Some of the contents of this article were originally delivered during a panel session mediated by Rachel Norris, Partner, Lockton, at Datacloud Global Congress 2026, held in Cannes, on 2 June 2026.
A reliable, sustainable talent pipeline has become a critical risk to the data centre industry maintaining its unprecedented pace of growth.
Beyond access to energy and capital, many organisations are becoming increasingly aware that attracting and retaining professionals across the globe is a competitive differentiator – rather than simply a human resources issue.
In this article, we review the key people risks constructors face, and analyse how businesses can ensure future developments remain viable from a workforce point of view.
Talent attraction
The data centre industry faces fierce competition for talent from adjacent sectors, such as semiconductors, infrastructure, energy, and commercial construction.
Professionals from these industries often possess technical skills that would make them a good fit for data centre construction. As such, organisations are increasingly recognising that competencies in complex project delivery, electrical and mechanical systems, quality assurance, health and safety, and commissioning can be transferred effectively with appropriate training.
However, many prospective workers remain unaware of the opportunities available when pivoting to the sector. Lack of familiarity with the scale, technological sophistication, and long-term growth prospects of data centres is pushing organisations to actively demonstrate how relevant experience can translate into rewarding careers.
By promoting the sector as an innovative environment that offers exposure to cutting-edge and vital infrastructure, employers can attract skilled professionals beyond their traditional workforce.
To achieve this and create future talent pipelines, constructors could increase engagement with higher education institutions to help students explore potential career opportunities. Organisations can also build and expand their own graduate and academy programmes to accelerate talent development.
Workforce competition and retention
The rapid growth of AI and hyperscale data centres has resulted in demand exceeding supply for skilled project, construction, and commissioning managers. And as the number of projects planned across the globe grows, recruiters are consistently targeting workers with direct data centre delivery experience – causing steep wage inflation.
In the face of intense competition for industry experience, companies able to consistently develop and retain expert project managers, engineers, commissioning specialists, and technical leaders will gain a significant advantage over industry-peers.
However, retaining experienced members of staff can be challenging. Skilled professionals will have opportunities across the world and can quickly become dissatisfied if salaries and benefits packages don't keep pace with the market.
Organisations should focus on retaining talent once an assignment ends. Many employees involved in data centre construction projects will gain new skills, build local market expertise, and experience first-hand what works and what doesn't. Capturing and sharing these lessons across the business boosts future project and assignment success.
Firms should seek to foster an inclusive culture that reinforces organisational values and recognises individual contributions to strengthen employee engagement. To help achieve this, businesses can shape tailored benefits programmes that align with company values and overall workforce strategy.
Managing workload and burnout
Currently, a disconnect exists between the speed to market desired by customers, and what is viable from a construction point of view. Constructing data centres in a coherent and measured manner takes time and while customers want projects online within the next year, this is rarely possible.
Despite quality and reliability remaining cornerstones of customer requirements, constructors may face significant financial penalties should they fail to meet ‘Ready For Service’ dates. Deadline pressures place considerable strain on construction teams, and, consequently, extended working hours, weekend shifts, and sustained periods of high intensity become common.
Over time – as physical and mental fatigue compounds – burnout increasingly becomes a significant risk for businesses. Burnout can manifest in reduced productivity and higher rates of absenteeism and staff turnover – creating a disruptive cycle of workforce instability.
Balancing aggressive delivery schedules with sustainable working practices can be challenging. Leading constructors are recognising people risk and increasingly investing in employee wellbeing support to ensure budget is directed where it delivers the greatest impact to their workforce. Measures taken include: intelligent resource planning, improved shift management, mandatory rest periods, enhanced mental health support, and staff resilience training.
Global mobility
To find sufficient land and reliable access to energy, many data centres are built in remote locations across the globe. Key examples of this include, natural cooling offered by sites in Norway or unrivalled solar power potential from Saudi Arabian deserts.
Typically, these settings possess limited local talent – requiring constructors to import workforce and management from external countries. Moving employees across borders can invite various risks. Overseas assignments are not a one-size-fits all proposition and tailored approaches are required for each job posting abroad.
To avoid legal or operational risks, employers must identify and comply with all local visa and work permit requirements. As legislation can change incredibly quickly and be implemented without warning, HR leaders must be agile to remain compliant in a fluid environment. It is prudent to collaborate with a local partner that understands and monitors changing laws.
For healthcare and benefits, staff will expect access to programmes that possess parity with what is offered in their home nation. As some professionals in data centre construction prefer permanent roles over project-specific assignments, organisations must consider the type of move when structuring programmes – balancing cost with what is locally relevant, especially in the face of high medical care inflation.
Finally, incidents, such as natural catastrophes, political instability, or geopolitical conflict, could call into question the safety and security of overseas employees. In such scenarios, the wellbeing of staff is paramount. Policies to protect and extract employees should be established and continuously revised as a cross-functional responsibility of risk and HR departments.
Shaping a well-rounded workforce
Data centre construction requires a versatile workforce that combines skills in multiple disciplines, such as construction, engineering, digital infrastructure, and critical facilities.
As recruitment can be tricky, employers should focus on developing the capabilities of existing employees. To foster this, constructors can upskill their workforce through training, mentoring, and offering opportunities to work across different project phases to ensure personal development isn’t restricted to one area of data centre construction.
Additionally, as data centres operate with cutting-edge technology, workforces must be kept abreast with frequent developments in existing and new technologies, such as AI infrastructure, liquid cooling, modular construction, and sustainability. Combining career development with technical training positions businesses to deliver complex projects on schedule with high-quality standards.
Even niche functions require skilled talent. For example, legal expertise is increasingly valuable as construction becomes more litigious. Personnel experienced in contractual law can help manage contracts, deadlines, and liabilities without relying on external partners.
As an industry, data centre constructors have a responsibility to encourage, mentor, and develop the next generation of talent. Organisations should interrogate what pathways entry level employees have to reach management level. While demonstrating long-term commitment to employee growth, this will also strengthen organisational resilience.
For further information on how we can support your data centre project, visit our Data Centers (opens a new window) and People Solutions (opens a new window) pages, or contact a member of our team.
