More workers are now going online to search and apply for a new job within the construction industry, according to a new study.

The research by s1jobs, Scotland's largest recruitment platform, found an increase of almost 50% in the number of construction vacancies advertised on the site in April 2014, compared to same month last year. In addition, more than 46,000 job applications for the industry were recorded by s1jobs in the first four months of 2014.

The figures suggest the image of the stereotypical construction worker is increasingly changing with builders and tradesmen now likely to be found looking for job vacancies on PCs, tablets or mobile phones. S1jobs have said the growing digital trend is due to a resurgence in the industry, while jobseekers realising how important it is to discover new platforms.

-- Advertisement --

More than 35,000 searches for construction vacancies are made on the s1jobs site each month, while 13,500 candidates have looked to maximise their recruitment prospects by posting their CV online with the firm.

Gavin Mochan, Head of Sales at s1, commented: "The level of online applications we are receiving is signalling a new trend within the industry – showing that construction workers are adapting to new digital technologies that are available to them as they look to advance in their chosen trade.

"Employers within the construction industry have also started to realise that they have to change their tactics and employ smarter recruitment measures to find the right workers."

Jennifer Brown, from top construction recruiter Contract Scotland, supported the findings, explaining: "IT literacy is assumed these days rather than requested. Take it from us, we haven't seen a paper CV in years – I would definitely say it's becoming a thing of the past. Part of our programme to generate new candidates is through advertising and that advertising is now online; the 'old school builder' is no more.

"That all means that employers need to adjust their recruitment methods to make sure they are using the correct advertising to search for their next candidate."

(JP/CD)