Over the past three years, I've been witnessing an interesting pattern emerging in the construction, property, architecture, engineering and civil industries—junior wages appear to be rising (sometimes up to +25%), while senior salaries seem to be largely remaining the same.
On the surface, this might seem like a natural market adjustment, a response to skills shortages at the entry level or possibly even a strategy to reduce overheads. And all of those approaches do make sense to me.
I can’t seem to ignore, however, this gnawing concern about the potential implications for talent availability and industry leadership.
When speaking with mid-level to senior professionals recently, I have often heard that they've found themselves shouldering more responsibility over time–often balancing their ‘original’ workload alongside new leadership duties, such as mentoring, project oversight and team management. Yet, despite this shift, salary increases for this increased responsibility have not necessarily kept pace with growing demand.
Or, in some cases, they are resisting stepping up into more senior roles because the financial incentive simply isn't compelling enough for the perceived (or real) increase in responsibility. Whether due to pressure of the responsibility, additional workload/increased overtime or something else remains unclear.
At the same time, junior roles seem to be seeing notable wage increases. While this is a positive development for attracting fresh talent, it has also created an imbalance in some instances – one that can sometimes lead to frustration among leadership, or potentially even more concerning – an aversion to taking on leadership roles at all.
And, with rapid evolution in these industries, skills gaps and shifting workforce expectations (see ‘Managing Gen Z’), the need for junior mentorship, development and guidance from leadership is as strong as ever.
If we continue along this path, we could find ourselves facing a leadership shortfall—fewer experienced professionals willing to step up, fewer mentors for the next generation, and an industry struggling to maintain its depth of expertise.
If we don’t act now, we risk losing not just experienced leaders but the next generation of talent who need their guidance. The solution isn’t just about salaries—it’s about valuing leadership, creating sustainable career pathways, and ensuring that stepping up is seen as an opportunity, not a burden.
For me, the question isn’t whether we can afford to invest in leadership—it’s whether we can afford not to.