How to Adapt Your Hiring Strategy to the Ever-Changing Construction Market

There are a lot of factors that can completely alter the state of the construction industry. From regulations, to the housing market, to the state of the economy and politics at large, there’s always something to throw a wrench in your perception of the field.

Once you find something that works, it simply won’t do to rest on your laurels. Just because you’ve found the right strategy for this month’s needs, that does not mean that the same plan will be effective next month. That’s why your hiring strategy needs to be flexible.

Here are just a few ways that you can tweak things to ensure that you always have the right strategy in a market that is always fluctuating.

Begin an Internship Program

Interns are a great solution to a plethora of problems. Because they’re temporary workers who are seeking to supplement their education with experience in the field, they’re willing to do a range of tasks. Therefore, if you need an intern to step up during a time where work is abundant, but viable candidates are scarce, they’ll most likely be willing to take on additional responsibility.

On the other hand, if you’re in a slow period, you can always hire fewer interns during the next cycle. Because interns are only around for a few months, unless you choose to extend their tenure, you can regularly adjust the amount of interns you bring on, and what kind of jobs they do.

Additionally, they create a reliable hiring pool for the time when you do need to bring people on quickly and permanently. You already know what these people are capable of and they know how you operate, so the hiring process can be expedited if you need it to be.

It’s a great and flexible program that can make a huge difference as you navigate the volatile market.

Act Fast

When you do want to bring someone on, you’ll want to do it quickly, and before another shift in the market.

So when you find the right person, you want to make them an offer as soon as you possibly can. You also want to ensure that the offer you give is compelling and fair. The less time the candidate spends considering the offer, the sooner you can bring them on.

This will ensure that you bring on the right people at the right time, and that the door of opportunity does not close before you have a chance to act. The last thing you want is to be behind the curve.

Explore Rotational Programs

Not unlike the situation with interns, rotational programs give you the necessary flexibility that can make or break an organization in a dynamic market. A rotational program allows you to move people from position to position, depending on your needs. If you need someone to act as a project manager in the field for a month, then spend some time doing business development in an office for some time, this program allows you to do that.

This kind of program really appeals to people with varied and interdisciplinary backgrounds. It allows you to move people from position to position as needed. These positions can be as high-touch as PMs and estimators, to support-based jobs like scheduling and safety.

Finding the right, well-rounded people could be difficult at first, but in the long-run these employees will suit your needs perfectly. They’ll also be more fulfilled in a job that is not monotonous and truly values what they bring to the table because it allows them to use their arsenal of skills.

When the industry you operate within is ever-changing, you need systems in place that are equally flexible. These are just a few ways to adapt your construction business into an amorphous, successful enterprise, but there are more out there. If you’d like to talk to an expert about the current state of the industry, or about your hiring needs, reach out to the team at Michael Page.