Pat Lehane, Publisher & Editor, Building Services News
Companies back optimism with investment
Depending on who you talk to, the economy has finally bottomed out or is already on the up. This applies right across all industry sectors, including building services. Some industry pockets are more active than others but, the reality is undoubtedly one of optimism and confidence in the future.
This is evident most of all by the growing employment levels within building services and, more especially, the willingness of companies to invest in new staff appointments. Recent weeks have seen a raft of significant senior appointments at leading companies (see www.buildingservicesnews.com, July/August issue), while talk of skills shortages to fill other posts is again commonplace.
Another trend not seen since the boom days is the movement of personnel between companies. The skills and expertise shortage has handed some of the power back to employees, the better qualified and more experienced of whom can now drive a much harder bargain.
So, here we have an upturn but with predictable related challenges. While the irony is not lost on anyone, it is still a better position to be in.