MORE THAN THE MONEY: FACTORS PERCEIVED AS IMPORTANT BY UNDERGRADUATES AND EARLY-CAREER GRADUATES REGARDING THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE IRISH CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

The Irish construction sector is seeing massive growth, with 167,300 people employed in the sector in Q2 2022 compared to 127,300 in the same period in 2021. This pilot study investigates factors that influence graduates' choice of employer, whether these factors mature over time and the talent acquisition strategies of construction companies. A mixed-methods approach is taken, with data gathered from 20 semi-structured interviews and 53 questionnaire surveys. While there is evidence in the literature indicating factors such as skills, attributes and characteristics influencing employer's view of graduates' employability, this work takes the alternate viewpoint in terms of identifying the factors that influence graduates' choice of employer in the Irish construction sector. Findings indicate various factors such as salary, social considerations, career development, challenge and responsibility are involved. There is a difference between factors that undergraduates see as attractive before their industrial placement compared to afterwards. The findings indicate how Irish construction companies could structure their offerings to attract graduates into the construction sector to ensure their place as successful organisations constructing the future.