The construction industry has always had a need for a wide range of workers. Today, the demand remains high as contractors face employee shortages. The following are several tips to help when recruiting workers:
The Work Environment
With other contractors competing with you for employees, you want to ensure that you can offer more than comparable wages. The work environment is critical to attract the best candidates. There are several factors to evaluate, such as:
• Your current employees’ satisfaction level
• The attractiveness of your recruitment package
• The depth and value of your employee benefits
Candidates have several choices when looking for the construction company they want to join. To present an appealing opportunity consider these options:
• An employee referral program
• A strong social media presence
• Compelling employee satisfaction reviews
• Tours for candidates
• Current employee interviews with candidates
Consider Potential
If your company is facing labor shortages, and what contractor isn’t, chances are your pool of candidates won’t be full of construction veterans. In today’s hiring environment, you may need to:
• Specify core requirements for the position and seek candidates that meet those core requirements • Focus on recruits that have the desire to learn and progress on the job
• Develop programs to cross-train with long-term employee committed to your company
Fight Falsehoods
The construction industry has long been mistakenly viewed to be filled with workers with limited skills, little education, and male. These misconceptions are likely to alienate valuable candidates. Consider adding these tactics to your recruitment strategy to combat this negative perception and create a larger and more diverse applicant pool:
• Hosting informational seminars
• Posts on social media
• Participating in job fairs
Gundlach Champion has over 125 years of experience dealing with the challenges in the construction industry to assure a successful project for our clients. The GCI team brings over 350 years of combined experience to every construction project, from new buildings to renovations. To discuss your next project, contact us at gcfirst.com.