In many industries, hiring “job hoppers” is a recruitment strategy that works. IT, Human Resources, Accounting, and similar fields benefit from the adaptability that job hoppers bring to the table. Especially when you’re in a rush to fill a team, it can be easy to settle for applicants with a sketchy work history. In the current labor shortage, it can be tempting to settle for someone with a spotty resume. A lot of younger people switch jobs after a year to pad their resumes or to find better opportunities. In the construction industry, projects take years to complete. Construction firms need a skilled team in place that can see the job through to the end.

Numerous Projects

Using job hoppers is a practical solution when you have a short-term position to fill or you need to get a new product or service up and running. Construction firms, however, are usually juggling multiple projects, contracts, and bids at one time. You need a stable team in place so that the project you bid is the project you deliver. Because job hoppers change jobs frequently, they tend to bore easily. This can be a risk if you are looking for a reliable worker for a long-term project. In addition, job hoppers are often actively looking for other opportunities. You don’t want the workers leaving in the middle of a project because they found a more enticing position.

Stability

In order for the construction team to perform their duties efficiently, they need a steady team working with them behind the scenes. Construction Schedulers, BIM Experts, Purchasing Team Members, Accountants, and Project Controllers all play an integral role in ensuring the quality, integrity, and budget of the project. It is risky to fill these positions with job hoppers. If they leave without notice, it can hurt the budget and the deadline of the project because you have no way of knowing how long it will take to fill the positions.

A Lot on the Line

The bottom line is that construction projects are a massive undertaking. The time and financial commitments are too great to risk derailing the project in any way. Job hoppers can be some of the most adaptable and qualified workers available, but they won’t give you the reliability you need to make sure your projects run smoothly from start to finish. When you’re in the middle of a eight-figure project, you don’t have time to spend on hiring new employees. It takes careful attention to hire new construction employees because they need to be able to deliver the same quality and consistency as the rest of the team.

They key is finding loyal employees who want to be there and retaining them with good leadership. A construction recruiter that specializes in the industry will be able to actively weed out job hoppers and, instead, find workers who will stay with you from the beginning of the project to the end (and many years more). This will give your construction firm the stability it needs to safely complete a project on time and on budget.

 

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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