Assessment of Soft Skills for Construction Professionals in New Zealand: Perspectives from Contractor Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers

Abstract

The performance of New Zealand’s construction companies depends on the adaptability and skills of their workforce. The soft skills of the company’s building professionals are thought to contribute to the delivery of successful construction projects. This pilot study captures the perceptions of the importance of critical soft skills in semi-structured interviews with thirteen Quantity Surveyors (QSs) and fourteen Project Managers (PMs) working in New Zealand. For both cohorts the most important skill is communication, followed by workplace ethics. An exploratory Mann–Whitney U comparison suggests a difference in their ranking of emotional intelligence in interactions with other stakeholders, with PM deeming it more important than QS. Within-cohort Spearman rank correlation shows different patterns of association among soft-skill clusters for QS and PM, offering contextual insight rather than confirmatory inference. After communication and ethics, QS prioritise dispute resolution while PM value project reasoning. A combination of individual traits and practical experience influences the successful transition from a QS role to the broader PM role. The findings are limited by the small sample size but may be useful in professional development courses and recruitment efforts, contributing to a more adaptable and flexible construction workforce.