How to Attract Top Construction Talent Ahead of the Competition

Attracting top talent ahead of the competition in a competitive recruitment market is becoming more and more critical to business success. Whether everyone in your industry is working to win a new candidate, or if you’ve caught wind that a top performer in another company may be looking for a new opportunity, you should be poised and ready to bring them on.

But it’s not always a pay check that brings these excellent candidates through your door, it is about maintaining a good quality of life for all of your employees. Here are a few ways that you can put yourself in a position to attract the best talent in a competitive market.

Do Interesting Work

No one brags about their job being boring. You want your employees to be engaged in their work, and excited to contribute each day. Having a pipeline of interesting projects will make people want to work for you, candidates all want to join a company with work that excites them. So make it clear what kind of things they’ll be doing and be sure to offer some variety. If they know they will be challenged with something new each day, you are more likely to convince them enough to join your team.

Assess Your Benefits

Sometimes, the right benefits can tip the scales in your favor. What do you offer in the way of health insurance? What about sick days and time off? Do you have a 401k program? Figure out which areas of your benefits package are lacking, and which should be highlighted to candidates. If you can improve anything, find a way to do it. You never know what could attract a candidate to your organization, so measure your benefits offering against your competition regularly and make sure are up to, or better than par.

Be Flexible

Candidates want to find a job that works for them, just as much as they work at it, but every employee has a different set of needs. Offer different options that people can utilize, such as flexible work hours, or a self-selected schedule. Ask your candidates about the projects they’d prefer to be on, and do your best to assign them accordingly. This does not mean that you need to be 100% hands-off and leave everything to them, it just means that you should take their needs, wants, and goals into account and be understanding of their own personal situation.

Advocate

If you’re not singing your own praises, no one else will. So make sure people know that it’s great to be a part of your organization. Through word of mouth, social media and employee engagement, make sure that you control the perception of your company in the marketplace and paint it in the most positive light possible. If you show that you are happy with, proud of and enthusiastic about your team, they are likely to match your effort and advocate as well - that’s an even better situation. If people in the industry know that your employees love working for you, candidates will be more interested in you as a potential employer. Personal testimonials are the most powerful marketing tool, and could ultimately lead the best talent in the industry right to you.

How Can We Help?

Recruiters are experts who also know how to sell your brand and culture to the top candidates in the market. They have their finger on the pulse of the industry and can introduce you to talent you may not even be aware of. They can make a connection for you and open doors you didn’t know were there.

On top of the industry knowledge, that third party opinion is sometimes the thing that makes a potential new employee lean your way. While a candidate knows that you think highly of your own business, the opinion of someone who is not involved in the company directly and has market perspective may lend some credibility to your already compelling cause.

If you’re interested in learning more about what a recruiter can do for you, reach out to the construction experts at Michael Page.