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Brazil in focus A difference of opinion on work-life balance Our construction research in Brazil spans 19 corporate respondents and 22 Gen Z respondents. Highlights from our research in Brazil include:
01 Construction
Navigating the talent crisis 02 Employment growth
“According to recent polls, the Real Estate Market must grow over 2% this year, even in a hostile scenario in the economy, with a basic interest rate at the 14% level and doubts about the control of public spending. To achieve such expectations, engaging and retaining qualified professionals becomes essential. Companies must be aware of what can attract Gen Z, which is a generation that no longer has only financial gains as a priority. Well-implemented policies, such as programmes that prioritise the well- being of professionals, must be on the agenda. In addition, this generation is concerned about the climate impacts of the sector they operate in and, although there are initiatives by companies to reduce their carbon footprint, few companies in this segment are concerned with quantifying and disclosing climate impacts. Undoubtedly, companies that do not take responsibility for climate impacts arising from their activities, will probably lose financial market incentives as well as workforce.”
The construction sector is bouncing back following difficult years and heavy impact on profits 03 Gen Z Understanding what motivates the workforce of tomorrow 04 Closing the gap Aligning the construction industry with Gen Z’s aspirations 05 Proactively altering Gen Z’s perceptions Addressing the construction industry’s image problem 06 Refreshing the industry’s
Back-office staff needed. Although a similar proportion of Brazilian corporates say they are planning to hire skilled and unskilled field workers compared with their global peers, there is a high demand for back-office roles including finance and accounting (63% looking to hire these roles in Brazil compared with 29% globally), engineering (58% in Brazil vs. 41% globally), and strategic leadership (53% vs. 33% globally).
Students want to hear more from corporates on environmental issues. There is a significant gap between what corporates think the sector should focus on to attract talent and what students want to see from the sector. The biggest area students wanted to see more of was the positive, sustainable change created by the construction industry, followed by the industry’s contribution to the overall energy transition. Having a career that positively impacts climate change is ‘very important’ to 41% of Brazilian students and ‘important’ to a further 41%. However, views differ on the overall impact of the construction sector on the climate: 36% of Brazilian students believe that the sector has a net positive impact, while 32% believe it has a net negative impact. Polarising opinions on construction’s impact on climate.
A significant gap on work-life balance. When assessing which factors are most important for their careers, Brazilian students consider work-life balance to be by far the most important, with 68% describing it as ‘essential’. Corporate decision-makers significantly underestimate this: only 16% think young people consider work-life balance to be an ‘essential’ factor.
approach to recruitment, retention and diversity
07 Conclusion
BDO’s message to Gen Z Practical lessons for construction executives Countries in focus
Australia Belgium Brazil Canada Latin America The Netherlands New Zealand Norway South Africa USA 09 About BDO’s research 10 How BDO can help
An intellectually challenging industry. When asked how they perceive the construction industry, the second most commonly cited attribute by Brazilian students is doing intellectually challenging work. 73% of Gen Z in Brazil describe construction in this way compared to just 57% of their peers globally.
Diego Bastos Partner, Real Estate & Construction Leader, BDO in Brazil
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