Building strong recruitment channels

Building strong recruitment channels increases the size of the applicant pool for each job opening. If your company needs skilled tradespeople, you can collaborate with trade schools, participate in apprenticeship programs or use online job platforms to find prospective candidates:

1. Collaborating with trade schools

Partnering with trade schools gives you access to skilled tradespeople before they enter the job market, expanding your talent pool. Trade schools emphasize practical experience, so students are ready to work in skilled trades as soon as they graduate. This can help you shorten your hiring timeline and reduce the cost of filling open positions.

Once you partner with a trade school, administrators may ask for your input on course content and training methods. For example, your hiring manager may request roofing professionals for your construction company. Adding this skill to the school’s curriculum can potentially reduce your training costs in the long term.

2. Participating in apprenticeship programs

Apprenticeship programs combine classroom learning with on-the-job training. When you hire an apprentice, you can teach them your company’s unique processes. If they transition to full-time employment, you may not have to spend as much on training.

The apprentice also has the chance to form relationships with employees, which may encourage them to stay with your organization after the apprenticeship ends. Many high school students have reported being waitlisted for essential training programs. By accepting an apprentice, you can help address a community issue while strengthening your future workforce.

If you decide to incorporate this channel into your recruiting strategy, check with local high schools and career education centers. They may have programs in place to save you time and money.

3. Using online job platforms

Online job platforms like Indeed typically generate more quality applicants than traditional methods. Consider using a mix of general and industry-specific job boards to inform prospective employees about current openings.

Offering competitive compensation packages

Providing competitive salaries can help you attract applicants and retain successful employees. If a candidate must choose between two jobs with similar duties and requirements, they may accept an offer based on compensation. Additionally, current employees are more likely to stay with your company longer if they feel their compensation reflects their contributions:

4. Salary benchmarking

Salary benchmarking helps determine if your company’s salaries are competitive by reviewing salary surveys and government databases, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It involves comparing internal salary data with salary data from other companies in your industry. To attract applicants and increase your retention rate, consider performing benchmarking at least once a year. Regular benchmarking allows you to adjust employee salaries based on changing market conditions.

Adjusting company salaries shows that you care about the employee experience, which can enhance your company’s reputation among skilled tradespeople. It may also foster greater commitment from current employees to your company’s vision, reducing turnover.

5. Comprehensive benefits

When evaluating job offers, candidates typically consider salary, job duties and benefits before making a decision. That’s why offering comprehensive benefits can give your company a competitive edge in attracting skilled tradespeople. A robust benefits package may also help increase satisfaction among current employees, leading to improved retention.

Consider offering health insurance, retirement matching, paid time off or other benefits to attract and retain skilled tradespeople. You might also want to offer perks such as flexible work hours or company-paid certifications. Some perks cost very little, but they can significantly enhance the employee experience, increasing job satisfaction.

Creating a positive work environment

A well-defined company culture affects employee retention and satisfaction in the skilled trades. To strengthen your company’s culture, consider promoting open communication, such as regular employee check-ins. This type of communication builds trust and encourages team members to share their opinions and knowledge:

6. Establishing clear communication

Open communication also prevents organizational silos from forming. By preventing silos, your trades team can better collaborate, updating one another in real time. Working in isolation may lead to a decline in productivity. In a company that values open communication, skilled tradespeople regularly share knowledge and skills, fostering a positive work environment.

If you prioritize open communication, employees may feel more comfortable giving feedback about their working conditions. Consider scheduling regular team-building activities to help skilled tradespeople enhance their communication skills.

You may want to try one of the following:

• Safety trivia: Skilled tradespeople often work with electrical wiring, welding equipment and other safety-sensitive items. Foster a sense of community by playing a Jeopardy!-style trivia game focused on workplace safety.
• Scavenger hunts: Scavenger hunts provide participants with an opportunity to improve their communication skills and engage in strategic thinking. Consider holding a themed scavenger hunt during your next team-building session.
• Community service: Volunteering gives team members a sense of purpose and helps them strengthen their communication skills. For example, your team might refurbish a home damaged by a storm or install a ramp to make a home more accessible for its owner.

Prioritizing safety can also help you create a positive work environment. Equipping tradespeople with personal protective equipment, providing safety training and holding regular safety meetings can all contribute to building a culture of safety.

7. Regular feedback and support

Regular feedback makes employees feel valued, which may help you retain skilled tradespeople. Team members also need ongoing support. When a team member has the support they need, they’re more likely to be loyal to their employer.

Giving feedback also has these benefits:

• Team members have the opportunity to improve upon their weaknesses.
• Positive feedback encourages employees, which may motivate them to stay with your company longer.
• Constructive feedback strengthens relationships between managers and employees.

If you want to provide additional support, consider offering flexible scheduling. For example, you may want to set core hours and then allow skilled tradespeople to base their schedules around those hours.

If your core hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., one employee might work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., while another might prefer to work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Respecting your employees’ needs fosters loyalty, which may help you retain skilled tradespeople longer.

You may also want to consider incorporating mental health initiatives into your wellness program. Providing extra breaks, offering counseling through your company’s employee assistance program (EAP) and planning stress-relieving activities, such as team walks, can help you support employees effectively.

8. Recognizing and rewarding contributions

Skilled tradespeople’s work can be labor-intensive, so it’s helpful to recognize their efforts. Consider implementing a structured recognition system to ensure every team member feels valued. If you have a limited budget, you may want to give employees handwritten notes of appreciation or allow them to leave work early on a day of their choosing.

Announcing achievements in a company newsletter is also effective. These low-cost recognition methods can help improve morale, leading to lower turnover.

Providing career advancement opportunities

Many skilled tradespeople are motivated by opportunities for career growth. Highlighting these opportunities enhances loyalty and may help increase your company’s retention rate. Offering career initiatives also shows that your company is invested in each team member’s professional development:

9. Training and development programs

Ongoing training helps skilled tradespeople improve their skills, making them more versatile. This type of development also enhances job satisfaction and increases loyalty. To attract and retain more tradespeople, consider updating your company’s training strategy.

If your current training program focuses on company policies instead of skills, you may want to hire a training consultant or enroll employees in online classes. Investing in training strengthens the employer-employee relationship and can also help improve your company’s succession planning efforts. Team members can learn new skills over time, ensuring they’re ready to advance when needed.

10. Clear career paths

Career paths should clearly specify your employees’ trajectory. For example, a team member may start as a plumbing apprentice, become a plumbing technician and then take over as lead plumber after several years with your company.

Defining clear career paths makes it easier for employees to envision their future with your company, which may help with retention. Having a clear trajectory also enhances organizational commitment.

Ensuring workplace safety

Prioritizing safety helps employees stay productive and supports their well-being, making it more likely they’ll stay with your organization instead of leaving for other opportunities. Providing ongoing safety training and giving employees adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) can help attract and retain skilled tradespeople:

11. Safety training programs

Quarterly or annual training can help minimize risk, protecting employees in safety-sensitive roles. It also reduces the likelihood of work-related accidents. Consider offering training sessions on these topics:

• Lockout/tagout procedures
• PPE use
• Electrical safety
• Fire safety
• Ladder safety
• Proper lifting techniques
• Chemical safety
• Hazard communication

12. Providing personal protective equipment

PPE protects skilled tradespeople from many hazards, such as power tools, industrial chemicals and electrical wiring. Providing high-quality PPE demonstrates your commitment to employee safety, which may increase your retention rate. It also helps you maintain a safe work environment, ensuring productivity remains high.

Leveraging technology for recruitment and retention

When used for recruitment and retention, technology has the potential to streamline HR processes and help you fill open positions faster. For example, recruitment software makes it easier for HR team members to manage applications and identify quality candidates.

Some companies also use software designed to increase employee engagement. Incorporating both types of software into your workflow can help boost employee loyalty and build a more effective workforce management system:

13. Recruitment software

Recruitment software automates recruiting tasks, increasing efficiency in your HR department. It also prevents manual errors and helps recruiters identify quality candidates faster, potentially reducing the time it takes to fill an opening for a skilled tradesperson.

Modern software packages also allow you to use filters, algorithms and machine learning to match applicants with the right roles. If you’re not using recruitment software, consider implementing one of these solutions:

• Applicant-tracking system (ATS): An ATS tracks applications, interviews and other recruitment activities. It also allows you to send personalized messages to applicants, which may make your company more attractive to skilled tradespeople.
• Human Resource Information System (HRIS): An HRIS combines several HR functions into one system. For example, you may be able to implement an HRIS with recruiting, onboarding, payroll and benefits management features.
• Human Capital Management System (HCM): HCMs go beyond the capabilities of an HRIS. They have features related to every aspect of HR, from application screening to retirement. HCMs also have advanced tools, such as labor forecasting, to increase efficiency.

All three types of software improve the applicant experience, helping you attract and retain skilled tradespeople.

14. Employee engagement tools

Engagement tools help you understand how employees feel about your company, revealing what’s working and where you can improve. Some platforms also offer advanced analytics, making it easier to identify retention trends. You can use an employee engagement platform to send anonymous surveys or solicit feedback.

Using these engagement tools shows employees that you value their feedback. It also helps you be more proactive about addressing company issues, which may help increase your retention rate for skilled tradespeople.

Addressing the skilled trades gap

In some industries, a skilled trades gap makes it harder to fill open positions, meaning there are more open positions than tradespeople to fill them. By 2030, there may be over two million unfilled jobs due to a lack of applicants with the necessary skills.

Viewing skilled trades as an opportunity can help you connect with quality employees and retain them for as long as possible. Skills-first hiring can also help you find tradespeople with transferable skills that allow them to grow with your company:

15. Promoting the skilled trades

One way to address the gap is to promote skilled trades to high school students. Showing younger people that trade school is a strong option can help increase the number of applicants for openings in the skilled trades. Early exposure shows students the career opportunities available and helps employers build future-ready workforces.

Consider attending Career Day at local high schools or offering to give career presentations at public libraries. This strategy can help you build rapport with young people who may one day want to work for your company.

16. Regional collaboration

You may also want to collaborate with nonprofit organizations and government agencies in your region. For example, your county’s economic development agency may be interested in promoting skilled trades to the public. Your region might also have a career development center focused on retraining workers whose jobs have been eliminated by advanced technology.

By building robust recruitment channels, offering competitive compensation and benefits, fostering a positive work environment, providing career growth opportunities, prioritizing safety, leveraging technology and addressing the skilled trades gap, you can more effectively attract and retain top trades talent.