Five ideas to help you hire the right people for your Construction Industry

When interviewing and hiring new employees for yourself, do you consider how the candidate will affect the reputation of your construction company? Your employees are the face of your company. Your company’s reputation is a direct reflection of the quality of the work you do and your professionalism in the workplace. They can help you build and maintain a solid reputation for your business or tear it down.

Here are some tips to help you hire the right people for your business:

Have a corporate culture that attracts the best talent

You want to be a preferred employer both in your industry and in your local area. To attract the best candidates, you have to be a company that people want to work for. First, you need to make sure you offer your employees competitive salaries and benefits, such as health insurance and gym membership reimbursement. To be a desirable employer, it must also be a challenging and rewarding company to work for.

Your employees want to feel appreciated and valued. This can be something sort of a simple verbal acknowledgment of employment well done or through a bonus program for work completed on time and on budget. Set your company apart from the competition by being the first place candidates apply when looking for a new job rather than the last resort.

Set up a referral program

Reward your employees for sending new talent your way. I bet each and every one of your employees knows someone who is actively looking for a job or who is not satisfied with their current situation. Offer cash or other rewards to employees when they refer someone you hire and pass their trial period.

Other good sources of referrals are your friends, family, and the companies you do business with, from subcontractors to material suppliers. Also, don’t overlook your social media sources. If you’re on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, be sure to reach out to your contacts and let them know you’re hiring.

Don’t wait for that ideal candidate

Rarely are you going to have a candidate walk through your door with all the skills, experience, and education you featured in your job postings? The most likely scenario is that you end up with candidates who have all the skills you need, but who are a couple of years behind the experience you are looking for, or maybe they have years of experience, but their skillset has a couple of holes.

You can always train someone who has the work ethic and the desire to improve. Would you rather hire the less experienced person who will show up every day on time and ready to work or the person who is very experienced and can get the job done but has gone from job to job or is a horrible employee?

Do your homework

Before making that offer, make sure you’ve done your due diligence to make sure the candidate is a good fit for your company. Ask for references and reach out to them to get an idea of what type of employee your candidate will be. Spend the money to run background checks, drug screenings, and pre-employment screening tests on potential new hires.

Know when it is time to part. After the first few months on the job, you should have a good understanding of what type of employee will end up being your last hire. Don’t keep wasting your time and money on an employee who is not exercising.

Always be recruiting

Are you getting to expand your operations within the next six months? Do you have an estimator or project manager that you know plans to retire next year? Even if you answered no to those two questions, you should always be on the lookout for potential new hires. It’s always better to have a candidate line lined up rather than starting from scratch when an employee suddenly leaves. Keep a file of previous applicants that you can review when a position becomes available.

Look to the future by offering internships and cooperatives to students from local high schools, trade schools, and universities. Find local apprenticeships or consider starting your own so you have an additional channel to tap into when it’s time to hire a new employee.

Protect your company’s reputation by hiring workers who have a vested interest in improving your business, not someone who shows up every day to receive a paycheck.

Bylt News is here to provide ongoing Construction News for your vision needs. If you’re wondering what other construction companies are doing right that you might be mimicking, this is the post for you. Learn more visit https://bylt.news. Follow Construction News and industry publications for the latest updates on regulatory changes affecting your business. Sign up for newsletters and automatically receive new Construction News by email.