How Construction Companies Can Expand the Pool of Qualified Candidates

By Adam Cosola, CTC Talent Partners

Most of us have probably heard the phrases “it is hard finding good people” or “it is competitive out there when we look for talent.” Hiring the right people is a must for construction companies with plans to grow.

Construction companies are constantly looking to add the following positions:

• Accounting
• Business Development / Sales
• Director of Field Operations
• Human Resources / Talent Acquisition
• Preconstruction Directors
• Project Directors / Executives
• Senior Estimators / Estimators
• Senior Project Managers / Project Managers
• Senior Superintendents / Superintendents

In Michigan, it takes anywhere from 2 to 12 months to fill these positions. Construction companies should be prepared to invest the appropriate amount of time in hiring the right people.

When a construction company is hiring, what steps could they take?

They might post the position on job boards like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, or LinkedIn. The reality is that a company will see, on average, 250 resumes for each job posting, and only 2% of candidates that apply to a job posting reach the interview stage.

Companies could also target employees working for their competitors. However, the landscape is extremely competitive. Studies show that 57% of employees who entertain another opportunity accept counteroffers made to them by their current employers. This means that for any candidate a company targets to hire away from their competitor and current employer, there is a better chance of the Candidate deciding to stay put after spending anywhere from 2 to 12 months on the search.

What else can companies do to expand the pool of qualified candidates?

Our firm has seen first-hand how construction companies successfully accomplish this. They look beyond their traditional candidate pool to target people who understand construction and possess the skills and traits they are looking for, most commonly referred to as “skill-based hiring.”

Over the past four years, using a skill-based hiring method, our firm has helped place 18 candidates from a non-traditional candidate pool with 12 different companies throughout Michigan. To date, all these candidates have remained with their companies.

One example was a commercial general contractor looking to add an estimator to their team. They understood that the pool of estimators employed by their competitors was small, and the market was competitive. They began targeting candidates from other niches, such as the roofing space, and found someone where the future of his employer was uncertain. This candidate’s core values aligned with the company, and they offered him an opportunity to work at a stable company, training and development while learning a new side of the construction industry. For these reasons, when it came time to presenting the offer, there was no threat of the candidate accepting a counteroffer and remaining with his current employer. Two years later, this person is still with the company and thriving.

We advise construction companies, when it comes to building a talent roadmap and hiring right, to “start slow in order to go fast.” If companies spend the right amount of time and resources up front, they increase their odds of expanding their pool of qualified candidates, which improves their results in attracting, hiring, and retaining the right people.

In 2016, Adam Cosola co-founded CTC Talent Partners, a Michigan-based recruiting firm that helps construction companies attract and hire top talent. With 25 years of combined experience in construction recruiting, Adam and his team partner with companies to help them stand out to attract more qualified candidates, expand their candidate pool, run a smooth and data-driven hiring process, and hire the best talent while preventing counteroffers. Their leadership at CTC Talent Partners has guided numerous clients, including real estate developers, contractors, architecture and engineering firms, and specialty contractors, in attracting and hiring top talent.