Construction Laborer: What is the cost of hiring?

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Construction Laborer: What is the cost of hiring?

• Common salary in US:
• Typical salaries range from -
• Find more information on Indeed Salaries

COMMON

LOW

HIGH

*Indeed data (US) –

Why hire a construction worker?

Adding more construction workers to your team can add to the cost of your overhead, but a great construction worker hire can help your business:

• Maintain inventory and management of tools on job sites
• Assist specialized workers with installing electrical or plumbing work
• Clean and organize job sites at the end of the day

Deciding between a full-time vs contract construction worker

Before writing a construction worker job description or interviewing candidates, it’s important to decide if you need a full-time, part-time or contract construction worker (and what your budget will allow).

You may choose to hire independent contractors to complete certain tasks or projects. For example, you could hire a carpenter or painter to work on a short-term project and perform skill-specific work. Hiring construction workers on a contract-basis allows you to respond to the needs of your projects quickly, consolidating or growing your team as you see fit. However, a full-time construction workers may be a better fit if you have ongoing construction needs.

What are the different types of construction worker?

When hiring a construction worker, it’s important to understand the specific kind of construction worker you need for your business. Whether you need someone to perform a variety of construction-related tasks, manage the whole process or specialize in a certain area, there’s a construction professional that can get the job done. Here are some of the most common types of construction workers to help you find one that meets your needs:

• Carpenter: Specializes in creating and repairing frameworks and structures of buildings, including cutting wood, working with drywall and glass and installing fixtures.
• Civil engineer: Designs and oversees the construction of roads, railways, buildings, bridges, water reservoirs, etc. Also determines the feasibility of construction projects. Generally requires at least a bachelor’s degrees and a state license. 
• Construction manager: Plans and coordinates construction projects, manages budgets and ensures construction projects are completed on time. Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in construction science/management or civil engineering.
• Laborer: Performs a variety of physical work on construction sites, ranging from demolition and/or cleanup, loading or unloading materials, putting together scaffolding, operating hand and power tools, etc.
• Painter: Prepares surfaces and applies interior and/or exterior paint, stain and coatings to walls and buildings. May also help with drywall-related tasks.

Where to find construction workers

To find the right construction worker for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Ask for referrals: Let people in your personal and professional networks know that you’re looking to hire a construction worker. Consider asking clients, material suppliers and current employees if they know anyone who’s a good fit for your role.
• Construction temp agencies: If you’re looking to hire construction workers for short-term contracts, a  staffing agency devoted to construction-related roles can help you find the right match for your open position(s).
• Get involved at vocational colleges and trade schools: Attend career fairs and post flyers on local college campuses to attract construction workers with specialized skills.
• Post your job online: Try posting your construction worker job on Indeed to find and attract quality construction worker candidates.

Skills to look for in a great construction worker

A great construction worker candidate will have the following skills, attributes and work experience that reflects:

• High school diploma or GED
• Ability to complete work on time and within budget
• Ability to work in all weather conditions
• Understanding of basic math and measuring methods
• Ability to communicate and comprehend directions
• Ability to prioritize safety above all else
• Ability to organize and maintain tools
• Physical endurance

Writing a construction worker job description

A thoughtful description is important to find qualified construction worker candidates. A construction worker job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your construction worker job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on construction worker jobs, according to Indeed data:

• construction
• construction laborer
• laborer
• hiring immediately
• general labor
• construction worker
• painter
• labor
• laborer construction
• immediately hiring

Interviewing construction worker candidates

After you’ve reviewed the resumes of your top construction worker candidates, ask meaningful interview questions to gain insight into their experience, personality traits and specialized training in order to find a hardworking construction worker. Strong candidates for construction worker positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Previous job site or construction experience
• Ability to pass a drug test
• Methods of ensuring safe conduct on a job site

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of construction worker interview questions for examples (with sample answers).