3. build a strong employer brand

There’s no denying that the construction industry has been battling an image program for years. In fact, a recent study by the National Association of Home Builders reveals that out of the more than 2,000 Americans (aged 18 to 25) surveyed only 3% stated an interest in a career in the construction industry. This image problem isn’t isolated to the United States - a similar survey of young adults in the UK (aged 16 to 18), showed that only 7% expresses an interest in construction work. It’s vital for construction companies across the globe to focus on strengthening their employer brand in an effort to change the mindsets of these younger workers. [There are several steps your company can take right now to start building or revamping your employer brand.

assess the state of your current employer brand

Even if your company doesn’t have a set employer brand strategy in place, there’s no doubt that it already has a reputation as an employer. Without a strategy in place, however, your company are at the mercy of what current and former employees, who may or may not be happy working there, decide to post online.

Before you can take any action in rebuilding your employer brand image, you must first take an honest look at the state of your current brand. This involves reading online reviews, conducting exit interviews, organising employee surveys and holding interviews with key players in the company. The combination of this data should give you a clear look at how employees and potential candidates view your company as an employer and provide insights as to where your company may need to make improvements.

develop your employer value proposition

Once you’ve assessed the current status of your company’s employer brand, it’s time to create a unique EVP (Employer Value Proposition). Branding expert, Richard Mosely, states that an EVP “conveys what employees can expect from an employer and what is expected of them in return” and “provides current and future employees with clear reasons to choose and stay with an employer.”

A strong EVP can help to differentiate your company as an employer from your competition and can be a powerful tool in the recruitment process. Once in place, the company’s EVP can serve as the basis for all employer branding strategies, which ensures a level of consistency.

focus on employee engagement

According to recent research, employee engagement can lower absenteeism, reduce turnover, result in fewer safety violations, improve quality and ultimately provide greater profits. If you needed one more reason to prioritise employee engagement, here it is — it can help strengthen your employer brand.

The reality is that employee engagement should begin during the recruitment process. Fortunately, today’s innovative HR technology can help to automate some recruitment tasks, such as sending out automated emails at various stages in the hiring process and enable candidates to schedule interviews online. HR technology can also help to streamline the hiring and onboarding process to provide a better candidate experience.

Employee engagement can become more difficult when dealing with a large workforce. Workforce management solutions, however, can help with this process. For example, our Randstad Inhouse Services includes an experienced onsite consultant who can handle communications between management and the workers. This service allows employers to enhance employee engagement throughout the company, without taking time out of their busy schedules.

4. narrow the skills gap

The skills shortage in the construction industry was a major challenge for employers well before the pandemic hit. In fact, in 2018 it was reported that only three cities in the entire world, including Houston, USA; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Muscat, Oman, reported a surplus of skilled construction workers. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has only helped to widen this gap. With demand in the industry expected to increase, companies must take effective steps now to narrow the skills gap.

conduct a skills assessment

The first step to closing the skills gap is to obtain a better understanding of the specific skill sets needed in your company both for today and for the future of work. It’s vital for construction companies to take the time to conduct a comprehensive skills assessment as soon as possible.

Start by evaluating each position within the company and identify critical skills needed for each position. It’s helpful to interview current managers and frontline workers to ensure you obtain an accurate view of the scope of the job. Employers must also differentiate critical skills from skills that can be learnt on the job. Considering today’s looming skills shortage, this step is imperative to helping employers prepare their workforce for the future of work.

adjust job descriptions accordingly

Once this assessment is complete, employers can use this information to update job descriptions to include critical skills needed for each role within the company. These job descriptions, in turn, can be used to create detailed job postings that list the specific skill sets needed for the job. Moreover, it’s equally important to include relevant keywords within the company’s job postings.

invest in upskilling and reskilling

With 35% of American construction companies already starting to turn down work due to the skill shortage, employers can no longer rely solely on hiring qualified workers to close the skills gap. Instead, construction employers should take additional steps to bring these vital skills into the workplace by investing in both upskilling and reskilling programs.

Upskilling is a vertical training program that enables workers to advance their careers within the company, whereas reskilling is a horizontal training program that ensures workers obtain the skills necessary to remain relevant in their current job or another job on the same level. Once you've conducted an in-house skills assessment, you can appropriately target specific skill sets and centre your training around those that will best support horizontal and vertical advancement for employees.

For a step-by-step guide to hiring in the construction industry, download our construction industry hiring checklist today.

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