How is collaboration in the  construction sector  progressing in 2023​

Background

We last undertook a snapshot survey in April this year, so six months on from then we have gone out to the Friday CE Webinar database with the aim of updating our information about Collaboration and Collaborative working.

During this period from April to September 2023 the Construction Sector has been impacted through rising interest rates, stubborn high inflation, a slowing economy that is flat but not yet in recession and rising levels of insolvencies across the sector.

Despite the above  economic factors the sector continues to grapple with skills shortages, low recruitment levels in the sector, under investment in technology and digitisation and the challenges of net zero. Despite calls for change the leadership across the sector remains both reluctant and resistant to change.

The survey comprising of 7 questions was sent out twice on the 26th and 28th September, 2023.

What did we learn?

• When people were asked to rate on a scale of 1-10, ‘how important do you think collaboration and working collaboratively with people from other organisations is to delivering successful projects or contracts?’ the average rating was 9.5/10
• 90% of respondents reported that they ‘collaborate in the daily work with people from other organisations in delivering a project or contract'.
• Some 45% of respondents reported spending between 2-3 hours a day whilst 33% said that they spend 4 hours or more daily ‘collaborating with people from other organisations in delivering a project or contract’.
• 75% reported as having not ‘received any training in collaboration and collaborative working’.
• Of the 25% of respondents who had ‘received any training in collaboration and collaborative working’ just 50% of this number had received more than 7 hours
• When asked, ‘have you received any training in collaboration and collaborative working within the last two years with your current employer?’ some 88% reported as having not.
• When asked, ‘would you consider personally paying or would you expect your employer to pay for collaboration and collaborative working training?’ 78% replied that they would expect their employer to pay for it. Disappointingly, only 22% of respondents would invest in themselves and in improving their skills.

The Results