How is the skilled labor shortage affecting you?
Are you in construction? A company owner or manager? Maybe you work on project sites as part of a crew or team.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past several years, chances are good that you are keenly aware of the skilled worker shortage. Many are pointing to the shortage as a major threat to the future of the construction industry. Without skilled workers in the construction specialty trades our nation will be hamstrung in its efforts to maintain our buildings and infrastructure.
Whether you are a construction business owner, a manager or a field employee you probably have directly felt the impact of the labor shortage. As the economy grows companies will continue to feel the pressure of how to meet customer demands. Managers are being asked to do more and more work with the same or less amount of employees. And if you are a skilled worker you will be asked to produce more work in order to keep pace with customer demand.
Be Creative to Compete for Skilled Workers
Construction companies are being forced to be creative in how they attract, recruit, hire, and retain their skilled workers. Without a strong skilled worker core professional contractors can not operate a successful construction business.
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The solution to the skilled worker shortage can be simple. Or it can be complicated. Each company’s situation is unique. The one thing to keep in mind is that each company is different. Their problems relating to skilled worker shortages are unique as well. And their combination of solutions are as unique as the problem they are working on.
The key to solving the problem is to realize that no one solution works for all companies. Each company can work on their version of skilled worker shortage and develop their own solution to their problem.
In order to develop a unique solution, each contractor must implement a unique and creative solution to the problem.
5 Tips for Finding Skilled Workers for Your Construction Company
In order to be successful in finding skilled workers for your construction company you will need to implement a solution that is unique to your company’s situation. Remember that your construction company does not need to solve the labor shortage for the entire industry. Work on developing solutions for your company first.
Here are 5 tips that you can implement to help close the skills gap and find skilled workers for your construction company:
TIP NO. 1: Leverage Social Media to Attract and Retain Skilled Workers
Social media can be a great tool that your construction company can use to attract and retain skilled workers. These platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, are great ways to share updates about your company.
As you build your construction company’s brand in your community and industry you will most likely see an increase in skilled workers seeking a job.
How does your company use social media to attract and retain skilled workers?
We would love to know how your company uses social media. Please share your ideas and thoughts with us in the comments section below.
TIP NO. 2: Offer Training for Your Skilled Workers
The construction industry has become more and more complex. Changes in building code, products and safety requirements are placing more and more demands on skilled workers.
In order to meet this challenge employers will need to provide training to help their team members increase their skills and abilities. It may be necessary for your company to bring in a lower skilled worker and build them up instead of waiting for a more experienced skilled worker to become available.
Check out the online training resources on Construct-Ed to build the talents of your skilled workers.
Does your company offer training for your skilled workers?
We would love to know what training resources your company offers. Please share your ideas and thoughts with us in the comments section below.
TIP NO. 3: Network with Local Technical Schools
The next generation of skilled workers are being trained through technical schools at the high school and post-high school levels. Technical schools can be a great source of future skilled workers for your construction company. Take the time to build relationships with the instructors and teachers at these institutions.
Does your company network with local technical schools?
We would love to know if your company has any connections with local technical schools and if it has benefited your recruiting efforts. Please share your ideas and thoughts with us in the comments section below.
TIP NO. 4: Develop Word-of-Mouth Campaigns to Attract Skilled Workers
It is not what you know, but who you know that counts. You may not know someone who is looking for a job, but your skilled workers in your business most likely know someone who is looking for work.
Do your employees appreciate the company they work for? Will they recommend the company to a friend or relative who is looking for work? Develop your relationships with your employees and encourage them to bring their friends and family on board.
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Has your company developed word-of-mouth campaigns with your current employees? Has it benefited your recruiting efforts?
We would love to know if your company has developed any word-of-mouth recruiting campaigns. Please share your ideas and thoughts with us in the comments section below.
TIP NO. 5: Collaborate with Other Contractors
There are many smaller contractors who borrow employees from other contractors that they network with. This can be a great solution if your company experiences a spike in workload. Independent contractors may also team up to take on a larger project. This eliminates the need to continually find work for skilled workers after the immediate demand is worked through.
Does your company collaborate with other contractors?
We would love to know if your collaboration efforts have helped fill your labor shortages in the past. Please share your ideas and thoughts with us in the comments section below.
An Evolving Problem
The problem of finding skilled workers in the construction industry is here to stay. As the industry increases in complexity, the abilities of the average skilled worker needs to increase as well. There are workers available, but it will take creative employers to attract them to the construction industry and train them up to meet the demands of their trade and industry.
The spoils of war go to the victor. The companies that manage their version of skilled worker shortages and implement solutions will win the battle.
What solutions can you implement to solve this problem for your construction company?
Thanks for all the valuable information you provide through blog posts. I would definitely collaborate with other contractors when it comes to finding skilled construction workers. I’d also hire people with the right mindset and work ethic, and then train them.
Great tips on finding skilled workers for your construction company, very informative and helpful article. Thanks for sharing.
But when companies have a recruiting need, the hiring process is often rushed, which makes it hard to be thorough. The facts that have been discussed here are really important. Thank you so much for sharing a great post.