Finding and filling skilled trades jobs is a crapshoot.
As an employer, finding reliable labor with technical skills and work experience is a challenge. As a tradesperson or crew, finding GCs with consistent, nearby work is difficult.
But there are things both sides can do to come together and make the process easier for one another.
Tradespeople & Crews: Show Off Your Skills
With high labor demand and other market indicators, it’s still a great time to be in the trades.
But even with all these openings, tradespeople and crews still need to work to land the highest-paid trade jobs.
Networking
Building and maintaining a solid professional network is invaluable. Some of the best jobs come through referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations.
How do you build up a network?
Consider joining trade associations related to your field. These organizations often host networking events, seminars, and conferences where you can connect with other professionals in your industry.
You can also find events, trade shows, conferences, and workshops to meet other tradespeople, suppliers, and potential clients. These events provide opportunities to learn about new technologies, products, and industry trends while networking with peers.
Social Media
In addition to these in-person events, tradespeople should showcase their hard work and recent projects on their profiles. People enjoy seeing before and after photos. And you never know which one of your friends of friends is looking to hire someone with your skills.
Facebook and Reddit have active trades groups where you can learn about trends, share your experiences, and connect with contractors and construction business owners in your area.
Contractors: Transparency is the Best Policy
Contractors need to be more proactive and upfront than ever to attract and retain talent in this tight market.
Job Postings
It’s not enough to post openings — you need to be upfront and strategic with your listings. Job hunters don’t want to waste time pulling job information from you and often won’t apply if a job listing is overly vague.
Before posting your job online, it’s important to imagine the perfect candidate:
Experience level. Can you train someone for a long-term position on your team, or do you need someone to start immediately?
Certifications. Based on your line of work, do you need someone with specific skills, licenses, or training?
Work samples. Requesting proof of past work is a great way to help understand the level of detail and care an applicant takes in their work.
Consider using a generative AI tool, like ChatGPT, to draft a job description that’s full of the keywords and phrases that your ideal candidates are looking for.
As you post to your website, social media pages, or job boards, you must include as many project details as possible. Provide information on the project, like location, timeline, and unique situations that may arise. This will help narrow applicants down to those who are most serious about the job.
Transparency up front will always save you time. It prevents unproductive phone calls with unqualified applicants and lets you focus on discussing details with serious candidates.
Wages
Average hourly earnings in construction are up 5% year over year.
So if your hourly wages haven’t moved recently — and you’re having trouble finding labor — you may need to up your rate. If you offer a piece rate, you may need to be flexible with that number, switch to hourly, or offer a combination.
Pay isn’t the only factor that will make someone choose your job over another. Open and clear communication and safe job sites are also crucial for keeping a lineup of skilled workers ready and willing to join you on your next project.
ToolBelt: Connecting Construction Communities
Our friends at ToolBelt experienced a lot of this friction and recognized that traditional job boards are a mess.
So they built an easy-to-use platform that features:
Verified Projects. Their team verifies each job, so you can count on what you see.
Detailed Job Profiles. View pay rates, project timelines, required skills, and more.
Direct Connections. Communicate directly with those hiring, not go-betweens.
How it Works
Contractors looking to hire skilled tradespeople and crews create detailed job listings. ToolBet has two dozen trades to choose from, from abatement and plumbing to masonry and skylights. You can even narrow your listing more by specialties (e.g. if you’re looking for a roofer who does a lot of slate roofs).
Those looking for work can create a profile via their mobile app. This is where they list their skills and background, contact information, and upload photos of their recent work. Once you’re happy with your profile, you can start looking for jobs you’re interested in near you and apply in a few taps.
If you’re looking to round out your team, expand your business service offerings, or find reliable help for your next project, try out ToolBelt today!
