Multiplex finds hidden talent in existing workforce using AI

The company was looking to grow 30% year on year and wanted to ensure best practices and optimization kept pace with their exponential growth

The challenge

Multiplex needed a way to track the different skills and experience of its many employees, across its Head Office and construction sites, and resource them onto the right projects. It needed visibility on the ‘hidden’ skills within its workforce and an efficient way to build project and bid teams based on their past client experience, areas of expertise and skills. Plus, there was a huge variety of different skills within the organisation – someone in HR would have a completely different skill-set to someone in engineering or QA, for example. Multiplex needed a way of creating an employee centric internal map of their workforce.

The solution

ProFinda used machine intelligence to map out the skills of its workforce through online profiles that they had filled-in manually or imported via LinkedIn. Further algorithms suggested new skills to individuals based on their projects and a skills taxonomy of over 300,000 terms that linked different construction-specific terms together based on their context.

Individuals on the platform were shown opportunities that they could be involved in, and people could also post requests for help and be shown relevant experts to contact. This proved valuable to Multiplex’s resourcing and business development teams who often needed to search for the right people to put onto tenders or projects.

The results

There is greater visibility across Multiplex on its skills and internal expertise, allowing for more efficient resourcing. The business development team can also use the system to find the perfect individuals for bids, in record time. In turn, this has made the tender process more effective for Multiplex.

Within 4 weeks of roll out – 100% of Multiplex employees had signed in and completed their profiles, over time enabling a 74% decrease in the average time spent looking for help to under 20 minutes.

ProFinda creates an employee centric internal map of Multiplex’s workforce ensuring staff are engaged, empowered and constantly utilised within the business.

Gemma Bellante
Business Operations Manager at Multiplex

I needed assistance in demonstrating our capabilities in forming basements using steel sheet piles as part of a bid for a new project. I had to prepare the narrative for our bid within 2 days. I posted the task on ProFinda and within 1 day I had responses from a design manager and a pre-construction engineer offering help on the task. As a result I obtained information relating to 2 live projects that Multiplex are currently delivering in London and was able to use this information to successfully demonstrate our abilities and experience in this type of construction.

ProFinda helped me to quickly identify fellow colleagues that had the type of experience that I needed assistance with and to obtain the required information in a very quick timescale.

Paul Heath
Supply Chain Manager at Multiplex

I joined the company as a graduate in Sep 2014 and I’m due to take over as package manager on brick & blockwork. So I posted a task trying to find other Multiplex staff who had brick & blockwork package experience.

Four responses I got were useful but one was incredibly useful as I got invited to a brick & blockwork lessons learned meeting. I now feel that I am much more prepared for my role. I think that getting advice from someone who I do not encounter at my project every day brings a new perspective and also helps with networking between sites too. So it has been very helpful!

Ryan Palmer
Graduate at Multiplex