By Jim Ferry, President & CEO  

Your company needs to find a partner who is capable of locating the construction talent and the construction skills that you need. Choosing the team that is going to handle your placement is not an easy decision. Your choice is going to have an impact on the success or failure of your project, so it is important that you make the best construction staffing firm choice. Knowing the construction industry and what it takes to meet expectations, we have put together some hints on what to look for from your construction staffing partner.

A Firm that Cares
Many companies will pledge to find you the construction skills you need and promise to live up to your expectations. A reliable staffing firm will look to build long term win/win relationships, versus just filling an order, by providing honest assessments of workers and communicating with their client every step of the way. The staffing firm should care about their workers by maintaining an onsite presence. From accompanying the workers to the work site on their first day, to frequent jobsite visits to check on them, your staffing partner needs to be there. You know that your organization is in good hands when your construction staffing firm cares about your workforce and ensures that they meet your needs.

Safety is a Priority
Construction is a challenging world and failing to adhere to construction safety guidelines has severe consequences. With that said, your construction staffing partner must have a strong focus on worker safety. From new hire safety orientation, to frequent on-site safety meetings and staff members who are OSHA certified in workplace safety – the firm must have safety as a core value and not just treat it as lip service. In other words, in order to make the best construction staffing firm choice, look for an organization that embraces and promotes safety culture and prepares your staff to work safely.

Checks and Balances
Your staffing firm finally found you the professionals with the construction skills you needed. The last thing you want is to find out that your workers lack the proper documentation such as certifications, licenses and prerequisites. It is really frustrating to have to deal with problems like these at the last minute because your staffing firm dropped the ball. A responsible construction staffing firm will perform all of the necessary checks and balances including using E-Verify to deliver the most qualified talent for your company. They do what you expect them to do.

Thorough Screening
A great way to ensure that you make the best construction staffing firm choice is to look into the hiring process of the organization that interests you. How do they make sure that you receive workers with the proper construction skills? Do they locate the best construction talent or do you have to spend time qualifying candidates? Choose a construction staffing firm that has a multi-step screening process that includes face-to-face interviews and extensive reference checks for their candidates. Have them explain to you how they will provide the right people for the job.

Known in the Business
It is always wise to choose a firm who works with high profile clients. Keep in mind that while these clients may be some of your toughest competitors, they are also a testament to the staffing firm’s ability to service sophisticated and demanding clients. This is the best proof that they know how to satisfy the needs of their customers. They are there for their clients at all times, not only until the placement is made. They maintain constant communication in order to address a need the moment it is identified. They check on both their customers and workers to ensure that both sides are satisfied.

Key Takeaways to Making the Best Construction Staffing Firm Choice:
1.  Choose a firm that cares about their clients and workers
2.  All members of the staffing firm must prioritize safety
3.  Your staffing firm must perform solid checks and balances for your workers
4.  Select a company that has a thorough screening process
5.  Go with a company that services high profile customers and maintains open channels of communication

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