While the pandemic has stilted all our economic activities for a good part of the year, they are starting to get back on track again; albeit at a much slower pace than before. And with this resumption comes the process of hiring new faces for the business. If your construction company is no different, you should have some idea about this post-pandemic Construction Employee Recruitment scenario. There are different levels of positions to be filled in a construction company- from hiring designers, engineers to electricians and construction supervisors- each position requires specialized recruitment.
Besides, the construction field is very competitive, so hiring or even attracting talented employees is no easy work for a hiring manager. And, the pandemic has somewhat altered the hiring process in the industry. Here we will explore how you can hire the best employees for your company’s smooth operation.
Decide What Position to Be Filled In
This pandemic might have caused many of your employees to leave their job or even jump to new opportunities. And your business might plan to shrink or even expand its operation. To assess the requirement for the change, you need to figure out what position you need to be filled in and how many employees are needed for each department. If you are going to reduce your operation, consider merging two positions or even two departments. For scaling up, make sure you have trusted employees heading the new ventures and hire accordingly. If the recruitment scale turns out to be large, you can take the help of a construction executive recruiter or other recruiting agencies.
Prepare a Good Job Advertisement
Your job advertisement is the first look a candidate gets about your construction farm. To attract deserving candidates, your job advertisement should include three factors, a clear job description, job requirement, and what a candidate can expect by joining your construction business; in terms of compensation and potential for growth.
As the construction industry’s success depends on various projects on the business portfolio, you need to disclose a little about your company and the type of projects it undertook over the years. This will attract candidates who have a specialization or even want to gather experiences on that specific project. For instance, if your farm focuses on building prefabricated structures, you should mention that on your company profile; this will attract candidates experienced in this sector.
Post on Job Boards
Once you have prepared a good job advertisement on Construction Employee Recruitment, publish it on different job boards. Depending on the level of credentials you want in a candidate, you might have to adopt a different approach while posting that job advertisement. If you want to hire veterans in this sector, make sure you post the advertisement on professional job sites, dedicated to construction. Similarly, if you want to hire fresh graduates, you should gear up by spreading the word in your alumni group or contact your alma maters.
Look For both Veterans and Fresh Graduates
Your company should have a fine balance between tradition and innovation. And combining both the experienced and novice is the best way to achieve it. While you are on the lookout for employees, don’t limit your selection only to the experienced, thinking they would be the best at their job, or only to the recent graduates thinking they will be low maintenance in terms of salary and compensation. Be open to accepting candidates if they are truly deserving; even if it means overlooking the years of experience they have under their belt.
Although some positions such as the construction manager, might require having specific years of experience for the job, you can bend the rules for exceptional cases.
Consider Taking Referrals
Many construction companies might be contemplating to reduce or even stop their operation altogether due to pandemics. Use your network grapevine for some potential employee referrals’ from these soon to be closed companies. While you are at it, also think about taking referrals for potential candidates from your existing and previous employees; they might have a far wider network of fellow industry workers than you do.
Streamline Your Recruitment Process
A long-drawn-out recruitment process can hurt your construction farm. After several prolonged steps, by the time you decide to hire some candidates, they might not be available or might not even be interested in the positions anymore. It is better to be cut back on unnecessary formalities and get right to the point where you are ready to hire someone.
While you wait for the ideal candidate who will tick all the boxes that the job requires, you may never find that candidate. Move out of your utopian thinking and grab the options that are already available in front of you.
Offer competitive compensation
Salary and compensation might be the key to attracting talented candidates in any industry, and it is even more obvious for the construction industry. The scale of this industry is vast and so are the options for the employees. If they find your offer lacks in good salary and compensation they might skip your offer and move somewhere else. Besides, you have to be in sync with the current salary trend of the construction industry and offer the benefits accordingly. Avoid offering a salary that is less than the industry trend; it might turn off the top tier employees.
Always Be On the Lookout for New Talent
Being in the recruitment process only when you need employees, might not work in the construction industry. As most of the work is done project wise with a specific time limit, there is always the possibility of opening up some position or some talented candidate looking for jobs. These transitions can go on all around the year, and you shouldn’t miss the chance to get the best candidates on board. And you never know if someone from your company is thinking about quitting. If you are prepared for those unforeseen situations, you can readily fill those gaps, and ensure the smooth operation of your project.
The Bottom Line
A smooth recruitment process requires proper planning and if you have one, it won’t be hard for you to find the right candidate. Be transparent and upfront about your recruitment; the employee and you both should be on the same page before you draw up an employment contract. If you find the scale of recruitment beyond your ability, don’t hesitate to hire a recruitment agency in the construction niche.
