Hiring Needs in the Construction Industry

Hiring for construction jobs is not much different than many other types of jobs. In fact, the construction industry is facing many of the same recruiting and hiring problems that the entire US is facing. There are not enough candidates, the quality of candidates is not good enough, and the process to quickly hire quality employees is too long. Like every other industry many construction companies have an application and hiring process that is broken and needs to be changed in order to meet the demands of today’s candidates.

Below showcases some of the best hiring practices that hiring managers can use when trying to hire individuals in the construction industry. Be sure to look at these best practices before you hire your next team member.

Best Practices for Hiring in the construction industry:

1. Making job posting clear and attractive

In any job it is important to have a well thought out job postings, listing the responsibilities of the position. In construction it is even more important due to its unique characteristics. Make sure to illustrate the specific job functions, skills, qualifications, and licenses needed from the applicant in job posting. Along with this make sure the applicant understands your company culture and any training opportunities you have. This will let them know what is expected of them and what opportunities they have to help them grow on the job. Remember, you are competing with many other related businesses – it is up to you to show WHY your company is the better opportunity.

2. Employee referrals and word of mouth

This is a very strong tool to use in this industry. Word of mouth is a useful tool because employees can network and tell friends and family about certain jobs that are available. This is a way that you can get more people through the door and get your current employees involved in finding qualified candidates. Many employee referral programs have incentives, although any referral program will help you get more applicants finishing your application. Plus, chances are the people they refer will be well suited for the job because if they aren’t it is a poor reflection on the referrer.

3. Make a streamlined application process

Many people in this industry are eager to get right to work. Because of this an application process should be as easy and streamlined as possible. No one wants to sit through a 30 plus minute application where they are filling out information and checking boxes. Having something that gets your information to them and is an easy way to get the MOST important information from them is key. Video-based applications are a good way to do this. It makes it a five-to-ten-minute experience where the applicant has equal opportunity to learn about you and your preferences as they answer questions about their job interests and experience. A process like this will help you get more applicants to finish their applications and give you an easy way to find those top candidates who have all the necessary qualifications needed for the job. It will then make it easier to get all other information through a resume or an interview with your top applicants. are a good way to do this. It makes it a five-to-ten-minute experience where the applicant has equal opportunity to learn about you and your preferences as they answer questions about their job interests and experience. A process like this will help you get more applicants to finish their applications and give you an easy way to find those top candidates who have all the necessary qualifications needed for the job. It will then make it easier to get all other information through a resume or an interview with your top applicants.

4. Be up front with your applicants

This goes for any job. But it is so important when hiring candidates that you are honest and up front at all points of the interview process. Individuals like to know if they are or are not a good fit for a position. There are many ways to do this. When using a video-based job application you can let them know in the middle that they are not a good fit and end the application there. This would come into play if for example they didn’t have a license needed for a specific job. You are letting them know as soon as possible that they are unqualified. The same goes for qualified candidates. In every step of the hiring process be sure to give them timely answers on next steps and hiring so they are not waiting around for an answer. This will show that you and your company are as interested in them as they are you.

Implementing these construction industry best practices can be easy. They are small changes that you can make to both help attract applicants and hire new team members. Although some of these best practices are specific towards the construction industry they can be altered and carried over into other industries as well. All of these items will help you get more candidates through your “door” and help hire the right employees with the right qualifications the first time that will be committed to your company culture and hard work every day.

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