From navigating labor market trends to finding quality candidates, the construction recruiting process can be challenging—especially in the current U.S. job market with unemployment at an all-time low. Still, even with current conditions, business owners and hiring managers can adopt key best practices and effective strategies for high-quality construction recruiting. In this article, you’ll learn about common challenges for recruiting construction workers, construction industry trends in recruiting, tips for how to recruit construction workers and more.

Click on a link below to jump straight to the section you’re most interested in:

• Current construction recruiting trends
• Challenges of recruiting in construction
• 20 tips for how to recruit employees in construction
• Common mistakes to avoid when recruiting for construction industry jobs
• What to look for when recruiting construction workers

Current construction recruiting trends

Understanding trends in recruiting construction workers and how they relate to the housing market is essential for anticipating hiring needs and keeping your business profitable. With the cyclical boom-and-bust nature of new home construction, it can be challenging to ensure you have the right amount of staff for the highs and lows of market demands. Keeping a close eye on construction industry trends affecting your market—whether through popular recruiting websites, government reports, podcasts, and other news and industry resources—can help you better anticipate what’s coming around the corner and adapt your hiring needs accordingly. 

Challenges of recruiting in construction

Recruiting for construction industry jobs in the current market faces several common challenges:

• Lack of qualified workers (skilled labor shortage for construction industry professions)
• Inflation and an expectation for higher wages to meet living expenses versus rising construction and material costs 
• Competition for encouraging new workers to choose construction over other industries that may be more stable and provide greater flexibility and work/life balance
• Increased need for specialized skills that require more advanced training, education and investment
• Occupational safety concerns from prospective construction workers who may be tasked with increased workloads to save on costs

While market challenges are always changing and ever-present, there are numerous strategies you can explore to attract and recruit high-quality candidates—no matter the industry circumstances.

20 tips for how to recruit employees in construction

Follow these construction recruiting tips and best practices to build better hiring processes and find solid employees for your team.

1. Create a persona for your ideal candidate so you know the exact needs and qualities you’re looking for.
2. Establish a step-by-step hiring process (from candidate sourcing through onboarding).
3. Create detailed job descriptions that include specific duties, required skills and qualifications, training opportunities and descriptions of your company culture and benefits.
4. Write a thorough and compelling job advertisement.
5. Post on job boards where your talent is looking.
6. Post on niche job boards to attract highly specialized candidates.
7. Build a careers page on your website so job seekers can stay up-to-date on your employment opportunities.
8. Build a recruiting dashboard or create a sheet with links to everywhere you will advertise the position.
9. Put your social media to work and amplify your construction recruiting through your various social channels.
10. Pursue passive candidates and nail your outreach emails with succinct, effective communication that gains their attention.
11. Build relationships with schools, colleges or trade programs to reach prospective candidates.
12. Offer apprenticeships to help nurture talent.
13. Ask employees for referrals and reward them when they send you a qualified hire.
14. Reach out to veteran associations for job seekers.
15. Make hiring women a priority.
16. Highlight all benefits (healthcare, PTO, retirement, etc.) not just salary and hourly rates.
17. Reach out to a construction recruiter to outsource your hiring efforts.
18. Have candidates talk to members of your team to ensure it’s a good fit.
19. Network with your contacts regularly for hiring leads.
20. Build a culture that helps advertise for you so that great word-of-mouth will bring quality candidates to your business.

Common mistakes to avoid when recruiting for construction industry jobs

When recruiting for construction industry roles in your crew, make sure to avoid these common pitfalls:

Interviewing before you know what you’re looking for (skills, pay, etc.)

Don’t waste your time or the time of your candidates.

Not checking references

Make sure your prospective employee can be backed up with first-hand confirmation of their skills, character, and work ethic.

Only considering the least expensive hires

In the long-run, it doesn’t pay to hire the least costly employees if they’re unskilled and require more training/investment. A lack of skill and attention to detail and safety could end up costing you.

Shying away from greener candidates

Just because a prospective hire is newer to the field (i.e., just out of trade school/college), doesn’t mean they’re unqualified. If they have the skills but lack a robust resume, consider hiring candidates who may lack job experience but have invested considerable time in their training and education.

What to look for when recruiting construction workers

Now that you’ve learned how to recruit construction workers, as well as some common mistakes, let’s talk about what you should look for in your candidates. 

Industry knowledge

Does your candidate understand trends, processes and best practices in their areas of expertise and in the industry at large? Look for candidates that possess specialized and yet holistic interest in the construction industry, as they often have more passion and drive for their career. 

Hunger to learn

The construction industry is ever-evolving and your employees need to be able to have an eagerness to learn, adapt to changes and grow in their role and career path.

Safety training

Safety is paramount in the construction industry, and your candidates need to have completed the proper safety training and abide by all industry standards and codes. 

Good communication skills

Building a solid, productive construction crew requires your team to work well together and communicate professionally in client-facing situations. Hiring construction workers with good communication skills who are able to solve interpersonal challenges quickly and effectively will be key to your success. 

Conclusion

While construction recruiting comes with many challenges, especially in tough market conditions, taking a proactive and multifaceted approach to your recruiting will help you keep on top of your recruiting needs while attracting high-quality construction professionals.

Check out our Guide to Construction Job Titles to learn more about a range of construction roles for your hiring needs.