senior Executives demonstrate greater openness to working in different-sized companies compared to their more junior counterparts.
Our research reveals that:
- 47% of executives would consider working for a large company
- Only 31% of early-career professionals said the same
- This suggests executives are more motivated by the challenge than by company size or brand prestige
- Executives are far less active in the current job market compared to other levels we surveyed, suggesting that the key to successful recruitment at this level is a targeted headhunt approach focusing on passive candidates.
What Executives Are Looking For
- Flexible working patterns and hybrid working emerged as the most important factors for executives, tied with holiday entitlement (both at 3.9/5). This confirms that work-life balance is a key concern, even at this level.
- Personal development opportunities (3.5/5) ranked as the third most important factor, showing that executives remain ambitious and focused on career growth.
- Access to healthcare services (3.5/5), insurance policies (3.5/5) and enhanced sickness cover (3.4/5) show that health/wellbeing matter significantly to senior colleagues looking to maintain their overall health and balance.
- Additional pension contributions were important to over 40%, but did not rank as highly as expected. Benefits related to corporate responsibility (3.2/5), diversity (2.8/5) and environmental impact (3.0/5) were seen as relevant but not decisive in job selection.
- There was lower priority placed on peripheral benefits such as gym memberships and volunteer days (2.4/5), while enhanced maternity/paternity policies (1.8/5) ranked lowest for this group.
CAREER PRIORITIES
Understanding how benefits preferences vary across different career stages is crucial for developing targeted talent acquisition and retention strategies. Our research reveals both consistent patterns and noteworthy differences.
Universal Priorities
Across all career levels, three benefits consistently emerged as top priorities:
- Flexible Working/Hybrid Work - Ranking highest across all groups (3.9-4.3/5)
- Holiday Entitlement - Consistently among the top two priorities (3.8-3.9/5)
- Personal Development Opportunities - Ranking third across all groups (3.5-3.8/5)
This consistency underscores the fundamental shift toward work-life balance as a universal priority in the Construction, Property & Consulting sector.
Notable Differences
While the top priorities show remarkable consistency, significant variations emerge in other areas:
- Executive Level: Executives place higher value on insurance policies and healthcare services (both 3.5/5) compared to other benefits.
- Manager Level: Managers uniquely prioritise enhanced pension contributions (3.5/5) as their fourth most important benefit, significantly higher than other groups.
- Intermediate Level: This group values personal development opportunities (3.8/5) more than any other career level, reflecting their career-building focus.
- Early-Career Level: These professionals show the smallest variation between their highest and lowest-rated benefits, suggesting they view all benefits as part of an expected package rather than as distinct perks
CAREER PRIORITIES
Surprise Findings
Several findings challenge conventional wisdom about benefits preferences:
- Early-Career Professionals did not rate diversity, corporate responsibility, and environmental impact as high as might be expected, given current market narratives.
- The consistency of flexible working as the top priority across all career stages suggests this has shifted from being a perk to a fundamental expectation.
This analysis demonstrates that while there are universal priorities that matter to all professionals, tailoring secondary benefits to specific career stages can provide companies with a competitive edge in both recruitment and retention.
STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on our comprehensive research findings, we recommend the following strategies for employers in the Construction, Property & Consulting sector:
With flexible working/hybrid work consistently ranking as the top priority across all career levels, companies should consider:
- Developing clear and generous flexible working policies
- Ensure these policies are highlighted in all recruitment materials
- Train managers to get the right balance between supporting and managing flexible working policies
Given that different benefits appeal to different career stages, it’s worth considering:
- Creating a menu of benefits options that employees can select from
- Allowing staff to adjust their benefits package at key career milestones
- Regularly reviewing and updating available options based on employee feedback
- Communicating the monetary value of the entire benefits package
For Developing Intermediate Professionals:
- Create robust personal development programs
- Offer mentoring and coaching opportunities
- Provide clear career progression pathways
- Maintain competitive, flexible working policies
For Retaining Managers:
- Protect and enhance flexible working
- Offer competitive pension contributions
- Provide clear pathways to executive positions
- Consider additional holiday entitlement retention tools
For Attracting Early-Career Talent:
- Offer a comprehensive, well-rounded benefits package
- Emphasise learning and development opportunities
- Build flexibility into working arrangements from day one
For Attracting Executives:
- Focus on the challenge and impact the role offers
- Emphasise comprehensive healthcare and insurance benefits
- Highlight opportunities for continued development and advancement
- Be flexible on holiday allowance and working arrangements
Even with limited resources, companies can:
- Focus on flexible working policies that cost little to implement
- Create personalised development plans rather than expensive programs
- Offer additional holiday allowance instead of costly benefits
- Be transparent about the company vision and challenges to attract those motivated by impact
Stay ahead of the curve by:
- Regularly surveying your own employees about their benefits preferences
- Creating feedback mechanisms to evaluate benefit effectiveness
- Monitoring industry trends in benefits offerings
- Being willing to innovate and experiment with new approaches
With flexible working/hybrid work consistently ranking as the top priority across all career levels, companies should consider:
- Developing clear and generous flexible working policies
- Ensure these policies are highlighted in all recruitment materials
- Train managers to get the right balance between supporting and managing flexible working policies
Given that different benefits appeal to different career stages, it’s worth considering:
- Creating a menu of benefits options that employees can select from
- Allowing staff to adjust their benefits package at key career milestones
- Regularly reviewing and updating available options based on employee feedback
- Communicating the monetary value of the entire benefits package
For Developing Intermediate Professionals:
- Create robust personal development programs
- Offer mentoring and coaching opportunities
- Provide clear career progression pathways
- Maintain competitive, flexible working policies
For Retaining Managers:
- Protect and enhance flexible working
- Offer competitive pension contributions
- Provide clear pathways to executive positions
- Consider additional holiday entitlement retention tools
For Attracting Early-Career Talent:
- Offer a comprehensive, well-rounded benefits package
- Emphasise learning and development opportunities
- Build flexibility into working arrangements from day one
For Attracting Executives:
- Focus on the challenge and impact the role offers
- Emphasise comprehensive healthcare and insurance benefits
- Highlight opportunities for continued development and advancement
- Be flexible on holiday allowance and working arrangements
Even with limited resources, companies can:
- Focus on flexible working policies that cost little to implement
- Create personalised development plans rather than expensive programs
- Offer additional holiday allowance instead of costly benefits
- Be transparent about the company vision and challenges to attract those motivated by impact
Stay ahead of the curve by:
- Regularly surveying your own employees about their benefits preferences
- Creating feedback mechanisms to evaluate benefit effectiveness
- Monitoring industry trends in benefits offerings
- Being willing to innovate and experiment with new approaches
CONCLUSION
Our research clearly demonstrates that professionals across all career stages in the industry are placing an increasing value on work-life balance, with flexible working arrangements and holiday entitlement consistently ranking as top priorities.
While basic priorities remain consistent, the nuances in how different career levels value specific benefits provide valuable insights for employers looking to tailor their offerings. Executives chase challenge and prioritise health benefits, managers protect their flexibility and pension contributions, intermediate professionals focus on development opportunities, and early-career professionals expect a comprehensive package of benefits.
With only 17% of professionals actively looking for work, employers must work harder than ever to attract passive candidates and retain their best talent. Understanding these insights allows companies to develop more targeted and effective benefits strategies that address the specific needs of their target talent pools.
As a dedicated Talent Partner in the Construction, Property & Consulting sector, we remain committed to helping our clients navigate these challenges and develop effective strategies for attracting and retaining top talent.
LET’S TALK STRATEGY
At Calibre Search, we connect high-calibre talent with the roles that drive real progress across the whole sector - from Engineering and Architecture to Environmental Science and Tech.
If these insights have raised questions, confirmed challenges or sparked ideas, we’re here to help turn that into action. Whether you’re reviewing your benefits strategy or looking to attract the right people, we can help you move forward.
Backed By Results
With 93% of our placements still thriving after 14 months and 58% of our clients working with us for over a decade, our results speak for themselves.
Please call Richard below to discuss further or submit a job here
