Within the last year, the construction and building products industry, along with the rest of the world, faced a huge shake-up when COVID-19 hit. Now that vaccines are being distributed, and the new normal is allowing things to start up again, you may be on the lookout for new talent within your company. Whether it’s filling a position for an upcoming project, or sourcing new top talent for the executive suite, you may need to deploy new methods of recruiting talent for your company. 

Recruiting new individuals for your building products company can seem daunting. The following tips will help you analyze your current hiring process for improvements, as well as outline ways of sourcing or headhunting people you want in your business.

Tip #1: Work on Yourself

Before you even start to look for your next employee, take a moment to reflect on your company. You need to position yourself as the best option for this new individual. There are a few ways of going about this course of action. 

Highlight recent projects your buyers have completed using the building materials and building products they purchased from your company. Create a video promo reel to showcase on your company website. 

Another way to improve your brand as a building products company is to walkthrough your adherence to safety in the workplace within blog posts on your site. Post testimonials from current employees about your company and what you do. 

The better your company looks to a candidate, the more likely you are to hook them for your workforce. An old website or empty Facebook page can be the result of being busy with projects, but these are the ways people look at what your company is about in today’s digital world.

Oversight due to being too busy happens to everyone. As a building products company staying up to date on your marketing previously may not have been high on your priority list.  However, an outdated online presence can send off a warning light in some people’s minds when applying for a job. Prior to posting available positions, doing a self-check can help build up your reputation along with improving your brand’s online appearance to applicants. 

Tip #2: Think Outside the Box

Now that your company or brand has been updated, it’s time to source prospective employees. One old-school method of finding the right person for the job is word of mouth. Sending out an email to current employees explaining the open position is one good way to get the ball rolling. 

You never know the connections your current team has, and what results they might pull in. 

Speaking with your business contacts is another way to spread the word about your opening.

When was the last time you attended a job fair or college event? Get your employees right out of college by attending these types of events. Or sponsor one to put your company out there. Most college students and recent grads are simply not aware of career opportunities in the building products and building materials industry. 

Another option is to offer a summer job, internship, or apprenticeship to college students. It might mean a little extra work for you, but there is a chance when participants reach graduation, you are their first call afterward. Tapping into this resource will be beneficial when it comes to protecting your company’s reputation and building a pipeline for sourcing individuals in years to come.

Tip #3: Focus Beyond the Position

Although you have a job to fill right now, and you have a description of its responsibilities, think about what someone might want down the road. Entry-level positions often lead to moving up the ladder as time goes on. Even senior executives need to be continuously learning to stay up to par with industry standards. 

Think about the position and how an individual might advance after a prolonged tenure with your company. Highlighting internal and external advancement opportunities will attract newcomers and show what could be next for them after their onboarding process. 

Job training programs are another way of keeping current and new employees on their toes. Although a new person will need to learn their place on the job site or production line quickly, you’ll also want them to learn other aspects of the job or your company, so a pre-planned training program will help you in the long run.
 

Tip #4: Streamline Interview Process

Now that you have worked on your company’s positioning and thought about what the current open position in the future looks like, it’s time to start interviewing job candidates. Remember basic decorum when interviewing: be on time, try to put the individual at ease, and be sure to walk through a detailed description of the job and what you are looking for. Be open and honest about competitive pay and work schedule. 

Oftentimes, candidates are talking to multiple companies about various positions, so explain what the interview process will be for your company. Try not to drag this process out for too long, or schedule numerous interview sessions. 

Gather the people you want to sit in for the interview and nail down the best time to talk with candidates for them prior to sending out available times to an individual. Drawing out the interview process can be a turn-off for people, especially if they want to get to work soon, so having a smooth process may help you stand out compared to other companies.

Tip #5: Look at Your Current Team

Although you might be hiring for a completely new position within your company, it might also be the case that you are hiring because someone chose to leave. Turnover happens in all industries, but it’s something to stay on top of within your business. 

Looking over your current team is a great way to ensure your company is the best, and that people want to work for you. It might be the case that you need to do some self-improvement when it comes to compensation, workplace safety, or employee morale.

Talking to your current team might also allow you to fill your position in-house. Perhaps you have the perfect individual within your business but they need extra training or exposure. Or maybe someone wants to move to the next step in their career, and you only need to add a few resources for them to do so. This type of hiring can save you time and money while also supporting current employees. 

Hiring new individuals for your company can be daunting. However, while trying to recruit new talent using any of the tips above will help save you time and money as well as finding the right person for the open jobs you need to fill.

Recruiting top talent for the building products industry shares the same foundational principles it takes to recruit top talent for any industry. It’s important that you review and implementing these tips so that in the long run, these best practices will aid you in acquiring and retaining top talent for your team. 

For more help sourcing the right talent for your organization, book a free discovery call with us here at Definitive Search Partners.