Over the past couple of years, the unemployment rate in the United States has gone through a few different fluctuations. There was a drastic uptick in unemployment when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now, with people going back to work, the unemployment rate has decreased to 4.8 percent as of September 2021.
As a construction employment agency, Austin Nichols Technical Search is experienced in hiring great candidates even when unemployment rates are low. If you’re struggling to fill positions in your construction business because the job market has become more competitive, consider implementing some of these tips the next time you’re looking to hire someone.
1. Offer Competitive Compensation
If you want to attract great construction professionals, you need to offer them more incentives to work for your company over your competitors. Your business is at a massive disadvantage if your pay is low or if you don’t offer health insurance, retirement plans, or other benefits.
Instead, offer a competitive salary and benefits package so the job position is more attractive to potential candidates. If you do have to offer a lower salary than your competitor, there are some things you can do to make up for it. For example, focus on intangibles like a dog-friendly workplace, free coffee, or flexible schedules.
2. Make Your Application Process Easy for Applicants
When recruiting in low unemployment scenarios, overly complicated job applications aren’t necessary. In fact, the fewer application variables you throw into the process, the less likely you are to disqualify a quality construction professional.
Instead, create a quick application that is easy to navigate so your construction candidates have a low-stress application process. The application should be easy to view and fill out on both desktop and mobile devices. If you shorten your application now, you can always add a longer application later in the hiring process.
Start by capturing the information you need to determine whether each candidate meets your basic requirements. Short, two-minute resume submissions will get you more applicants to choose from, increasing your applicant flow and the number of qualified candidates even if the unemployment rate is low.
3. Promote Company Culture
When recruiting new employees for professional construction positions, it’s important to point out what makes your company unique. When unemployment rates are low, job applicants have more options to choose from. If you want them to work for your business, you can entice them by describing your company’s culture, values, and work environment.
Some aspects of company culture you might consider selling to your applicants is the fun environment, volunteer or charity activities your team members are involved with, constant training and workforce engagement, and opportunities for career advancement.
Because qualified applicants are finding work more easily, you may need to go the extra mile to obtain new hires. As an employer, consider offering other benefits as well, such as tuition reimbursement, schedule flexibility, competitive benefits, and higher salary.
Consider also using social media to share pictures or videos of what a typical day at work looks like for you and your team. In this way, you can showcase your organization, your employees, and how you keep the everyday work environment a happy, healthy, and productive place.
4. Offer Referral Bonuses to Current Employees
One of the easiest ways to recruit new construction management professionals for your business is by asking your current employees whether they know anybody looking for a job. Everyone in your company has the potential to be a recruiter; when unemployment rates are low, leaning into your employee’s extensive networks can bring in new hires a lot more quickly.
Ask your current employees who they know personally, who they’ve worked with in the past, who they went to school with, or top talent they’d value working alongside. Typically, if your existing employees can recruit great construction professionals they already know, these new hires tend to stay longer with a company because they fit better culturally.
Create or improve your current employee referral program by offering incentives or rewards to current team members who recruit successful new hires. The reward can come in many forms, such as a cash bonus or extra PTO days.
You’ll want to create reasonable guidelines to ensure you aren’t giving away unnecessary money. For example, if your employee recruits a new hire, the candidate must stay with the company for at least 90 days before any reward is distributed. For more urgent construction positions or management roles, consider increasing the bonus amount.
5. Create Growth Opportunities
Creating growth opportunities in construction employment can help to further incentivize new hires. People looking for jobs in the workforce want to know that they will be taken care of by the company that hired them. As a hirer, it’s important to outline any growth opportunities available to them in the future.
Some construction candidates may not be top-notch employees when you hire them, and that’s okay. One way to get around this is by offering apprenticeships. If you need skilled construction professionals long-term, consider training recent graduates in entry-level positions. This opens up the applicant pool for the position and allows you to shape a new hire’s skills as needed.
6. Working with a Construction Employment Agency
Construction employment agencies are great resources when you’re looking to hire someone at your company, especially when unemployment rates are low. Many agencies have more resources for gathering potential candidates, so they can pull from a wider applicant pool. They can also save your company a lot of time and money by taking care of the recruiting and hiring process for you.
As a recruiting agency for construction jobs, Austin Nichols is here for every part of the hiring process. We do both direct hires and contract recruiting in the Kansas City area. Contact us today at 816-471-5575 for more information about finding top talent for your company.
