Several of the UK’s biggest contractors are introducing bonuses for staff who attract recruits, according to a report in Building magazine.

Bovis Lend Lease is offering staff up to £5,000 to find recruits with skills in short supply. This fee was raised from £1,500 in early February.

Costain is planning to double its finder’s fee from £1,000 to £2,000 in March for staff who recruit people for key roles within the company. Others who have introduced rewards include Interserve and HBG.

Carillion is also considering offering a finder’s fee, which it has not done in the past.

These rewards are evidence of the increasingly competitive poaching of senior staff between companies. The Bovis reward is equal to that of a top City law firm and outstrips that in many other industries.

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