HLP CANDIDATE UPDATE
Straight-talking insight for construction professionals
July 2026
A QUICK WORD FROM LEZANNE
Hi,
Welcome to this month’s HLP Candidate Update.
I’ve worked in construction recruitment for over 20 years, and one thing I’ve learned is that the market never stands still.
Each month, I’ll give you a quick, honest update on what I’m seeing — what employers are looking for, where the opportunities are and what you can do to put yourself in the strongest position.
No recruitment waffle. Just useful information.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE MARKET?
What’s Really Happening in the Commercial Construction Market?
I’m not going to sugar-coat it — the market is tough at the moment.
I’ve worked in construction recruitment for over 20 years, and I’ve seen markets like this before. Roles are taking longer to sign off, businesses are being cautious, internal recruitment teams are doing more themselves and there are a lot of good people looking.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t jobs. There are.
It just means you need to be smarter about how you look for them.
So, if I was looking for my next commercial role right now, this is what I’d be doing.
Watch LinkedIn. If you see a Commercial Manager or Commercial Director has been promoted or joined a new company, congratulate them. Don’t ask them for a job five minutes later! Just connect and start building your network. These are the people who could be hiring you six months or two years from now.
Make a list of the companies you actually want to work for. Not 100 random businesses. Pick 10 or 20 decent companies and start following them. Connect with their internal recruiters and their commercial teams. See what they’re building, what they’re winning and who is joining.
Keep your CV moving. Refresh it regularly on the job boards. It takes a couple of minutes and can move you back up the search results. Don’t upload it once and then wonder why nobody has called you three months later.
Get yourself known on LinkedIn. You don’t need to start posting inspirational quotes every morning! Just build a decent network. Add relevant people, congratulate people, comment when you genuinely have something to say. You want people in your market to start recognising your name.
And please — you do not need 15 recruiters representing you.
Find one or two decent recruiters who have been around for years and actually know the market.
They should know the Commercial Directors. They should know which businesses are growing. They should know who is good to work for — and who perhaps isn’t. And when they send your CV somewhere, you shouldn’t just become CV number 47 sitting in somebody’s inbox.
A good recruiter should be able to pick up the phone and say, “You need to meet this person.”
That is very different from just firing your CV around.
The market will change again. It always does.
Until then, don’t panic and don’t disappear.
Be visible. Build relationships. Keep talking to people. And make sure the right people know who you are.
SALARY SNAPSHOT
| Quantity Surveyor (QS) | £55k – £70k + package | £350 – £425/day |
| Senior Quantity Surveyor (SQS) | £70k – £90k + package | £425 – £550/day |
| Managing Quantity Surveyor (MQS) | £85k – £105k + package | £500 – £600/day |
| Commercial Manager (CM) | £95k – £120k + package | £550 – £700/day |
| Commercial Director (CD) | £120k – £160k+ + package/bonus | £700 – £900+/day |
Indicative figures only; salary varies by sector, location and experience.
WHAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR
What Are Employers Actually Looking For?
From Project Surveyor level upwards, employers aren’t just looking at how many years you’ve been doing the job.
They want to know what you can actually do.
Can you run a project commercially without somebody holding your hand?
Can you procure packages, manage your subcontractors, produce a decent CVR, forecast accurately, understand your contract and manage variations through to final account?
Can you spot commercial risk before it becomes a problem?
And as you move into SQS, MQS and Commercial Manager roles, it becomes less about your numbers and more about whether you can lead other people, challenge when you need to, communicate with the client and protect the commercial position of the business.
A few things I see employers looking for again and again:
Project QS / SQS: Strong procurement, subcontractor management, CVRs, forecasting, variations, final accounts and good JCT/NEC knowledge.
MQS / Commercial Manager: All of the above — but now they want leadership. Can you manage Surveyors underneath you? Can you look across several projects, identify risk, challenge the team and give senior management an honest picture of where the numbers really are?
Commercial Director: This is bigger again. Strategy, leadership, risk, client relationships, developing commercial teams and ultimately protecting the profitability of the business.
And one thing that gets overlooked…
Personality matters.
You can be technically brilliant, but employers also want people who communicate, take ownership, solve problems and can sit in front of a client without creating another headache for the business.
My advice when you’re writing your CV?
Don’t just tell me what you were responsible for.
Tell me the size of the project. The form of contract. What you commercially managed. The packages you procured. The team you managed. The problems you solved.
Show me what you actually delivered.
Because particularly in this market, that’s what is going to separate you from the next CV.
THE 2-MINUTE CAREER CHECK
Am I still growing where I am — or have I simply become comfortable?
You don’t have to be actively job hunting to understand your value in the market. Sometimes the smartest career move is staying exactly where you are. Sometimes it isn’t. The important thing is knowing the difference.
What Are Employers Actually Looking For?
From Project Surveyor level upwards, employers aren’t just looking at how many years you’ve been doing the job.
They want to know what you can actually do.
Can you run a project commercially without somebody holding your hand?
Can you procure packages, manage subcontractors, produce a decent CVR, forecast accurately, manage variations and take a project through to final account?
Can you spot commercial risk before it becomes a problem?
Project Surveyor
At this level, employers want to see that you can take commercial ownership of your own project or a substantial part of one.
They’ll be looking for things like:
Procurement • Subcontractor management • CVRs • Cost forecasting • Variations • Valuations • Final accounts • JCT/NEC knowledge • Commercial reporting • Risk management • Client communication
Most importantly, they want to know that you can run your job.
Senior Quantity Surveyor
Now they’re looking for everything above, but with greater complexity and responsibility.
Can you commercially manage a large project? Can you oversee junior Surveyors? Can you challenge operational teams when something doesn’t look right? Can you identify risk early rather than explaining it after the money has gone?
At SQS level, employers are looking for someone they can trust with a significant commercial responsibility.
Managing Quantity Surveyor
This is where the shift into leadership really starts.
You’re not just responsible for your own project anymore. Employers want to see that you can oversee several projects or a larger commercial team, manage and develop Surveyors, interrogate CVRs and forecasts, identify risk across the portfolio and give senior management an accurate picture of what’s actually happening commercially.
Commercial Manager
At Commercial Manager level, they’re looking for leadership as much as technical ability.
Can you lead a commercial team? Can you manage multiple projects? Can you deal confidently with clients and senior stakeholders? Can you challenge Project Directors and operational teams? Can you protect margin, manage risk and make difficult commercial decisions when they’re needed?
You’re expected to see the bigger picture.
Commercial Director
This is no longer just about running projects.
It’s about running the commercial function.
Strategy • Profitability • Commercial governance • Risk • Major client relationships • Contractual strategy • Leadership • Developing teams • Recruitment and succession • Forecasting • Business planning
Ultimately, the question becomes:
Can this person protect and improve the commercial performance of our business?
And If You’re Freelancing — Read This
This is something I see all the time.
Your job title needs to progress with you.
If you’ve been freelancing for years and you’re still calling yourself a Quantity Surveyor when you’re actually operating at Senior QS, MQS or Commercial Manager level, have a look at it.
Clients look at your job title, experience and day rate together.
If your CV says Quantity Surveyor but you’re asking for a £550–£600 day rate, they’re naturally going to question it.
Likewise, don’t suddenly call yourself a Commercial Manager because you want a higher rate! Your title needs to reflect the level you’re genuinely operating at.
Look at what you’re actually doing.
- Are you running your own project commercially?
- Are you managing other Surveyors?
- Are you responsible for multiple projects?
- Are you leading the commercial function on a major scheme?
- Are you managing teams, risk, clients and strategy?
- Your responsibilities should tell you roughly where you sit.
So every now and then, look at your CV and ask yourself:
Where do I actually sit in the market now?
Your experience progresses. Your responsibilities progress. Your day rate progresses.
Make sure your title progresses with you.
And whatever level you’re at, don’t fill your CV with a generic list of responsibilities.
Tell me the project value. Tell me the contract. Tell me what you commercially managed. Tell me the team you managed. Tell me what you delivered.
Because that’s what an employer really wants to know.
OPPORTUNITIES THIS MONTH- Urgent!
Reds10 Project Surveyor- London based £65k
Five Thirds Senior QS- Freelance or perm- Remote/ One day per week in the Office
Vistry Chemlsford- SQS
NOT LOOKING? THAT’S FINE TOO.
Some of the best conversations I have are with people who aren’t actually looking for another job.
You might simply want to know what you’re worth now, what’s happening in your sector, whether moving would genuinely improve your career, or which companies you should be watching.
I’m always happy to have that conversation confidentially.
Reply to this email or get in touch with me directly.
See you next month,
Lezanne
HLP Recruitment20+ years in construction recruitment. Straight conversations. Good people. T