I had a small disagreement about the skilled labor shortage last month with a contractor while at METALCON. Anyone who has read my editorials knows that this is a topic about which I am passionate. You also know that I hold some pretty strong opinions about it, which likely rankle some of you.
What can contractors do about the labor shortage?
The issue to which the contractor took exception is my belief that the only people who can solve the skilled labor shortage are contractors. We’re not going to change societal attitudes toward construction workers. We’re not going to suddenly see parents encouraging their kids to skip college and join a trade. Those days are gone.
Sound off! Go to www.metalconstructionnews.com/LaborTalk to continue the discussion about the skilled labor shortage.
We also are not going to rally the industry to a unified voice to solve the labor shortage issue. People are trying to do that and I salute them, but I think even with the entire industry speaking together, we are not going to change societal attitudes. (My one exception to that is an idea I have that people laugh at. What do you think about organizing a million worker march on Washington to draw attention to the labor shortage? Anyone game? You set the date, and I’ll be there.)
The only thing contractors can control is how their company competes for skilled labor, which is a scarce resource.
The contractor I spoke with made the very valid point that they don’t have time to be constantly hiring because they are too busy running a business. And they’re right. They don’t have time. But the snarky side of me wants to reply that you can’t afford not to make the time. I would do that, but I have way too much respect for this contractor. They run a fabulous company.
So here are five things I think you should be doing right now to change your fortunes when competing for workers.
- Recruit all the time. Don’t just search for workers when you need to fill a position. Recruit constantly and consider hiring someone you think will be excellent even if you don’t have a spot for them. It will force your hand to create a spot, and it will get a valuable resource on your team. Consider it a capital investment in a new piece of equipment.
- Start farming. If you have a great employee who excels in your company culture and produces quality work, go back to the place you found them and start looking for more. Work with your employee to recruit at their church, neighborhood, pickup basketball or soccer team, or any other place where similar people gather.
- Reward an employee who brings in workers. Many of you already do this. Employees aren’t going to stick their necks out to bring in deadbeats because it will make them look bad. Your employees are your best resources for finding skilled labor.
- Stop trying to find ready-trained workers. It’s a skilled labor shortage. Your company will be better off finding hard workers who match your company culture and are willing to learn. Then you train them. It costs more, but it’s better than landing a dead fish who doesn’t want to work.
- Start hiring women. If the U.S. Marines can successfully integrate women into its workforce, you can too. Stop making excuses about how the work is hard and dirty and uncomfortable. Recognize that there are women out there who can work you under the table. Go find them. And if your crew hazes them, understand that you have a company culture problem as well.
One final bonus point that is a pet peeve of mine. I’m tired of hearing people talk about what a great job working in the trades is. Yes, it is. But it’s not a great career. Every time the industry goes through a downturn, we kick the snot out of the labor force. During the housing recession from 2009-2010, 75% of the workforce left the residential construction industry. It’s tough to build a career in the trades when you keep getting laid off.
So, the final bonus point is that you need to run a quality company that is profitable. Without that, you can’t survive. When you fail, you fail your employees and their families. That sounds harsh, but that’s the reality. Anyone who has owned a business has felt that weight on their shoulders.
I don’t expect you to agree with all these points and you may have additional ideas. There certainly are a lot of great recruiting tips out there.
I’ve also posted this on our blog at www.metalconstructionnews.com/LaborTalk, and I encourage you to go there, comment and share ideas. Just don’t type in all caps. I don’t want to be yelled at.
It’s time to stop trying to solve the whole country’s labor shortage and just solve yours. Because if the contractors do a great job of that, then the country’s labor shortage issue gets solved as well.
