The verdict in three sentences
For a construction group hiring 300 technicians and engineers a year, the careers site is a production tool, just like a concrete plant. In Berlin, it costs 25,000 to 60,000 EUR with a local agency and ships in 5 to 8 weeks, with jobs filterable by trade and by site. The criterion that drives the whole result is a mobile application under 2 minutes: beyond that, most site managers and machine operators drop out.
Why German construction groups lose candidates
Germany's construction sector faces a lasting shortage of skilled workers: site managers, surveyors, foremen, welders and crane operators are courted by several employers at once. Yet many applications still require a full cover letter, CV and certificates uploaded through a desktop portal, with 2 to 4 weeks of processing.
| Current channel | Average processing time | Estimated drop-off | Indicative cost per hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop portal with full file upload | 3 to 4 weeks | 40 to 50% | 800 to 1,500 EUR (HR time) |
| Email applications | 2 to 3 weeks | 30 to 40% | 600 to 1,200 EUR |
| Paid job boards | 1 to 2 weeks | 20 to 30% | 1,500 to 4,000 EUR |
| Recruitment agency (managers) | 4 to 8 weeks | 10 to 15% | 20 to 30% of annual salary |
| Mobile careers site + HRIS | 3 to 7 days | 10 to 20% | 300 to 600 EUR |
These rates are 2026 ballpark figures, to be refined with your own HR data.
Scope of an effective construction careers site
| Module | Function | Budget impact (Berlin agency) |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs filterable by trade, site, city, contract | Find a job in 3 clicks | Core |
| Mobile application under 2 minutes | Name, phone, trade, optional CV photo or PDF | Core |
| Page per site or region (Berlin, Brandenburg, Leipzig) | Show projects, attract locally | +3,000 to 6,000 EUR |
| Career paths and internal video stories | Employer brand | +4,000 to 10,000 EUR |
| HRIS export (CSV or API, e.g. Personio, SAP SuccessFactors) | Avoid double entry | +4,000 to 12,000 EUR |
| SMS or WhatsApp notifications | Reduce drop-off | +2,000 to 5,000 EUR |
| HR back office (sorting, status, comments) | Recruitment steering | +6,000 to 15,000 EUR |
For comparison, Kolonell places a careers site without back office in its Growth offer (1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA, 1,830 to 3,050 EUR), and the full version with site pages and HRIS export in Premium (2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA, 3,050 to 5,340 EUR). A real ATS with scoring and interview scheduling is a custom application from 2,500,000 FCFA (3,810 EUR), or 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) for medium complexity. Standard maintenance: 75,000 FCFA (110 EUR) a month.
Applying in under 2 minutes: the rules
- 4 mandatory fields at most: name, phone, target trade, city.
- Optional CV: many technicians have no up-to-date CV; a photo of a trade certificate or licence is enough for first screening.
- Light pages: under 1 MB per page to stay fast on mobile data on site.
- Instant acknowledgement by SMS or email, with the expected response time shown.
- Compliance: GDPR and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), plus works council involvement if the tool evaluates candidates.
Mini case study
Katrin, HR director of a 2,500-employee construction group in Berlin (illustrative example), hires 300 people a year. Today the average cost per hire is 1,200 EUR (HR time and job ads), or 360,000 EUR a year. With a 45,000 EUR careers site and 6,000 EUR of yearly maintenance, she targets an average of 700 EUR per hire, or 210,000 EUR. The theoretical saving is 150,000 EUR in year one, minus 51,000 EUR of investment, about 99,000 EUR net, before counting sites that start on schedule.
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FAQ
How much does a careers site cost for a Berlin construction group?
Between 25,000 and 60,000 EUR with a German agency in 2026, depending on modules. A full HR back office or ATS is a custom application.
Should it be separate from the corporate site?
Not necessarily: a subdomain or dedicated section is enough, provided the application flow is independent and very light.
How do we reach technicians who rarely use email?
With phone-number applications and SMS or WhatsApp confirmation, plus a QR code on site hoardings.
What is the launch timeline?
Allow 5 to 8 weeks, including 1 to 2 weeks to gather job profiles and site photos.
Can the site connect to our HRIS?
Yes, through a daily CSV export or an API integration, typically 4,000 to 12,000 EUR extra with a Berlin agency.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your hiring volumes and hardest-to-fill trades: we price a mobile careers site between 1,200,000 and 3,500,000 FCFA (1,830 to 5,340 EUR), delivered in 5 to 8 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
