By David Lohman, Account Representative

Who has your back? Are you doing business with people who are invested in your company’s growth? Do you get the construction skills you need when you need them? Do you receive tradespeople who meet your expectations? Does your construction recruiter keep open channels of communication with you or are they nowhere to be found when you look for them? The success of every business relationship lies in the quality of work each partner puts in. Working with a construction staffing firm is not an exception. Below we provide some standards that indicate you made the right business partner decision.

On the Same Page
Your business relationship with your construction recruiter is not going to be fruitful if they don’t identify and understand your needs. Not every plumbing or electric job requires the same construction skills; however, most of the staffing firms out there fail to acknowledge that and treat everything the same way. When you work with a construction staffing firm, you want your construction recruiter to sit down with you face-to-face and discuss your expectations and explain how they plan to meet them. Only then can you expect to receive the qualified tradespeople who bring value to your firm.

Focused on Safety
Is the construction staffing firm you work with sending you tradespeople and leaving it up to you to make sure that they comply with safety requirements? If that is the case then you need to start looking for a new partner. A qualified construction recruiter walks the newcomers on the jobsite to identify potential safety hazards and ensure that safety standards are met. They reduce risk and help increase production by implementing safety programs that include items like safety tool box talks, site safety evaluations and personal protective equipment (PPE) that ensure a focus on safety and ease the transition of the worker.

Watching Your Back
When you decide to partner with a construction staffing firm, you trust your construction recruiter to locate the tradespeople with the right construction skills for the job. How do they go about it? Do they meet your expectations or do you receive candidates who are far from what you expect? It is crucial that your staffing partner has in place a solid hiring process that includes background checks, face-to-face interviews, reference reviews and a skills assessment. Are the candidate’s licenses and certifications up-to-date or are you going to have to deal with last minute surprises that cost your firm time and money? A responsible construction staffing firm watches your back and anticipates nuisances.

Up to Speed
The construction industry is an extremely volatile sector that experiences change and innovation more than ever before. This creates great challenges for contractors who fail to keep up with construction trends. Is the construction staffing firm you work with able to fill that gap? Do they belong to industry associations that allow them to get a deep knowledge of the industry that benefits you? A well informed construction recruiter will make sure that you don’t stand alone and your company is not isolated in the industry. They will let you know of upcoming challenges that are going to have an impact on your firm and sit down with you to help them address them.

Always There
When you join forces with a construction staffing firm your goal must be to get a business partner, not just a vendor. You need to work with people who are always there for you, not only when you have a need. The work of your construction recruiter doesn’t end the moment they locate the construction skills you are looking for and they make the placement. You want a partner who checks in on a regular basis both with you and with the professionals they provide you to make certain that your needs are addressed and your expectations are met. Expect your business partner to maintain open channels of communication with you and to be accessible at all times.

Key Takeaways to Is Your Construction Staffing Firm Doing Their Job?:
1.  Work with construction recruiters who thoroughly understand your needs
2.  The construction staffing firm you work with must be focused on safety
3.  Your construction recruiter must have in place a solid hiring process
4.  Work with a partner who is up to speed with change in the industry
5.  Your construction recruiter must keep constant communication with you

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