Going back to basics


The story of construction


Laing O’Rourke is putting innovation at the forefront of its early talent recruitment strategy. Alexandra Walton, Early Talent Attraction & Selection Manager at Laing O’Rourke explores how they are doing this…


E


arlier this year, I arrived at Laing O’Rourke completely new to the world of construction. After a


spell working in banking, it was time for something different, and the appeal of joining Laing O’Rourke was in many ways down to the ambition for early talent (as well as some amazing people!).


Ambition is one thing, the market reality is another. We operate in an industry (construction) that is often seen as dirty, male and unskilled.


There is also a talent issue. Yes, there are approximately 46,000 engineers graduating every year, but the industry estimates that we need 87,000 a year (Engineering UK).


22 Graduate Recruiter | www.agr.org.uk


What’s more, engineers are in high demand from ‘non-engineering’ companies, and in particular from City and professional services organisations, with approximately a third going into non-engineering roles.


We also know that there is a significant deficit in the engineering pipeline – with only 16% girls studying engineering at university and 7% working in engineering.


More bang for our buck Rather than throwing huge budgets behind a wide-spread campaign and a big campus tour, we wanted instead to create targeted, powerful storytelling as a means to engage early talent. Our existing school leavers and graduates have their own


stories to tell, so we wanted to involve them in the narrative. This approach had another benefit in that it engaged our existing early talent, reminding them how far they had come and what it is about Laing O’Rourke that they enjoy.


We started with storytelling workshops with each group going through a series of different exercises, both as a way of teasing out their great stories and also giving them the confidence to go out share their experience with their peers at schools and universities.


Teasing out the great stories We heard from girls who grew up with Lego rather than Barbies; one who, as a young girl, built a trampoline


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