Regional hiring differences in Contech

Investment into the Contech industry has grown exponentially in recent years, making it one of the most exciting industries right now.

And I'm not just saying that as someone that spends a lot of their time working with companies in the space, the figures speak for themselves. Recent estimates suggest that the whole ConTech market received up to $5 billion in VC and startup funding in 2025. Even just a currently niche area of ConTech like AI solutions was most recently valued in 2022 at around $1.3 billion, but is expected to grow by over 10x by 2030. 

Whilst the industry is growing (and is set to continue to do so), it is currently at different stages of development across the world. Because of this, different regions will have their own hiring nuances and talent needs; let's dive into what those differences are below…

North America

This is the region that receives the largest amount of investment into ConTech - around 46% of funding into the industry is accounted for in this continent. And this doesn't come as much of a surprise considering some of the top companies in the industry are based in key hubs such as Silicon Valley and Houston. 

Take-up of ConTech solutions is high in North America for one major reason: high labour costs within construction. The introduction of technology solutions into construction sites is now seen as a necessity rather than a nice-to-have, and that's why ConTech companies are receiving huge levels of funding and demand across this region compared to the rest of the world.

But what do these differences mean for hiring? The huge level of funding within this region naturally means that salaries are high across the board and competition for talent is high too, particularly in those tech hubs. But, when high salaries are standard across the board, how can a company stand out amongst a crowd that is full to the brim of lucrative job opportunities? Enter employer value proposition.

The legal minimum for benefit packages in North America, particularly in the US, is widely known to be quite a bit lower than the likes of Europe and other regions in the world. Whilst at times controversial, it does create a real opportunity for companies to stand out with the benefits they offer to their staff. Things like generous annual leave entitlement (maybe even unlimited annual leave if you want to REALLY make an impact in the market), health insurance for the family, hybrid working, and other benefit options become the real battleground for top talent in this region.

Europe

Whilst North America accounts for close to half of all ConTech funding, Europe isn't too far behind, receiving around 35-40% of funding. In particular, the UK, Germany, and Finland are at the forefront of ConTech innovation and receive the highest level of early-stage funding into their projects. It's a startup heavy region, which comes with its fair share of differences compared to North America.

One main difference is that competing on salary is more possible due to a greater variety in levels of funding across the region. Higher salaries aren't as much an expectation, so when a company receives a significant level of funding they can flex a bit of financial muscle in the market to attract upper echelon European candidates. But, top candidates in Europe - particularly for senior roles - are likely to be in demand across the pond in North America, so there does need to be a focus on other aspects of the proposition to avoid them being tempted by relocation or the competition.

As mentioned, the startup space is the key driver behind the ConTech industry in Europe, and the startup environment requires a different type of candidate when compared to the more established brands. And that should come across in the hiring strategy. An enticing element of joining a startup or a company entering a high phase of growth is in the work itself, helping to bring a solution to new heights using your own strategies and being in the middle of it can be quite the proposition. It's certainly not for everyone, but for the right people it is a major selling point.

Asia Pacific (APAC)

This is a region currently lacking in terms of current funding, but the growth potential is on another level. 

Japan and South Korea have been early adopters of robotics within construction, Singapore have mandated high-tech processes in their construction projects, and the likes of India are at a phase of growth where they need to improve the efficiency of their construction projects. There is a real opportunity for ConTech companies based in this region (or looking to expand there) to build solutions that solve bespoke issues across APAC, but there is currently a slight skills shortage in terms of top-level talent. For APAC to really blossom into the ConTech power house it has potential to be, the focus needs to be on bringing experienced players into the fold.

The best bet here, particularly in the short term, is to attract senior talent from those hotspots we've previously mentioned in North America and Europe. This is can be a big ask, so the package has to be sufficiently attractive to get this done. Financial incentives to help with the move including help with housing and bringing across any valuables is a non-negotiable in these kinds of deals, but the real draw comes from equity and stock options. Senior talent want to join a project where their efforts in growing the company further increase the money they bring in; 26% of our C-Suite connections we asked on LinkedIn said equity and stock options were the most important factor when looking for a new role.

If relocation isn't on the cards, then another interesting alternative is looking towards the talent pools in aligned industries. If you're looking to bring in experts on software, whether that's making it or selling it, then some SaaS sectors that are more prevalent in APAC include Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Relationship Management, and Supply Chain Management. Talent in these industries will have skillsets that could translate well to ConTech software. Or, if you need knowledge and experience in construction, finding talent with this in the Construction sector in APAC is also a great strategy. 

That's just a few key differences that come into play when hiring across different regions within ConTech. If you need a bit of extra support from a team with expert knowledge of hiring in this space, feel free to reach out to me on grace.fuller@fmctalent.com.

Sources:

https://proptechjobs.com/contech-industry-landscape-and-projections-2025-2030/

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/ai-robotics-built-environment-funding-nymbl/805304/