By George Grayson, Southern New England Account Manager
The construction industry is slowly but steadily coming out of the recession. More and more projects are taking place, giving shape to a prosperous future for the industry. The high demand for strong construction skills is encountering a major hurdle; the skilled construction labor shortage. Construction firms are finding it more and more difficult to locate skilled workers because more people exit construction than those entering. This creates a gap that is tough to overcome. As a master carpenter with 33 years in the field I know the importance of maintaining a good business, but also understand the hardships that take place in the construction world. Take a look some tips on how to address the skilled construction labor shortage.
Bring in the Recruiter
Locating qualified workers with great construction skills is an everyday challenge for a construction company. Due to the skilled construction labor shortage, there is increased competition among firms to find good construction candidates. In order to better position your company and maintain a healthy flow of workers for your needs, you need to join forces with a reliable construction staffing firm. Working with a construction recruiter allows you to take advantage of the experience and the established relationships they have in the industry that translate into more skilled manpower coming your way. A construction recruiter is also a construction labor expert; they know how to deliver the necessary construction skills for your needs.
Invest in Your Current Employees
It is important to remember that a great way to deal with the skilled construction labor shortage is by investing in your current employees. The key word here is employees. Your workers are crucial to completing a project. They don’t want to feel like a number or that they are replaceable. Your company has workers whose construction skills you know and are able to capitalize on. Similarly, these workers have been with your company and they know the way it operates. Losing this workforce is a huge mistake. Create retention programs that intrigue them to stick with your firm. From giving them opportunities to grow their career to providing allowances for new tools they buy, to offering tuition reimbursements for classes or programs they attend, provide incentives to your workers to stay with your company.
Help New Workers Stay
Once you manage to find and bring in new workers, what is your plan to make them stay? How do expect to deal with the skilled construction labor shortage if you do not work on the construction skills of your new workers? The first way to make your employees stay is by making them feel valued and creating a team environment. You want your workers to come back every day with a positive attitude – the job will get done on time with your employees working as a team. You don’t want a Game 7 Championship because of a “Lebron James”, you want an easy win in the 4th game because your team worked well together and finished the job. Another way to keep your employees is by investing in them. Set up apprentice and training programs within your company where your experienced workers teach trades to your newcomers. Show your new workforce how much you are interested in their success and how much your company has to offer them. You owe it to the younger generation to help them find their path in the industry – after all somebody showed you the way!
Be Proactive
If you believe that all you need to do to fight the skilled construction labor shortage is post open positions and wait for the right candidates to knock on your door, then you need to think again. Don’t wait until you are in need of construction skills in order to take action. Be proactive and take the necessary steps that allow you to be ready when the storm hits. Reach out to local trade schools to find the construction talent you need. Give them a chance to learn and grow with your company, and they will be appreciative of the opportunity to be mentored. The Rhode Island Construction Training Academy (RICTA) and the New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) are just a few examples of centers with large pools of construction skills.
Use Referrals
Let’s assume that you are looking to fill a position and you finally find the candidate who has the construction skills you are seeking. You hire them and they turn out to be the perfect match. If they were to refer someone who they know, would you consider their referral? Create a company referral program that includes rewarding incentives, and invite current, past and new employees to participate. The key to bringing in more valuable workers is keeping them happy. Good workers know other good workers so take advantage of that to address the skilled construction labor shortage and find the manpower you need.
Key Takeaways to Dealing with the Skilled Labor Shortage in Construction:
1. Join forces with a reliable construction staffing firm to get strong construction skills
2. Provide incentives to encourage your current employees to stay with your company
3. Set up company apprentice and training programs to teach trades to new workers
4. Reach out to local technical schools to take advantage of their candidate pools
5. Create a referral program to drive in more candidates
About TradeSource
Founded in 1993, TradeSource is a construction labor solutions firm focused on delivering labor solutions to contractors throughout the United States. By supplying skilled tradespeople – where and when they’re needed – we help contractors grow their companies, without the associated costs and hassles of full-time hires. Likewise, we match qualified employees with rewarding and well-paying job opportunities in the construction industry. www.tradesource.com
