Summary:
- Data centre construction projects are increasing in size, complexity, and geographic spread, placing sustained pressure on specialist construction and engineering labour markets.
- The build phase presents the greatest workforce risk, often requiring thousands of skilled workers on-site at defined points in the schedule.
- Project RPO offers a structured recruitment model aligned to construction milestones, helping companies plan workforce supply rather than react to shortages.
- NES Advantage brings extensive experience across energy and engineering to support data centre projects with predictable, scalable workforce solutions.
Data centres are among the most capital-intensive and technically complex construction assets in today’s economy. From hyperscale cloud facilities to smaller regional edge sites, physical infrastructure is expanding rapidly. This growth creates significant workforce challenges. Each build depends on careful mobilisation of engineers, project managers, tradespeople, commissioning specialists, and energy experts. These teams must work to demanding schedules and adapt to evolving technical requirements.
The World Economic Forum predicts that the data centre industry will exceed $135 billion in the US alone by 2026, continuing to put pressure on the availability of skilled talent in the construction and energy sectors. At NES Advantage, we work closely with leading developers, EPC contractors, and energy partners to support these data centre builds worldwide.
What is Project RPO?
Project Recruitment Process Outsourcing, more commonly known as Project RPO, is a recruitment model designed to support time-bound, outcome-focused initiatives. Project RPO is built around a specific programme, location, or construction phase. It provides a dedicated recruitment capability that integrates with a client’s delivery team, operating as an extension of their project function rather than a detached supplier.
At NES Advantage, Project RPO combines sector knowledge, recruitment delivery, workforce planning, and market intelligence to support complex builds where talent availability can directly influence project progress.
Why Data Centres Use Project RPO
Construction-driven urgency
Data centre construction presents unique workforce pressures during the build phase, when labour demand reaches its peak. A McKinsey analysis points out that during busy periods, many workers will need to be on-site, which puts additional pressure on already limited skilled trades. This can lead to potential delays or quality problems if workforce planning isn't done carefully. Labour shortages and high turnover during construction have been linked to safety incidents, rework, and schedule slippage, all of which carry material cost implications.
Project RPO enables developers and contractors to transition away from reactive hiring by establishing a recruitment capability that mirrors the construction programme itself. Workforce demand is forecast against project timelines, enabling talent to be mobilised in advance of critical stages rather than sourced under pressure.
Access to specialised skills
Modern data centres incorporate advanced cooling systems, high-density electrical infrastructure, on-site power generation, and increasingly modular construction approaches. Turner & Townsend’s 2025 data centre cost index notes that facilities designed for AI workloads are significantly more complex, with wider cost variability and specialist technical requirements.
Project RPO supports access to niche skill sets across mechanical, electrical, commissioning, and energy disciplines by leveraging sector-specific talent networks rather than relying solely on generalist recruitment channels. This is particularly relevant as alternative power solutions such as gas turbines, nuclear technologies, and SMRs become part of data centre strategies, increasing the crossover between construction and energy labour markets.
Volume hiring without loss of control
Large data centre builds frequently involve extensive hiring across various roles and subcontractors, often at the same time across different locations. Handling this through scattered agency models can lead to reduced accountability and increased costs.
A Project RPO model streamlines recruitment governance while maintaining the flexibility to adjust hiring volumes as project requirements evolve. Clients maintain oversight of recruitment pipelines, onboarding processes, and workforce composition, all while enjoying consistent standards for every hire.
Cost predictability
Global capital expenditure on non-IT data centre infrastructure is expected to exceed $1.7 trillion by 2030, with hyperscalers projected to have spent $300 billion in 2025 (McKinsey). Cost discipline is a central concern for stakeholders in upcoming projects.
Project RPO introduces clearer cost structures by replacing variable agency fees with a defined delivery model aligned to project scope. This supports more accurate forecasting and reduces the risk of recruitment spend escalating during peak demand periods.
How Project RPO Works for Data Centre Construction
Each engagement is tailored. However, Project RPO for data centre construction usually follows a structured process aligned with the build lifecycle.
- Project definition and workforce risk assessment: NES Advantage works with clients to understand project scope, timelines, locations, and technical requirements of build-outs. This includes assessing regional labour availability, particularly in established data centre hubs such as the US, UK, Europe, and East Asia (IEA) and identifying roles that present the highest delivery risk.
- Workforce planning for construction phases: Roles are mapped against construction and commissioning stages, with peak demand periods identified early. This planning takes into account practical constraints, including timelines for grid connections and necessary enabling works.
- Integration with delivery teams: Recruitment teams integrate with EPC partners, site leadership, and HR functions to streamline onboarding, compliance, and safety processes. This reduces friction between recruitment and site operations.
- Recruitment execution and mobilisation: Talent pipelines are established well in advance, focusing on evaluating candidates for their technical skills and readiness for specific sites. This is particularly important given that data centre construction often involves thousands of workers and precise coordination to avoid delays.
- Completion and transition: As construction phases conclude, Project RPO supports demobilisation, redeployment, or transition into operational roles where required, helping retain knowledge and reduce turnover risk.
The Benefits of Project RPO for Data Centre Projects
For companies delivering data centre projects, Project RPO introduces a workforce strategy that supports delivery certainty in an environment where labour availability is increasingly constrained.
Benefits include:
- Improved visibility of workforce supply across the project lifecycle
- Reduced exposure to labour shortages during peak construction periods
- Consistent safety, compliance, and onboarding standards across sites
- Recruitment costs that fit more closely with project budgets
This approach also supports broader project-based hiring strategies, helping you to scale delivery without compromising control.
A Workforce Strategy Built for Scale
The scale of investment flowing into data centres is reshaping talent markets. S&P Global projects global data centre power demand to reach 134.4GW by 2030, while Allianz reports strong pipeline growth across North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
In this context, workforce planning becomes a core component of project delivery. NES Advantage brings together recruitment delivery, sector insight, and workforce planning to help you navigate these challenges. Our experience across global energy and engineering markets positions us to support data centre projects that require certainty in uncertain conditions.
FAQs
Is there a shortage of workers in data centre construction?
Yes. Multiple studies, including McKinsey analysis, highlight labour shortages during the build phase of data centre projects, when demand for skilled trades and technical specialists is highest. This shortage is compounded by competition from other infrastructure and energy projects.
How does Project RPO differ from using multiple recruitment agencies?
Project RPO centralises recruitment under a single model, improving consistency, visibility, and cost control while remaining flexible enough to scale with project demand.
Can Project RPO support global data centre initiatives?
Yes. Project RPO is effective for multi-site or cross-border projects where local labour markets, compliance requirements, and timelines vary.
When should a data centre project consider Project RPO?
Project RPO is most effective when engaged early, ideally during the planning phase, allowing workforce strategy to be aligned with design and construction decisions rather than reacting to shortages later.
Partner with NES Advantage
If you’re exploring new ways to strengthen workforce delivery across complex projects, we offer a collaborative approach built around insight, accountability, practical execution, and decades of experience across global markets. Our RPO teams work closely with clients to understand their priorities and shape solutions that fit their operating environment.
Contact us today to learn how a tailored Project RPO model can support your business.
