Project managers are tasked with finding the best construction talent to successfully complete projects on time and under budget. With other priorities competing for limited resources, it’s easy for hiring standards to take a backseat. Unfortunately, this often makes it difficult for project managers to find the right construction professionals for their needs which leads to other issues. Let’s take a deeper look at some causes of this industry-wide problem.
Project managers suffer from time and financial restrictions.
In an ideal world, you’d have unlimited time and money to find the perfect construction talent. But, in reality, project managers have to deal with finite working hours and restricted funds. In the construction industry, it takes around 13 working days to fill a vacant position. That’s a lot of time when you consider all the other responsibilities project managers have to handle on a daily basis. Inevitably, the resources you commit towards finding new craftsmen get diverted from other areas. With project managers consistently at the end of their ropes, balancing the recruitment process and other responsibilities can feel like an unwinnable tug of war.
It’s difficult to keep up with fluctuating employment needs.
One of the biggest challenges of managing a construction team is keeping up with the ever-changing labor demands. You might have a project that requires a dozen team members immediately followed by another job that requires double the manpower. Project managers often struggle to keep up with these constantly shifting needs due to inflexible and time-consuming hiring processes. The ideal is to have a dynamic and versatile staffing solution that can anticipate and adjust to changes in labor needs as construction businesses take on different projects. Stagnant hiring solutions either cost project managers money due to unnecessary hires or cause severe delays due to understaffed teams.
Construction businesses rely on outdated hiring practices.
Hiring is an art form. It requires due diligence, expertise, precision, and tact. Plus, it’s harder in the construction industry when compared to other sectors due to the highly specialized roles project managers need to fill. Unfortunately, the majority of construction businesses are still relying on outdated and inefficient hiring practices that continue to spit out poorly matched and under-qualified candidates. Here are some of the most common hiring mistakes project managers are making:
- Focusing too much on degrees and previous experience.
- Ignoring how candidates fit into the current team.
- Not providing enough information about the position.
- Withholding salary and benefit information at the beginning.
- Not onboarding after a successful hire.
They don’t have a uniform onboarding process.
Sometimes, the secret to hiring the best craftsmen is sticking to what works. Too many project managers try to whip up a fresh onboarding process for each new recruit. Although a personalized approach might seem like the best strategy, it’s like forcing a round shape into a square hole. The whole point of onboarding is to help a candidate fill the open position successfully, not retrofit the position to the candidate. When you have a standardized and consistent onboarding process, all craftsmen on your team are on the same page. They know what to expect, what to do, and how to interact with others. On the other hand, a disjointed hiring process will inevitably lead to confusion and disorganization.
Construction managers wait too long to make an offer.
There’s a lot of attention on the construction industry’s high turnover rate, but recruitment issues start even before the onboarding process. Typically, craftsmen are extremely motivated to find a position, so project managers have a limited amount of time to make an offer. If you wait around too long due to an inefficient hiring process, you’re most likely going to lose out on the most talented and sought-after candidates as competitors swoop in with quicker hiring speed. Even candidates who feel good about your business aren’t likely to stick around for long when other viable offers are being made.
If you’re having trouble hiring the right craftsmen for your construction needs, you should think about outsourcing your construction staffing needs. For decades, Madden Craftsmen has been helping construction businesses in the northwest find the perfect talent to meet their project requirements. Contact us to learn more about our refined hiring practices and how your business can benefit.
