35 major general contractors, 17 more companies planning to hire in spring 2023/headquarters survey
According to a recruitment survey conducted by the Nikkan Kensetsu Kogyo Shimbun targeting 35 major general contractors, the total number of new graduates scheduled to join the company this spring is expected to increase by 123 from 2022 to a total of 3,898. The technical field accounts for 83% of the total. The sufficiency rate, which compares hiring plans and actual results, is on a downward trend, with only 10 companies meeting the planned number. As of February, 18 of the 32 companies that responded that they had plans to hire new employees in the spring of 2024 plan to increase their hiring activities from the fiscal 2023 plan. As the career paths of students diversify, each company aims to secure excellent human resources by various means.
The questionnaire was conducted from mid-January to mid-March. Looking at the recruitment situation this spring, 17 companies increased the number of employees hired in April 2011 compared to the previous year. The sufficiency rate, which indicates the degree of achievement, was below 100% for 24 of the 34 companies that responded to their initial hiring targets for 2023, suggesting that they are struggling with their hiring activities. Opinions such as "Competition with various industries including government agencies has intensified" (Taisei Corporation) and "It is difficult to secure excellent human resources aiming for construction industry as the seller's market continues" (Tokyu Construction) stand out.
32 companies responded to their hiring plans for the spring of 2024. The total number of employees is 4,043, of which 83% are technical, and the total number is expected to be only slightly higher than the initial plan for 2023.
Several companies have resumed face-to-face interviews as the coronavirus crisis subsides. At the same time, there is also an opinion that ``I want to see the personality in person, but it is a burden for job-hunting students to come to the company'' (Haseko Corporation), and it seems that the online method will continue to be used.
In the questionnaire, many companies felt that the competition to acquire human resources was intensifying, and answered that it was difficult to form a population. In addition to disseminating information on SNS (internet exchange sites) and expanding internships (work experience), each company will focus on improving their own recognition, such as "posting advertisements at the nearest station of the target school" (Okumura Gumi). Shimizu Corporation and Taisei Corporation decided to start year-round hiring of new graduates from fiscal 2022 in search of diverse human resources.
In some cases, recruitment activities are prolonged due to follow-up to prevent job offers from being declined, and medium-sized general contractors cited "manpower shortages" and "increased time and costs" as issues.
