Own The Build
Own the Build is the podcast for Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Directors who want to sharpen their commercial edge and lead with confidence.
Hosted by Paul Heming, former Commercial leader and now co-founder of C-Link, each week’s conversation dives into the realities of modern commercial management — from procurement and contracts to digital transformation and leadership in construction.
Through honest discussions with industry leaders, forensic planners, and forward-thinking QSs, Paul explores how the best commercial teams deliver profit, performance, and project certainty in a changing industry.
If you’re serious about mastering the commercial side of construction — this is where you build your advantage.
Own The Build
Inside the QS Market: Salaries, Burnout & Hiring Reality in 2026 (EP 251)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Jordan Toman, QS recruitment specialist at ClearNorth — known by many as “the QS Insider”. Jordan sits at the centre of the UK QS market, speaking daily with quantity surveyors and commercial leaders across the country. Few people have a clearer view of what’s really happening behind the scenes.
With 2026 underway, this conversation tackles some of the most pressing issues facing the profession today.
In the first half of the episode, Paul and Jordan explore the current state of the QS market, including:
- why QSs remain the hardest role to hire in construction;
- the growing problem of burnout and overworked commercial teams;
- an ageing QS workforce and a lack of early-career exposure to the profession;
- fast-tracked promotions, “hollow titles”, and whether seniority is being earned or forced by necessity; and
- how QS salaries are shifting rapidly — and why traditional salary guides can’t keep up.
Jordan also breaks down realistic career progression and salary bands, from Assistant QS through to Senior QS, and explains where the real gaps are forming in the market.
The second half of the episode switches to the commercial leadership lens, covering:
- why job adverts no longer work for hiring QSs;
- how leading businesses are retaining talent through progression plans, one-to-ones, mentoring and freelance support;
- the truth about counteroffers — and why most QSs who accept them still leave within a year;
- what the best QSs do differently in interviews; and
- how commercial directors must rethink hiring if they want high-performing teams in 2026.
This is a practical, honest and timely conversation for QSs thinking about their next move — and for commercial leaders serious about building resilient, motivated teams in a market that has fundamentally changed.
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📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads
Want to connect with Paul?
Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link.
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.
