鈥斅犅13 min read
Construction Recruitment: Invest in People & Culture for Hiring Success
Last Updated Mar 18, 2025
Construction thrives when people work productively together to deliver the projects our communities need. Companies need to hire qualified workers for every position, from project managers to equipment operators. Strategies to improve construction recruitment 鈥 attracting and hiring construction workers 鈥 can help GCs and trade contractors fill their ranks to complete jobs efficiently while maintaining quality standards.
Companies need to develop practical strategies and strengthen their culture to find and hire talent. By fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace, construction firms can distinguish themselves from competitors, appeal to prospective hires, and retain their productive workforce.
This article will discuss effective recruitment strategies, diverse ways to find applicants and the positive impact effective recruitment can have on company success.
The shift in leadership is creating a culture and an environment where people want to bring their talent. If we can all help solve the culture issue together, the labor shortage may be a thing of the past.
Lisa OBrien
Director of Industry Culture
麻豆视频 Technologies
Table of contents
8 Strategies for Recruiting Construction Talent
As older construction workers retire, replacing them with new talent is imperative for companies seeking to complete projects on time. With numerous job openings in construction, skilled workers have plenty of choices. Securing these sought-after professionals necessitates relationship building, much like other facets of success in the industry.
1. Build a strong culture.
A company鈥檚 reputation for a safe, collaborative and employee-focused work environment draws workers. People want to feel supported and valued by their workplace, and leaders who explicitly create a company ethos where people treat each other respectfully and foster growth will make their company a place where people want to work.
When we think about culture today, it is the guidelines, the principles, and the spoken values that you as an organization follow, embrace in the workforce, and give autonomy to people to act within. It's being explicit about guiding principles and how we work together. That needs to be codified in a culture or an expressed set of values.
Sasha Reed
Senior Director, Industry Transformation
麻豆视频 Technologies
2. Communicate a strong purpose.
The company鈥檚 mission statement plays a role in attracting talent. Construction companies should communicate their commitments to sustainability, integrity, community involvement, safety, innovation or any other values that define their brand. Highlight completed projects to inspire potential hires with the possibility of working on projects they could be proud of. Potential hires who resonate with the company鈥檚 mission are more likely to become harmonious team members.
Right now, about 40 percent of the workforce is made up of emerging generations and they care about meaning and impact and purpose. I don't think any industry in the world has that innately built in the way that design and construction do. It鈥檚 inspirational, compelling, meaningful work. There is effort required to tell that story through the right lens.
Lisa OBrien
Director of Industry Culture
麻豆视频 Technologies
3. Create opportunities for growth.
Employers who invest in employee career growth are attractive to top construction talent. Career development programs give employees a sense of meaning and a path to management careers within the company. Retaining employees and upskilling them to fill needed roles is a cost-effective HR practice that also motivates new candidates to consider their future advancement with the company.
One of the elements of a company that really attracts you or makes you want to stay with the company is the opportunity for exposure and growth. Not only will they show you what you can do, but they also give you the opportunity to grow in that specific field that you鈥檙e interested in. They set you up with the classes that you need.
Tasean Beckles
Field Engineer
Lee Kennedy
4. Maintain flexibility.
Leaders need to be flexible to let workers help shape their workplaces and complete the work in ways that suit team members鈥 preferences. Flexible schedules can be important for work-life balance, especially for employees with caregiving responsibilities.
We allow our project teams to come together as a team and lay out their priorities. What's important to them? What does their schedule look like at home? To help with work-life balance for superintendents, having a rotational super in the summer, whose job is to rotate around projects and offer relief, allowing supers to take vacations and step away from the job.
We鈥檙e giving teams the authority and the independence to find a way that works best for them on their project. Also, leadership needs to say, 鈥極kay, we support you. We understand you know what it takes to get the job done and we're behind you.
Kelly Daige
National Director of Inclusion & Partnerships
Skanska
5. Partner with educational institutions.
Partnering with trade schools, high schools, community colleges and universities to offer internships or coops, present in classes or at career events and offer advice on workforce training needs can pay off for construction companies. Schools can be a pipeline for workers just starting in the industry or students looking for job experience to help them determine a career path. Close relationships with faculty and administrators can allow construction professionals to help shape curricula to meet local workforce needs.
6. Boost mentorship and support systems.
Formal and informal mentorship programs can support employees just entering the industry as they grow into the job. Support systems inside the company can provide workers with the scaffolding to learn the ropes, helping companies cultivate a talent pipeline to take over as experienced employees leave the industry.
The best way to see people develop and grow is to have a trusting relationship where they can be vulnerable with a mentor who cares about their growth. There's nothing more rewarding to me as a leader than when someone I have invested in is promoted, and I feel that I may have contributed to their success. I think it's critical to the growth of this industry as many folks are retiring to consider giving back.
Steve Duvel
Senior Vice President - Operations Support Services Leader
Gilbane Building Company
7. Focus on feedback.
Consistently asking for employee feedback brings the best ideas to the fore and allows leadership to hear the concerns of staff who do the work every day. Cultivating talent in workers from diverse backgrounds maximizes the use of the available workforce and when employees feel their input is appreciated, they contribute to continuous improvement and team-building.