The biggest obstacle construction companies or others in the trades face today has nothing to do with finding work. On the contrary, many blue collar businesses have more work than they can handle. What they don’t have is employees to do the work.
The blue collar sector in the United States is facing a labor shortage like never before. As older workers retire and the younger generations flock toward the office or white collar world, many construction and trade companies are competing for a smaller pool of potential employees.
So how do mid-sized companies in the construction, architecture, engineering or other trades compete against larger firms (with bigger budgets) to attract top talent? By employing a marketing plan that complements recruiting efforts by:
- Demonstrating their unique company cultures
- Developing a strong brand reputation
- Being open to training employees on the job
Company Culture – Show Them What’s Important to Your Company and Those That Work There
Your company culture is a great indicator of what it’s like to work at your company. It’s the shared values, attitudes and practices that drive your business day in and day out. It is the way your employees feel about the work they do, the values they believe, and where they see the company – and their careers – going in the future.
Many companies struggle to recognize their culture let alone explain it. That’s where an experienced marketing company can help. Knowing the right people to talk to and the right questions to ask is the first step to determining the current culture of the company. By speaking to employees – including top performers and those who may be unhappy or leaving the company – you can get a great idea of your culture.
Once you have this information, you can use it to attract like-minded individuals. You need to tell your company story, let people know what’s unique about you and why they would want to work there. By using storytelling (written and visual) and leveraging the digital platforms that engage job candidates, you can attract employees that share your values and work ethic.
Strong Brand Reputation – Your Reputation Precedes You
You may be known as the best contractor in the business in terms of the quality of your work. But that’s not all that goes into your company reputation. People – especially young people today – want to make a difference in the world. They want to know that they are doing something meaningful and purposeful. It follows, then that you need to develop a brand reputation that goes beyond your usefulness to your customers to include the greater impact on society.
When telling your company story, you need to think beyond the basics to convey a greater purpose to potential employees. Things like…how our work makes the world a better place or how we impact people’s lives. The key is to not just tell your story, but to tell it in a way that shows potential candidates how they would be contributing to the success of the company and to society overall.
On-the-job Training – Preparing Employees for Success
With the shortage of fully trained workers today, it is vitally important to be flexible and offer training opportunities for those who are willing to start from the ground up. Emphasizing training opportunities and career tracks in your marketing efforts will make a world of difference!
Mid-sized construction, architecture and engineering firms are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to recruiting talent from a dwindling workforce. Today’s job market is candidate-driven. Job candidates are in the driver’s seat – with the shortage of skilled labor, talented tradesmen and women have their choice of companies. So, it is vitally important for mid-size companies to develop a marketing plan that works in tandem with their recruiting programs – a plan that will both engage and inspire job candidates to want to work for the company. To do that, these companies need to demonstrate a positive and attractive company culture and develop a stellar reputation by broadcasting their unique company stories through the right platforms. By extending their reach and telling their unique stories, these companies will not only attract employees, they will attract employees that share their company values and fit in well with the company!
