Last week we gave you the reasons why the industry is the way it is and why this is such an important issue (and opportunity!). But how can you take advantage of this? The most obvious answer is to bring workers back into the industry, but even that has become a headache for countless business owners and tradesmen. While a lot of factors can influence the way we hire workers, stale recruitment tactics may be contributing to your situation in a big way. However, not to worry! BigHire’s got you covered. Here are some quick tips for switching up recruitment tactics in these difficult times:
Think outside the box. When it comes to recruitment, if you are looking for people in the same places, same age groups, same everything as before, you’re bound to encounter, you’ve guessed it, the same setbacks. Try looking for talent in new or even unfamiliar places; whether that’s hiring more women, more students, people from different geographical areas and industries, get out of your same old routines.
Apprenticeships. The main purpose of this method is to get your name out there and let people know that you exist. Hosting an apprenticeship will do this by not only attracting new talent who will grow into skilled, valuable, and familiar members of your team but also by presenting you and your business as a source of expertise, enough to even begin training others. Just make sure you’re advertising it sufficiently and in the right places.
Find more opportunities to network. Many business owners operate primarily through the connections gained through family, friends, and even chance encounters on the job. While this is a great way to sustain your business, when it comes to making connections, at the end of the day, the best strategy is to take a direct and proactive approach. An easy way to do this is to join Facebook or Reddit groups dedicated to your area of expertise both near and far. If you’re willing to take on a greater commitment, consider joining your regional construction, trades, or even entrepreneurial organization, a particularly famous one being Business Network International (BNI). There you’ll meet business owners and skilled tradespeople looking for work or with connections to other professionals for your team.
Join BigHire! Unlike other job search tools, BigHire is specially tailored to fit the needs of the construction and skilled trades industries. As a company owner or subcontractor on our site, you can post jobs, receive applications, and simply browse the jobseeker profiles that exist in our database. And when we find people who we think will suit your needs, we will suggest them to you and even arrange a meeting between you and the applicant. Sign up as a company to start finding workers today!
The current labor shortage has continued to be one of, if not the most pressing issue for some companies in the industry. However, with the growth of the industry after Covid-19 making way for new development, as we’ve shown, there are always methods to minimize the effect of the shortage on your own recruitment practices, and even turn it into a golden opportunity.