Graduate Quantity Surveyor Review

I would describe my experience so far as overwhelmingly positive, the role suits and supports my work/life balance and feel there is a good progression path to follow. I feel there is the right support in order to achieve this progression and see Balfour Beatty as a company I will spend the foreseeable future with.

My main responsibilities are supporting and leading specific packages in the MEP area of the building project I am working on. Responsibilities include procuring and setting up new subcontractor orders, producing contractual notices for works commencement, valuing and processing subcontractor payment applications, producing site instructions among others. I enjoy technical meetings the most as it's an area I feel I get the most benefit and learning from, as my background is mainly commercial rather than operational. I also enjoy spending time on site and understanding how problems are dealt with.

I feel I am given the time and space to work on areas I feel I can improve on, in order to contribute to discussions and meetings more meaningfully. When I produce a good piece of work and deliver effectively I am recognised for my efforts, this may be due to having a good team who genuinely support me but this is all I know from Balfours so far so therefore I will have a positive opinion from this.

I cannot fault how Balfours approach benefits/perks, this may be due to my last work experience with another tier 1 contractor who did not offer the extent of benefits I receive now. Travel expenses are an important aspect for me and Balfours are able to fairly compensate me for my journeys to and from site. The graduate scheme offers 2 pay increases per year and the percentage increases so far have been fair, also the pension offerings are reasonable and better than my previous employment.

This particular role is adequately preparing me for my future career although I feel I need to take on additional responsibilities from other operational roles in order to become a better QS. Balfour Beatty do support this through rotations however there are challenges in organising a rotation to another project. As this generally has to be a straight swap with another graduate (at least in my case), it is hard to find someone with a similar mindset to me who wishes to do a straight swap. I understand this from a business point of view but there was a disappointment when this did not materialise for me. Apart from this, I have been given opportunities on my current project to learn other skills that do not directly form part of my job role.

Again, I cannot fault the support I have received so far at Balfour Beatty. I have a good relationship with my line manager and the wider team on site. I feel comfortable asking for advice and seeking knowledge from other members of the team, I consider myself quite lucky with the project I am currently on. I had been assigned a buddy when I first joined who had recently finished their graduate scheme, although I have not utilised them as much as I would like, it is good the company have this in place for new starters.

Balfour Beatty offer smart working and within my role I am able to utilise this, I do 3 days a week on site and this I can be flexible with the days (I plan around on site meeting volume generally). This allows me to feel more energetic to perform my role and I like how I can plan to suit me, without feeling guilty for working from home. My journey to and from site suits me and is generally stress free, I enjoy coming to site and that greatly improves my mental wellbeing.

At least in my experience, this has been mainly positive but could differ if I was on another project. I have always felt included and welcomed, especially when I first started. For new starters I feel this is still the case and I have enjoyed when new members join the team. Hybrid and remote working policies as discussed before are faultless.

Balfour Beatty do advertise and promote such initiatives which are expected being such a big employer. I know these are there but for me there have been no negative experiences (or at least from anyone I know) about BB not being inclusive.

Yes

I have had a positive experience so far with Balfour Beatty and would encourage others to join, from my previous experience at another tier one contractor this is miles better, especially in regards to work/life balance and perks/benefits.

The recruitment process was poor in my opinion. There was an AI interview after an initial questionnaire which was confusing and glitchy. I feel I couldn't perform to my best because of this and was disappointed with my interview. I did not receive any news for almost 2 months after my interview when I was reached out to and offered a teams interview. I am almost certain this AI interview was not sufficient to receive a teams interview, making me believe my CV has been reviewed (which would show that I was more of a leading candidate for the role). As such my teams interview felt more like an induction to the role, rather than a test. I'm happy this process ended up with me being in a role here but the AI process to me is useless.