Bouygues | From Temporary Workers to Site Leaders: What Construction Can Learn from Investing in People

At a time when the construction industry continues to battle labour shortages, retention challenges and an ageing workforce, one issue is becoming increasingly clear: attracting talent is only part of the solution.

Developing the people already on site may prove just as important.

Across the sector, agency workers are often viewed as short-term labour brought in to meet immediate operational needs. But a growing number of firms are beginning to recognise the long-term value that can come from investing in those workers rather than simply treating them as temporary resources.

The career journeys of three employees at Bouygues UK — Horea Crisan, Liliana Crisan and Alef Gubert — offer an example of how training, trust and responsibility can help transform entry-level workers into future leaders.

Building Careers from the Ground Up

None of the three entered construction through traditional management or graduate pathways.

Horea Crisan joined the industry five years ago with no prior construction experience. Today, he oversees teams on site and has progressed into a management role.

Liliana Crisan initially arrived as agency staff uncertain about what opportunities might exist long term. She now plays a key role in logistics and site safety decision-making.

Alef Gubert started in basic labouring roles but has since developed a wider understanding of project delivery and now leads teams while contributing to broader operational planning.

Their experiences reflect a wider shift in thinking taking place across parts of the construction sector — one that recognises capability and attitude can sometimes matter more than where someone starts.

The Importance of Trust

While training and development are essential, all three workers highlight another factor as equally important: trust.

For Liliana, feeling trusted by managers and colleagues marked a major turning point in her career progression. Being encouraged to contribute ideas and make decisions gave her greater confidence and reinforced the sense that her work was genuinely valued.

Alef described a similar experience, explaining that managers gradually gave him responsibilities beyond the role he was originally hired to perform. That willingness to trust him while he was still learning helped accelerate both his confidence and development.

For Horea, one defining moment came when he was asked to coordinate part of a busy site team during a demanding period on the project. Although challenging, the experience — combined with support from management — demonstrated that he was capable of taking on greater responsibility.

In many ways, these examples underline an issue frequently discussed within construction leadership circles: progression often depends not only on technical ability, but on whether organisations are prepared to actively empower people.

Training Beyond Box-Ticking

The development opportunities provided to the three employees were also designed to be practical rather than procedural.

Liliana focused on strengthening her expertise in logistics coordination and site safety, developing skills that could be immediately applied in live working environments.

Alef explained that training helped him move beyond seeing only day-to-day tasks and instead understand how planning, logistics and wider project operations connect across an entire scheme.

For Horea, development came progressively, with training aligned to each new level of responsibility rather than forcing rapid advancement before confidence and experience had been built.

This gradual approach to workforce development may offer valuable lessons for an industry often criticised for inconsistent training standards and limited long-term career pathways for site-based staff.

Retention Through Opportunity

The construction industry has spent years discussing how to attract younger people into the sector. However, retention remains equally problematic.

High staff turnover, skills shortages and reliance on subcontracted labour continue to create instability across many projects.

What stories like these demonstrate is that investment in existing workers can often provide stronger long-term value than constantly recruiting externally.

When workers feel trusted, supported and able to progress, they are more likely to remain within both the business and the wider industry.

Importantly, individuals who rise through operational roles also bring practical experience and site-level understanding into leadership positions — something many companies increasingly recognise as vital.

The Role of Management

Behind each progression story sits another important factor: management culture.

According to line manager Zsolt Schnakovszki, developing people requires more than simply assigning additional tasks. It involves providing support, building confidence and creating an environment where workers feel safe taking on new challenges.

He believes managers must remain accessible and actively encourage individuals to realise their potential regardless of where they started.

That approach appears to have shaped the experience of all three employees: responsibility was introduced alongside guidance rather than workers simply being left to manage alone.

In an industry where pressure, deadlines and operational demands can sometimes overshadow staff development, this type of leadership can significantly influence long-term workforce stability.

A Wider Industry Lesson

The stories of Horea, Liliana and Alef are not remarkable simply because three people progressed in their careers. They matter because they highlight what can happen when companies make deliberate investments in people who may otherwise be overlooked.

Construction faces major future challenges — from delivering net-zero infrastructure and housing targets to adopting new digital technologies and modern methods of construction. Meeting those challenges will require skilled, adaptable and motivated workforces.

Recruitment alone will not solve that problem.

Instead, the sector may increasingly need to focus on identifying potential earlier, supporting progression more effectively and creating clearer development pathways for workers at every level.

For many businesses, the future workforce may already be standing on site — waiting for someone to recognise their potential.