How To Hire Construction Workers in 2023

Construction workers are the backbone of one of the world’s largest and most important industries. 

Their hard work, dedication, and skills bring new ideas to life, and they build and maintain the critical infrastructure and environments that benefit our daily lives. 

Unfortunately, the construction industry is suffering a critical labor shortage. Everyone feels the pinch. And the need for skilled tradespersons continues to grow.

Here’s how to stay ahead of the curve by attracting and retaining the industry’s best and brightest workers for 2023 and beyond.

What’s the best way to recruit construction workers?

Recruiting a skilled and experienced workforce is essential to the success of any company, and construction companies are no different. But staffing is more complex than it used to be. 

Fortunately, you can deploy a few tried and trusted recruiting methods right away to attract top talent and position your firm as the place to learn, grow and develop as an in-demand construction professional.

Attract existing skilled trades with an effective job posting

The first step to attracting leaders and qualified tradespeople is creating compelling, informative job postings. 

Think of your job posting as a sales pitch.

You want to highlight all the great reasons for working with your firm rather than anyone else’s. And you want to demonstrate how much you value the crew members on your team. 

Use this opportunity to highlight your firm’s accomplishments and explain how your trusted workforce is the reason for your success. Detail what it’s like to work with a winning team and give examples of how important it is to give back to the community.

Job postings should include job titles, job types, year-round/part-time/full-time options, and the essential skills and qualifications of the open position.

Of course, you’ll want to prequalify potential job seekers by listing your basic employment requirements.

What are the basic skill requirements for a construction worker?

Current basic skill requirements in the construction industry include

• Excellent communication skills,
• Critical thinking skills,
• Time management skills,
• Problem-solving, and resourcefulness,
• Familiar and comfortable with technology,
• The ability to work on a team,
• Eager to learn, grow and develop,
• Self-starting, highly organized, with the ability to switch tasks quickly.

This listing is by no means exhaustive.

The key is to tailor your job postings for the specific position you need and include all the relevant details and job requirements, including education and construction experience.

Take advantage of job boards and career sites built for the construction industry

After crafting your detailed, compelling job posting, take advantage of the industry-specific job boards, career-building, and networking sites targeting the commercial construction industry. 

Here are some of the best, but we’re sure there are more.

Careercast Construction.com

Careercast Construction is a blog-based job board with informative articles and helpful tools for job seekers. 

Users can set job alerts, create and update their resumes, and narrow their job search by specialty within the construction industry.

Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)

The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) maintains job listings for industry financial professionals.

CFMA offers career coaching, resume writing, a career learning center, and a confidential reference testing service that ensures these pros put their best foot forward.  

Construction Management Association of America (CMMA)

The Construction Management Association of America (CMMA) provides a complimentary career-matching service that offers internships and senior management opportunities.

The Construction Management Association connects construction management professionals with employers across the country.

Construction Jobs.com

With an average of over 80,000 unique visitors per month, the ConstructionJobs.com website has a robust suite of tools for job seekers and hiring professionals.

According to their media kit, nearly 80% of the nation’s Top 100 contractors, design-build, and highway construction firms use ConstructionJobs.com to list their open career opportunities.

ConstructionJobForce.com

Construction Job Force is an industry-specific job board for job seekers powered by the nexxt HR enablement platform. 

Users can access tools like job search, news, and advice. But as of this writing, there are no resume-building tools available. 

Job seekers can, however, sign up for a premium plan which promotes their resume to get it in front of more HR professionals faster.

Think diversity and inclusion when seeking construction workers

There is no doubt about the benefits of diversity and inclusion. According to McKinsey research, diverse company cultures attract better talent and outperform their industry peers by over 35 percent.

DiversityInc Job Board

The mission of DiversityInc is to eliminate barriers and educate business leaders about the many benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce.

HR professionals benefit from DiversityInc’s Best Practices website, where they can find webinars, insightful articles, and diversity training resources.

And the DiversityInc Job Board connects hiring professionals with highly skilled, diverse, and well-qualified talent from across the country.

ENR Industry Jobs

Engineering News-Record, a leading construction industry news, and information source, hosts a comprehensive career portal for job seekers and human resource professionals.

ENR also publishes an insightful newsletter for Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) talent managers.  

iHire Construction

The iHire Construction website boasts a talent pool of over 1.2 million job candidates ready to work.

The site features a resume-writing service, an automated job-matching function, online skill-development courses, and a resource center for employers and potential job candidates.

NAWIC Career Center

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) mission is to promote and contribute to the success of women in the construction industry.

They advocate for women and provide personal and professional development, networking, and conferences. The NAWIC also sponsors the annual Women in Construction Week each October. 

The NAWIC Career Center offers comprehensive tools and resources for female construction professionals and the hiring managers seeking them out.

Procore’s Construction Career Board 

Procore’s partnership with Arcoro (formerly BirdDogHR.com) has created a robust and professional construction career portal for serious professionals across the entire construction value chain.

Position listings include everything from construction laborers to construction executives and every position in between. The highlight of the Construction Career Board is that it is free to use for job seekers and hiring professionals alike.

Find your next hire wherever they are

Roadtechs.com 

Traveling contractors and the companies who employ them have valuable resources on the Roadtechs.com website.

Roadtechs.com caters to the petrochemical/fossil fuel, nuclear, and alternative energy sectors. In addition, aerospace, maritime, and homeland security industries are also prominently featured.

Visit Roadtechs.com to lock in your next move.

Skilled Trades Jobs

The Skilled Trade Jobs website claims to be “the leading online job board and resource website for the skilled trades.” 

Construction firms searching for qualified applicants with manufacturing, construction, engineering, and electrical industry experience can find search through thousands of job seekers to round out their work crews.

Tradesmen International

Since 1992, Tradesmen International has focused on bridging the gap between well-trained, eager skilled tradespersons and the organizations that need them.

The site has a clean and professional user interface. It serves construction companies, hiring managers, and HR professionals from all industry sectors in the United States and Canada.

Detailed construction worker job descriptions narrow the field

The most successful employers include job titles, job types, year-round/part-time/full-time options, and the critical skills and qualifications required in a detailed job posting.

In addition to job boards, hiring pros should look into other ways to spread the word, such as social media and local and regional news outlets.  

Cable and satellite television providers are also an option. The more attention your detailed job postings receive, the better your chances of landing the perfect new hire for your open positions. 

Highlight ongoing training and career development opportunities

The future construction professional is looking for growth, development, and opportunities for advancement. Therefore, it’s important to highlight what your firm is doing in this regard.

Be sure to highlight things like

• Your investment in employee development and training programs
• Tuition reimbursement and certification programs for employees who desire extra training
• Semi-annual employee reviews and career development conversations
• Formal upwardly mobile career paths within the organization
• Interdepartmental mentorship and internship programs
• Employee resource groups and networks to discuss career development
• Your commitment to creating a culture where employees take ownership of their career development
• Participation in industry and local career development opportunities.

Create a referral program for your current construction workers

Referrals are another way for employers to find qualified construction workers.

Employers can ask current employees to refer qualified candidates or offer incentives for successful referrals. This is an effective way to find experienced construction workers who may not be actively searching online for jobs.

You might consider using digital platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed when looking for potential hires. These sites offer extensive job boards where you can post job openings and search through thousands of resumes quickly and easily. 

Finally, firms might consider offering competitive compensation packages or benefits as an incentive for prospective employees – doing so may help attract more top-tier candidates seeking fulfilling careers in construction.

Community outreach, career coaching, and scholarships

Other avenues employers can take are partnering with trade schools or apprenticeship programs. Programs like this can lead hiring managers to vetted candidates who already possess the skills needed for specific roles.

Additionally, employers should look into recruiting from military veteran populations. Many veterans include technical training and experience that could benefit various construction-related industries. 

Interviewing construction workers is just the beginning

Once you’ve narrowed the list of candidates, conduct interviews to evaluate knowledge, experience, certifications, and work attitude.

Schedule several interviews with the candidate, each more in-depth than the last.

Introduce the candidates to the members of your leadership team and invite them to ask questions.

Employers should also ask candidates about any specialties they have within the construction industry that may set them apart from other candidates.

Job Site Visits – Job Shadowing

Employers should also consider inviting potential job candidates to job shadow at one of their job sites before making any hiring decisions. 

Job shadowing gives potential employees a chance to see the work environment. And candidates get to meet the other team members to gauge whether they’re a good fit.

Hiring Process

Once employers have identified a potential hire, they should make a job offer and negotiate wages, paid time off, and health insurance if applicable. 

After hiring, employers should pay great attention to the onboarding process so newly hired employees can hit the ground running on day one.

Conclusion

Hiring construction workers in 2023 can be challenging if employers are not up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques.

Create a comprehensive recruitment and hiring process to set your organization apart from the competition. Show potential employees your dedication to their growth and professional development.

These workforce development strategies ensure you reap the rewards of a happy, highly skilled workforce now and well into the future.

Consider a workforce management system built for the construction industry

Successful construction professionals stay on top of every aspect of their business and projects, from initiation through closeout. 

Construction project management software streamlines these complex processes, manages task-based workflows, and allows seamless communication for successful project completion. 

Get a custom demonstration of the Linarc project management system today—the intelligent, intuitive, easy-to-use tool for managing the complexity of today’s building projects.

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