Construction firms that have the most streamlined hiring process are able to attract and retain staff better than those that don’t. If your interview process is structured, then the odds of making the right hiring decisions increase. Start by describing your opportunity and think about your ideal candidate. Successful construction recruiters always start by defining who they are trying to hire upfront to ensure that they are on the same page with hiring managers to avoid any confusion. Then they craft a well-written presentation about the client’s opportunity and pitch it to only the hand-selected candidates who fit the bill. Once they’ve narrowed it down, they decide how the candidates will be evaluated. Here are three crucial mistakes that you could be making in your hiring process.
1. Job Boards
Online job boards made advertising for construction careers more convenient. But, they also enable candidates to apply for a vast number of jobs that they may not qualified for (or truly interested in). A growing number of recruiters are noting that job boards are very ineffective in the scheme of the hiring process. Oftentimes, the search results offered by many job boards just aren’t relevant to the users. This can prevent job seekers from finding the jobs that they are qualified for while hindering employers from finding talented candidates. Instead of encouraging everyone to apply for your job openings, and wasting time everybody’s time, you should consider implementing more referral and networking-based recruiting methods or working directly with a construction recruiter.
2. Extensive Screening
You may be making candidates jump through too many hoops. Even though preemployment tests and assessments can be useful screening tools if used appropriately, there are still some organizations that make candidates complete unreasonable job assessments. A prime example is requiring candidates to complete job duties just to qualify for interviews with no pay. These are employers who don’t know how to recruit job candidates. They want you to do the work, preferably with no investment on their part.
3. Poor Communication
Employers should always be held to the same standards of those people that they are interviewing by displaying politeness, professionalism, patience, responsibility and always remain forthcoming and respectful to job seekers. Then, remember the basics. Try to keep the entire hiring process as efficient as possible. Don’t force candidates to wait for weeks to hear back from you after interviewing them because the top candidates will no longer be on the market. Rather, sell applicants on your opportunities throughout the hiring process, and always be transparent regarding the expectations of your employees.
Making these mistakes can be costly for firms that have unfilled construction jobs. You can attract more skilled workers to your firm by promoting a safe working environment, offering excellent benefits and pay, providing consistent training and carefully screening applicants to confirm that they possess the skills necessary to complete their job duties. Getting the best talent for your team and then focusing on retention is much wiser than paying to replace employees over and over again.
How can we help you?
Searching for an opportunity in the construction industry? Contact The Birmingham Group today to discuss your career path or browse our open positions.
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