The increasing sunshine and warmer weather signal the start of the summer construction boom. Homeowners, business owners, and governments take advantage of the longer days to complete construction projects.
Along with peak construction season comes the skyrocketing labor demand. As a result, many construction companies face labor shortages. Fortunately, building a hiring pipeline, creating an employee referral program, and partnering with a construction recruitment firm minimize labor issues so summer projects keep moving forward.
Build a Hiring Pipeline
A year-round hiring pipeline of prescreened construction candidates provides qualified talent when needed. Interviewing and creating a list of qualified electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and other skilled workers helps projects promptly begin without the stress of last-minute hiring.
These tips help build a hiring pipeline:
- Strengthen your employer brand: Showcase your construction projects online. Promote a positive work environment. Offer apprenticeships. Emphasize employee benefits, company culture, and growth opportunities to attract top talent.
- Leverage tools and technologies: Use online portfolios and social media platforms to highlight work and engage with candidates. Implement an applicant tracking system (ATS) and related tools to streamline the hiring process and monitor key performance metrics.
- Identify and define construction project roles: Outline the duties, responsibilities, and skill requirements. Create detailed job descriptions to attract experienced candidates.
- Implement a multi-channel hiring strategy: Source qualified candidates through construction-specific job boards, networking at industry events, and partnerships with local trade schools to broaden your candidate pools.
- Streamline the application and screening process: Provide a fast, easy application process. Use prescreening tools to evaluate candidates’ skills and experiences. Efficiently shortlist candidates for interviews.
- Conduct targeted interviews: Use structured interviews focused on relevant construction scenarios. Evaluate candidates’ technical skills and ability to handle interpersonal interactions and project-specific challenges. Include practical assessments for hands-on roles such as plumbing and carpentry.
- Prioritize onboarding and retention: Build a structured onboarding program. Provide clear career paths and regular performance reviews. Offer ongoing professional development opportunities and certification support. Encourage engagement, productivity, and loyalty.
Create an Employee Referral Program
An employee referral program is one of the most efficient and effective methods for filling construction project roles. Offering a bonus to employees who refer skilled workers who get hired increases the likelihood of finding qualified talent who are a cultural fit and remain long-term.
Steps to implement an employee referral program include:
- Establishing guidelines: Define the positions eligible for referrals, the hiring criteria, and the reward for a successful hire.
- Offering an incentive: A cash bonus or paid time off (PTO) encourages employee referrals.
- Streamlining the process: Provide an easy-to-use referral process. Ensure Human Resources promptly acknowledges and processes the referrals and provides regular status updates.
- Regularly communicating: Use emails, newsletters, and company meetings to remind employees about the referral program and recognize employees who make successful referrals.
- Tracking and evaluating the program: Collect data on referral dates, the quality of referred candidates, and retention rates. Gather constructive employee feedback to improve effectiveness.
Partner with a Construction Recruitment Firm
A construction recruitment firm provides contract, contract-to-hire, and direct-hire employees to help fill project needs. You can scale your workforce without a long-term commitment to meet project deadlines.
Let SitePro Solution help you prepare for the summer construction boom to avoid labor shortages. Contact us to discuss your hiring needs today.
