If you are looking for a job in construction – whether it is contract or permanent– the chances are you will have spoken to a recruitment consultant. They are often the key to accessing a wide range of challenging positions across a number of firms, and in a candidates market, consultancies are keen to work with quality candidates. It is such a tough market that candidates are often offered three or four positions, giving them plenty of choice.
But it was not so long ago that the situation was completely different. Jasmit Kalra started with Hill McGlynn in the grim days of the early 1990s. Since then he has risen through the ranks to become director of its south-east region, which is growing fast, particularly since he has the 2012 Olympics in his patch. The three offices he has responsibility for – London, Welwyn and Maidstone – deal with every sector of the industry, including architecture and FM. Even though business is booming right now, Kalra still remembers the weeks after he started. "It took me weeks of calling people solidly to get one position."