Salaries and costs
Recruitment agencies and staffing agencies in Slough quote pay rates that reflect strong demand near Heathrow and the M4. Labourers often earn £13 to £17 per hour, bricklayers around £200 to £250 per day, and electricians £22 to £28 per hour. Site managers in the town can command £250-£350 per day on projects covering fit-out, civils, and logistics builds. Permanent recruitment fees usually range from 12% to 20% of salary, and executive search for senior hires may be higher. Temp agencies will set agency costs that include holiday pay and NI, with charge rates varying by site, shift pattern, and ticket level. Clear terms on margins, overtime, and travel help businesses manage budgets and retention plans smoothly.
Qualifications
Construction recruiters in Slough look for CSCS cards as a baseline. Supervisors are often asked for SSSTS or SMSTS. Plant roles usually need CPCS or NPORS. M&E jobs often require JIB gold cards for electricians and NVQ 2 or 3 for plumbers, with Gas Safe for domestic and commercial gas work. Working at height tickets, such as IPAF and PASMA, are widely requested on warehouse builds and data centre projects. Many employment firms encourage candidates to keep their medicals up to date for airside or night work, with DBS checks required for school or healthcare sites.
Regional or geographic variations
Local employers tap into a workforce spanning Slough, Langley, Burnham, Windsor, and Colnbrook. Strong commuter links on the A4, M4, M25, and the Elizabeth line shape availability and start times. Slough Trading Estate and Bath Road corridors host fast-moving projects, and proximity to Heathrow drives a steady need for civils, groundworks, and maintenance. Agencies know travel allowances and parking can affect acceptance, so recruiters tend to confirm site access and shift windows early.
Local hiring challenges
Competition from large logistics builds and data centre schemes can make it hard to find employees for short-notice starts. Weekend and night work attracts a premium, which can pull candidates away from standard shifts. Recruitment consultants often hold pre-vetted labour pools to cover urgent bookings, and executive search partners focus on project managers, quantity surveyors, and commercial leads where notice periods slow hiring.
Industry-specific training or licences
Plant operator roles near Slough Trading Estate often need CPCS A59 360 excavator, dumper, and telehandler tickets. Confined spaces, abrasive wheels, and manual handling refreshers are common on civil works. Hot work permits, asbestos awareness, and first-aid at work help supervisors stand out. M&E projects value the 18th Edition, testing and inspection, and F-Gas for HVAC roles.
Common job roles agencies recruit for in this area
Recruitment agencies in Slough place general labourers, groundworkers, carpenters, bricklayers, steel fixers, and dry liners. M&E desks cover electricians, plumbers, mates, and HVAC engineers. White collar teams recruit site managers, engineers, estimators, buyers, document controllers, and HSEQ professionals. Temp agencies handle short runs and holiday cover, and permanent desks look after longer-term team growth across contractors and client-side employers.
Roles and career paths
Jobseekers can start as labourers, progress through NVQs into skilled trades, then step into chargehand and supervisor roles. Engineers progress into site management, project management, or commercial tracks such as quantity surveying. Good attendance, tickets, and solid references help candidates register with an agency and gain steady contract work, with permanent opportunities opening once a site or employer sees consistent performance.
Market and workforce notes
The local labour market is influenced by airport works, industrial refurbishments, and residential regeneration in the town centre. Workforce planning often blends temporary, permanent, and contract work to cover peaks on concrete pours, fit-out bursts, and snagging. Recruiters advise on pay rates that attract reliable trades and on recruitment fees that make sense for repeat hiring across multiple plots.
Key sectors and employers in the region
Slough’s construction scene spans logistics parks, data centres, education builds, healthcare refurbishments, and commercial fit-outs. Businesses on Slough Trading Estate often run fast programmes with tight handover dates, so employment firms keep standby candidates ready. Civil engineering around highways and utilities keeps groundworks and plant busy along the A4 and M4 junctions.
Quick facts and frequently asked questions
What contract types do Slough construction recruiters cover?
Agencies handle temporary, permanent, and contract work, with temp-to-perm options on longer programmes.
How do recruitment fees usually work?
Permanent placements are priced as a percentage of salary, and temp bookings use an hourly or daily charge rate that covers pay, holiday, and NI.
What documents should candidates bring when they register with an agency?
Photo ID, right to work, proof of address, CSCS or trade tickets, and recent references.
Can agencies help with executive search for construction leadership?
Yes, executive search teams handle senior hires such as project directors, commercial managers, and heads of operations.
Where are the busiest hotspots for site work around Slough?
Slough Trading Estate, Bath Road, Heathrow facing corridors, and schemes close to the M4 and A4.