By Brian Flynn, New England Regional Manager  

Does your company have the skilled construction workers you need for the projects you work on? How far do you have to go to locate the tradespeople who fit the demands you come across? How do you attract and retain the talent that differentiates you from the others in the industry? The increasing labor shortage in the construction industry creates a huge challenge for construction firms. There are plenty of construction jobs, but limited manpower to address them. The solution is simple but hard to meet. Find the people you want and keep them.  We provide some tips on how to get a great construction workforce.

Tradespeople of All Levels
In order for your company to position itself for success and growth, you need to staff tradespeople of all levels. From entry level to mid-level to top level, your firm needs to cover all the bases to get a great construction workforce. If you want to be able to capitalize on the new talent that comes in your door, you have to pave their way to success. This means that you must have in place experienced workers who will spend the time and effort to help entry level workers develop their construction career. Similarly, your top level staff needs to facilitate mid-level staff in their effort to grow in your company. When workers know that there is room for growth, they stay.

Versatile Employees
Another important factor to take into account during your efforts to get a great construction workforce is looking for versatile workers. For example, choose employees who are willing to travel, tradespeople who are resourceful on the jobsite and workers who are organized and perform the necessary house cleaning at the end of their shift. In other words, show preference to the people who have a well-rounded approach when working on the tasks you assign to them. Remember that every construction job requires both skills and professionalism. Try to get both from your team.

Safety Culture
The prosperity of the construction industry goes hand in hand with the prosperity of the safety culture that each and every construction firm maintains. Taking this into account, it goes without saying that you need to look for tradespeople who take construction safety seriously and who stay up-to-date with safety regulations and guidelines. It is crucial that you provide the necessary safety training to your people before they get on the jobsite and that your construction workers always use personal protective equipment (PPE) when doing their construction job. You want people who embrace the safety culture your company promotes.

Referrals and Retention Programs
You know that you are going to get a great construction workforce when you have solid proof that you are making the best choices. The best way to make this happen is to look for tradespeople with great referrals and a proven record of performance. Referrals talk to the value that each professional brings to the table based on previous experience. Once you bring in great talent, you need to do your best to keep it. Create retention programs to invest in the further development of your people’s construction skills and offer initiatives such as performance bonuses, tuition reimbursements, and milestone perks to reward hard work and get great results.

Construction Recruiters
Finding the right construction worker for the construction job your company is coming across is not an easy task. It takes a lot of time and effort that many firms don’t have. An effective way to get a great construction workforce is to reach out to a construction recruiter and let them find the talent for you. Their everyday interactions in the market and their relationships with clients give them access to a pool of tradespeople from all levels. Remember that a qualified construction recruiter has in place a solid screening process with in-person interviews and referral checks to ensure that the talent they provide meets and exceeds your expectations. They look for and find professionals who are versatile and they provide them with the safety training that meets your company’s safety standards.

Key Takeaways to Is Your Construction Company Equipped with a Great Workforce?:
1.  Select tradespeople of all levels and make sure you facilitate their success in your company
2.  Look for tradespeople who are versatile and have a well-rounded when working on the tasks you assign to them
3.  Make sure your construction workers embrace your company’s safety culture
4.  Choose professionals with great referrals and create retention programs and initiatives to keep them at your company
5.  Work with a construction recruiter to get a great construction workforce

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