THE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGE
 | Grace is Principal Consultant for the General Practice and Data divisions in the Midlands and North of the UK. In almost two years with the business, Grace has built a strong track record of delivering high-quality recruitment solutions across the public sector. Specialising in general practice recruitment, she has become a trusted partner to both clients and candidates across the North. She has also recently begun developing a new data analysts’ desk, expanding the business's reach into a growing and highly sought-after market. |
Local government property offers variety, responsibility, purpose and long-term development, yet many still struggle to attract experienced surveyors and make the profession visible to the next generation. Grace has spoken to public-sector property leaders about what has changed, and what councils can do next. |
The recruitment challenge facing local authority property teams is often described as a people shortage, but our conversations suggest a more complex picture. Councils attract strong entry-level interest, yet the pool narrows sharply among qualified, experienced professionals. They are also competing with perceptions that public-sector work is slower, less commercial, and less exciting than private practice.
What came from these discussions was not a sector without an offer, but quite the opposite. Local authorities offer breadth, early responsibility, visible public impact and careers that can develop in many directions. The challenge is to communicate this confidently, while remaining realistic about pay, flexibility and the support people expect.
A market split between potential and experience
Annabel Phipps, Executive Manager at Leeds City Council, described a pattern familiar to many teams. “At junior level, attracting people is not necessarily the problem. The real difficulty is finding qualified and experienced surveyors.” Leeds has around 40 people in its property and land team, yet two senior surveyor posts remain vacant. Without the salary headroom or interim funding to bridge the gap, those vacancies are difficult to resolve.
Salary was the most direct concern raised across the conversations. If permanent salaries rose sufficiently, councils would have far less difficulty recruiting and would need interims mainly for maternity cover, specialist work and defined projects. Pay has become more important as living costs and house prices have risen. Training and career development still matter, but candidates cannot consider them in isolation from household economics.
Recruitment methods have changed too. Marie Percival noted that employers are competing for chartered surveyors from a limited pool: “Salaries have risen to adapt to market challenges, so councils are fighting for staff.” Alongside traditional methods, councils now use Indeed, Greater Jobs, LinkedIn, their own websites, and free ACES advertising. Adverts must also sell the wider offer, including leave, car allowances, RICS fees, flexibility and location.
Local Government Reorganisation adds further uncertainty. Andrew Voss, Head of Estates at West Lancashire Borough Council, said: “We do not fully know what it means or what the next steps are. The best way to describe it is paused rather than completely scrapped, although that could still be where it ends up.” Property teams must review immediate needs, without leaving themselves short of expertise if programmes restart or structures change.
Where interims add value
Permanent recruitment remains the preferred long-term solution, particularly where councils want to retain knowledge and build stable teams. However, when specialist posts cannot be filled or urgent programmes cannot wait, appointing an interim should not be viewed as a negative. Used well, interim professionals provide immediate capacity, protect delivery, and give councils the breathing space to make the right permanent appointment.
After a combined 12 years specialising in interim property recruitment, we have seen the impact that experienced contractors can make - there are too many success stories to tell across all of the councils we support.
Most interims are solutions-focused professionals who enjoy challenge, change and fixing problems. That makes them particularly effective for disposals programmes, backlogs, restructures, and defined projects that need prompt action. Although the day-to-day cost may be higher than for a permanent employee, value should be judged against the pace of delivery, income unlocked, risk reduced, and problems resolved. With a clear scope and contract length, expenditure is time-limited; where an interim creates or protects more value than they cost, some councils understandably choose to retain them for longer.
Growing your own is becoming essential
If the experienced market is constrained, councils must build their own pipeline. Ben White, Head of Property at Derby City Council, spoke to us as two trainee chartered surveyors joined his team. “We received 53 applications and shortlisted 13, which shows there is real interest when the route is clear.” The two-stage process included scenario questions and a presentation on a live council project. Derby funds the five-year course and APC route, combining work, university and study.
That level of interest is encouraging, but it also exposes the profession's visibility problem. Candidates had researched the role to varying degrees, yet none appeared to fully understand what MRICS meant. Young people cannot choose a career they have never been shown. Councils, schools, universities, RICS, ACES and employers all have a part to play in explaining what surveying is and where it can lead.
Stephen Marten from Pendle Borough Council recalled the junior pools that existed when he began his local government career. “You could rotate through areas such as environmental health, housing and property before finding where you fitted best.” Although that model has largely disappeared, its principle remains useful: early-career professionals benefit from exposure before specialisation. Pendle, like Derby, has invested in an apprentice and supports the route through professional qualifications. Local government is well placed to provide breadth. A young surveyor might work across offices, industrial estates and retail, then encounter libraries, leisure centres, heritage buildings or regeneration schemes. This variety supports APC competencies, while experienced colleagues can provide direct coaching and shadowing.
Colin, Head of Property at West Suffolk Council, strongly supports this ‘build your own’ approach. His remit spans estates, facilities management, development and regeneration, and building services, with around 60 people across the wider team. University work experience gave him pivotal exposure to surveying. His advice is: “Getting that experience gives you an edge, and once you have invested the time in becoming chartered, you carry it with you throughout your career.”
West Suffolk runs a 12-week summer internship and offers building surveying apprenticeships. Early-career staff receive genuine responsibility, including a smaller portfolio, supported by an experienced mentor. Colin's view is clear: “Do not baby people or micromanage them. Give them the chance to do the work, learn from it, and know that somebody senior is there when they need support.” Several colleagues who joined through these routes have qualified and remained with the council, strengthening internal knowledge and reducing recruitment pressure.
What good recruitment looks like
The leaders we spoke to were consistent about what makes candidates stand out. Technical competence matters, particularly for interims expected to deliver quickly. A mixed background suggests experience of different assets, people and working styles. For permanent appointments, potential may matter more than a perfect list of qualifications. Councils can support development, but curiosity, initiative and judgement must come from the individual.
Applications should be concise, tailored and specific. Marie looks for ‘a clear, well-laid-out CV that demonstrates the role requirements through relevant experience, rather than generic claims. Unexplained gaps and avoidable errors also weaken confidence. At interview, preparation is often the clearest differentiator. Annabel looks for enthusiasm, self-awareness and evidence that candidates have researched Leeds and the council. Justin Clough, Assistant Director of Corporate Property at Bolton Council, tells candidates: “Visit the place, walk the high street and read about the projects underway.”
The strongest interviews feel like conversations. Candidates who ask about the portfolio and current challenges; success after 12 months or property's wider influence demonstrate thinking beyond the job description. Flexibility is a legitimate subject but making it the first or only concern can leave the wrong impression.
Retention is built through work and relationships
Attraction is only part of the problem. Experienced surveyors stay where they continue to learn, are trusted to lead, and feel connected to the purpose of their work. Regular one-to-ones, a varied caseload, access to training, and progressively more challenging assignments were all highlighted as practical retention tools.
Colin's cross-sector career has made adaptability central to his leadership. West Suffolk's last commercial estates interim was appointed in 2018, reflecting successful permanent recruitment. Vacancies are promoted through the council, Estates Gazette and RICS, but the work is the strongest selling point. As Colin put it, “People join an interesting portfolio, varied work and a large, established team. We do not recruit constantly, which also says something positive about retention.”
Culture is equally important. Justin described leadership as visible and personal: “Know your team as individuals, be there when the work becomes difficult and make sure they know somebody is in their corner.” Property teams often hear from customers when something has gone wrong, not when a building has worked perfectly. Leaders who share responsibility, protect their teams, and learn openly from mistakes, create loyalty that cannot be reduced to a benefits list.
Employee expectations have changed. Marie identified salary as a greater priority because of rising living costs and house prices, although flexibility, wellbeing and development still matter. Hybrid working has widened the market, but employers must explain why time together matters and use it well. Occasional team meetings outside the office can strengthen relationships and collaboration.
A better story about public-sector surveying
The stereotype of local government remains a barrier: public sector work can appear less glamorous, slower and less rewarding than private practice. Yet those with experience on both sides describe greater variety, public purpose, stability, strong pensions, and tangible community outcomes. Drawing on her experience in both sectors, Marie said the public sector offers greater variety, camaraderie, stability and the satisfaction of directly seeing tangible outcomes for local communities. Surveyors can also develop as specialists, or move from technical roles into wider leadership.
The sector should be candid about its constraints, particularly salary, but it should stop apologising for the work. Council property teams enable regeneration, housing, public services and local growth. Private development itself often depends on public investment, land, permissions or partnership. Local authority surveyors operate where property, politics, finance and community need meet, and that demands commercial judgement as well as sensitivity and influence.
Justin's challenge to the profession was straightforward: change how we sell ourselves. Too many people still discover surveying by accident, through a relative, a work-experience placement, or a chance conversation. The story should not begin with rent reviews, reports or committee papers, it should begin with the places surveyors shape, the unusual assets they encounter, the people they influence, and the difference their decisions make.
Preparing for the next decade
The skills needed are broadening. Core property expertise remains essential, but Marie expects artificial intelligence and greater use of digital software and data, in the office and in the field, to become increasingly important. It will shape how councils understand local assets, make decisions, and deliver services more efficiently. The strongest professionals will keep learning as property, people, technology and organisations change.
For councils, the message from these conversations is clear. Build early-career routes and give people meaningful exposure. Recruit for potential as well as credentials. Pay as competitively as circumstances allow, and present the full value of the employment offer. Give experienced staff trust, variety, visible leadership, and room to grow. Above all, tell the story of local government property with more confidence.
The talent challenge is real, but so is the opportunity. Councils already have much of what candidates say they want: purposeful work, development, flexibility, community, and careers with breadth. The next step is to make that offer visible long before a vacancy appears - and to ensure the working experience lives up to the promise once someone joins.
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