Candidates Entering the Canadian Construction Market

Introduction

The Canadian construction marketplace is a tough place to get started in, this article isn’t going to change that. It’s an industry that puts hard work and experience first all the time. The Canadian construction industry also values relationships and local experience very highly.

The Recruitment industry as a whole is also largely misunderstood by candidates (especially those who need help finding a job). In actuality, our position is more geared towards helping companies find the right talent than it is helping candidates find a new company. The best placements happen when those two things are aligned, but the right role for a great candidate is much easier to find than the right candidate for a great role.

My goal is to provide as much information as I can for the marketplace and how we, as recruiters, fit into the picture for candidates who are entering it.

Why do companies engage a recruiter?

Companies engage recruitment agencies in order to help them find talent that they are struggling to find themselves. They pay us a fee if they hire a candidate that we submitted.

They usually give us very specific expectations as to the candidates they want to see from us and do not appreciate us sending them candidates that don’t meet those expectations

Usually these requirements include things that are hard to find even for a position that there’s a shortage of qualified candidates to begin with. These can include projects start to finish, niche roles, currently working for a direct competitor (or not to consider candidates from a competitor that they have a good relationship with), longevity at their current and past companies, etc. I could (and probably will) write an entirely separate article on what makes a resume desirable as a hiring manager in construction, but that's a story for another time.

What does this mean for candidates?

Reading between the lines, this means that they’re only interested in seeing candidates from us that there’s a shortage of in the marketplace OR that tend to be very passive in their search.

In Canada there’s a huge surplus of candidates that fit into the following two categories:

1. People with foreign experience but no experience in Canada
2. People who have recently graduated from college or university

These candidates are also very motivated to find a new position.

If I make a post stating that I’m looking for candidates fitting into either one of these categories I would receive too many resumes to read. Some would slip through the cracks just because of the sheer volume of applicants. Hiring managers who work at construction companies across Canada would receive the same response.

Why would someone pay a large fee to hire a candidate that they could certainly have hired for free with minimal effort? In short, they wouldn't.

But, if presented with a candidate that they would struggle to come up with on their own, it’s a different story. That’s exactly what our clients are looking for when they reach out to a recruiter that they trust. That trust is not only to find them the right person, but also to know what resumes they’d like to see from us.

Outcomes

So what actually happens if I send a candidate that doesn’t meet the criteria I’ve been given from my client?

1. They do not hire that candidate
2. They also CAN’T hire that candidate for a year after submission without paying our fee.

A construction company is FAR more likely to “take a chance” on a candidate or give them an opportunity based on their unproven potential if they don’t have to pay a fee to hire them.

By submitting candidates who aren’t qualified for a position I am actually limiting that candidate’s opportunities, not expediting their hiring process.

Next steps

I want to be very clear. I wish, very much that I could help every single candidate who reaches out to me. Heck, I’m financially motivated to do so. The problem is that, as I’ve outlined above, submitting a candidate who falls outside my mandate isn’t helping. The advice that I give every candidate that I can’t help is as follows:

1. Do literally anything to get your foot in the door with a local contractor
2. Work for less than your competitors
3. Work in locations that your competitors aren’t willing to work
4. Work for a trade instead of a general contractor (they actually make similar salaries)
5. Start as a laborer, show that you’re willing to put in the work
6. Apply to the job posting, figure out who the hiring manager is, reach out to that hiring manager directly
7. Volunteer
8. Network at industry events
9. Use any opportunity to separate yourselves from the rest of the candidates who are applying

This doesn’t work every time and it is a lot of work, but it does heavily increase your odds of getting noticed instead of being 1 resume out of 500 applicants.

Once you get your foot in the door: work hard, keep your head down, look for opportunities to take on new tasks and gain new experiences, invest your time into the company, and understand that if you prove yourself you’ll earn higher level opportunities.

Also, keep connecting with recruiters that you trust. Once you do gain some local experience we can help you find your next opportunity.?

Good luck out there everyone!