In Australia right now (2024/25), businesses have to do more with less. The economy isn’t growing strongly, and it’s hard to find skilled workers, especially in building. Not many people are out of work (around 4%), so it’s a real fight to get good people for certain jobs.
This is very true in the building industry. Builders are stuck because money is tight, but they really need skilled people. This is making smart companies change how they build their teams.
Now, the focus is on getting people who can really help, fit in with the team, and take responsibility for their work. Because it’s hard to hire locally, budgets are tight, and customers expect more, the smartest companies are doing more than just basic outsourcing. They are building teams overseas that feel like they’re right here with them.
The goal isn’t to get rid of everyone here. It’s to outsource estimating and other jobs in a smart way – creating remote teams that work just like your own crew.
Alex Carson from Platform Outsourcing, the only outsourcing company in Australia just for building, explains what forward-thinking building companies are doing.
“In 2024, things got real. Even though money was tight, everyone still wanted the best workers. To stay ahead, building companies had to think differently about where to find the skills they needed – and that meant looking outside Australia,” says Alex.
Getting Ahead with Teams Overseas in Building
Alex says that using teams overseas now is about quickly getting good people who can be flexible. In fact, recent numbers show that big companies in Australia have increased their outsourced construction staff by about 10–40% in the last year.
“And in building, it’s not just the big companies doing it. Even smaller builders are using offshore estimators and other staff to get more skills in their company and beat the competition.”
What’s making more people want to use teams overseas?
- Not Enough Skilled People Here: Simply put, some jobs are really hard to fill in Australia. Platform is finding it tough to find skilled estimators, engineers, and draftsmen. Using people overseas helps with this, opening the door to skilled workers in other countries when you can’t find them here. Alex says, “It’s harder than ever to find good people, so why only look in your local area?”
- Being Flexible and Fast: Being able to quickly add or reduce team members is important in today’s changing building market. Using teams overseas lets you do this. This “start small, grow fast” way helps smaller builders add skills when they need them without spending too much. It also helps get things done faster. “In other words, getting help from overseas can save you time – which is often just as important as saving money,” says Alex.
- Good Quality for the Money: Don’t get the wrong idea, cost is still important – but now it’s balanced with getting good quality work. “Outsourcing estimating services and other jobs isn’t just about finding the cheapest workers; it’s about finding the best people you can afford around the world.” For example, an Australian company might pay an experienced engineer in the Philippines less than someone here, but it’s still a good wage in the Philippines. “The result is a win-win: the business saves money, and the Philippine estimators or engineers are paid well, are skilled, and want to do a good job,” he said.
- Working Remotely is Normal Now: The last few years showed that teams can work well together even if they’re in different cities, countries, or even continents. In Australia, working from home is now normal – 78% of workers like having that option. This means it’s not seen as strange anymore to have teams working from different places. The tools and ways to work together online have gotten much better. So, having an engineer in the Philippines doesn’t feel as “foreign” as it might have in the past. Alex says that offshore estimators and other remote workers can join the same online office as the people here. “For example, a Project Manager in Melbourne might now manage an admin or project team overseas through daily video chats and shared online boards, working almost as closely as if they were all in the same office.”
In short, Alex says that the way the economy is now, along with how easy it is to work from home, makes using outsourcing in the very competitive building industry more useful and attractive than ever. Thinking about Philippine construction staff or other international workers can really help a business get ahead.
Ready to explore how outsourcing can help your construction business grow? Get in touch with Platform Outsourcing today.
