Bridging the MEP jobs skills gap for Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is an international infrastructure group. Founded in 1909 in London, the company now operates across the UK, US and Hong Kong, employing 25,000 people. Balfour Beatty finances, develops, builds, maintains and operates critical infrastructure that supports communities and national economies.
Delivering large, complex engineering and construction projects across key sectors, such as transportation, power and energy, water, and buildings, the group prides itself on its expert and committed staff.
The specialist nature of some of its projects – such as defence, power generation and critical infrastructure – means having teams of highly skilled, vetted staff is critical for success. Balfour Beatty’s internal recruitment teams work hard to fill roles across the business, especially when it comes to MEP jobs (mechanical, electrical and plumbing). These services are the cornerstones of every project, so it is vital that the right staff are matched across a range of specialised white-collar and blue-collar roles, including engineers, designers, project managers, technicians, plumbers, and electricians.
A specialist approach to MEP recruitment
Vincent Gurney is a specialist recruitment agency for construction and engineering companies that concentrates on finding and placing the ideal candidates in the ideal role – benefiting both the job seeker and employer. We understand the industry, the intricacies in recruiting the right MEP staff, and the challenges faced by internal recruiters. We put our expertise to good use from the very beginning of our relationship with Balfour Beatty in March 2023.
The first MEP vacancy we took on was for an electrical project engineer, a role the internal team was having difficulty filling. Our team, led by Tom Vincent, MD at Vincent Gurney, identified and recruited the right candidate for the role – establishing a solid foundation for the ongoing relationship.
The right fit for client and candidate
Vincent Gurney is now on Balfour Beatty’s preferred supplier list and continues to work closely with the internal recruitment team in looking for candidates for MEP jobs, particularly in areas where there is an acknowledged skills shortage. We use our wide reach and unique approach to source candidates and ensure they are the right fit – undertaking a comprehensive vetting process as part of our due diligence. This is a key service when working with clients who have roles to fill on high security sites where SC Clearance is needed.
Quote from Vincent Gurney:
“We are not just a specialist recruitment agency that understands the demands of the engineering and construction sectors, and the challenges that internal recruiters face. We are a dynamic team that focuses on building relationships based on transparency, efficiency and results – all of which make the lives of our clients easier and our candidates more fruitful.
“That was our approach with Balfour Beatty – straight off the bat helping to recruit a candidate for a role they were having difficulty filling. This has helped us forge a relationship of trust with their internal recruitment team to support them with hard-to-fill MEP vacancies in the most efficient way possible.”
– Tom Vincent, MD, Vincent Gurney