Plan now to avoid construction staffing challenges

Many signs point to 2024 welcoming new opportunities for the construction industry. For example:

• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is in full swing
• Supply chains and material costs continue to stabilize
• Experts predict improving housing markets will spur industry-wide growth

Don’t let challenges in finding construction workers keep your company from capitalizing on these opportunities. With some smart planning now, you can succeed in recruiting construction workers and keeping your projects fully staffed in 2024.

PeopleReady Skilled Trades can help you create a forward-looking staffing plan to find construction workers needed to support your company’s growth.

Take stock of your 2023 staffing efforts

Assessing which construction hiring strategies moved your company forward — and which ones didn’t — can help you with finding construction workers in 2024 and beyond. Eliminate hiring for construction tactics that failed to produce the results you wanted. In doing so, you can free up resources to pursue more effective strategies.

If identifying the effectiveness of your various hiring tactics proves challenging, developing metrics to measure their success can help you improve your results. From cost to hire to quality of hire, metrics and data analysis are essential for creating an effective construction staffing plan.

Ultimately, the key to success in finding construction workers involves having a multi-pronged strategy. While pandemic-era challenges ranging from supply chain delays to project cancellations are lessening, your staffing plan also needs to remain flexible enough to address unexpected bumps in the road.

Embrace new recruiting tactics to find construction workers

Stepping up your recruiting efforts and showing what your company has to offer may help you attract candidates. Linking to a portfolio of your company’s projects in your job postings can appeal to construction workers, as can highlighting career development and advancement opportunities.

Also, potential construction hires are increasingly attracted to perks and incentives beyond their salary and benefits. Consider offering flexible scheduling, worker recognition programs like Respect the Craft, and other enticements.

Industry partners, such as a construction staffing agency, can offer your company innovative strategies to build a stronger workforce. One example is WorkUp, a skilled trades workforce development program offered by PeopleReady. WorkUp helps companies like yours grow their worker pipelines with dedicated up-and-coming workers who are ready to build their careers in construction.

Prioritize safety to boost recruiting construction workers

Construction workers seeking new job opportunities realize that they have more employment options than ever before. One thing that job seekers are paying close attention to when weighing their options is a company’s safety record. A construction company that prioritizes safety demonstrates a commitment to its workers and creates a positive reputation that attracts skilled construction workers.

Are you doing all you can to protect your workers? Make sure your safety plan includes the following:

• Communicating expectations: Be clear that your company puts worker safety first, from offering extensive safety training to holding regular safety meetings that keep practices top of mind.
• Ensuring site safety: Detail the expectations and company processes that keep your workers safe on every jobsite.
• Providing proper equipment: Assure workers that your company will provide them with essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to be safe and productive in their jobs.

Broaden your candidate pool to beat the construction worker shortage

Recruiting construction workers from nontraditional candidate pools helps companies staff for growth. A diverse workforce can lead to long-term benefits for your company — and for your workers. Potential sources of skilled workers can include women, veterans, persons with disabilities, underrepresented groups and even retirees returning to work.

As Baby Boomers continue to leave the industry, recruiting Gen Z employees can help fill the gap. Keep in mind that Gen Z has unique work preferences and career goals that require a focused recruiting approach. These workers are highly interested in technology, career advancement opportunities and work-life balance.

Workers who have embraced the gig economy can also be enticed to join the construction industry. The opportunity to have a flexible schedule and work on many different assignments can appeal to these workers.

Keep up on the latest tools and technology trends

Skilled construction workers are becoming increasingly attracted to new technologies that help them boost productivity and enhance their safety. Companies adopting these advancements are reporting increased success in their efforts to find construction workers.

Some cutting-edge technologies that appeal to skilled construction workers include:

• Generative AI, which can foster improvements in project design, schedule optimization, cost controls, site inspection, safety, compliance and quality assurance.
• Construction wearables, like smart hard hats and smart watches, are improving worker safety by helping them avoid health and safety risks on the jobsite.
• Machine learning technologies are reshaping construction by helping workers improve productivity and safety while allowing companies to decrease costs.

PeopleReady Skilled Trades can help your construction recruiting efforts

Looking for construction staffing solutions? PeopleReady Skilled Trades offers a number of proven strategies to support your construction staffing needs. Our skilled trades recruiting experts can help you develop a staffing plan that allows your company to grow and thrive in the new year.