6 Ways To Attract Energy & Building Services Stars

The skills shortage is deepening across the UK construction industry, with the possible implications of Brexit on the availability of EU workers still to be felt. All employers in the building or energy sectors need to be formulating a powerful, bulletproof recruiting strategy to attract and retain the best talent in the years ahead.

The reality is that if you don’t have a battle plan in place to attract star performers, you can be very sure that your competitors will. Here are six ways to ensure that your company recruits the workforce it needs for the future by building a powerful employer brand.

  1. Make some noise about what you do well

    Candidates want to know what makes your company special. What are your greatest achievements? What makes it a great place to work? What have you got to offer them?

    In a candidate-driven market, employers need to be clear about their unique selling point- whether you’ve worked on award-winning construction projects, or offer a brilliant career development and mentoring scheme.

    Whatever it is that makes you great, you must communicate it to candidates and the world at large. If you’re a smaller company, ‘sell’ how that small-business ethos makes your offering more personalised.

  2. Build your social proof to attract high performers

    Your website should be your showcase, and it should feature case studies, client testimonials, and examples of your current employees doing great things. Social media should be used to its maximum impact, with an engaging and lively presence that shows current projects and includes videos. For instance, time-lapse video of build projects is a great social sharing technique to gain followers and interest. Hire an exceptional social media person to drive your branding.

  3. 3. Be known for paying/compensating above the benchmark

    There is no simpler way to attract high-quality candidates than to pay above industry standard. Of course, not all employers have an open chequebook for recruitment, so consider what you can offer. Flexible hours? Remote work? Travel opportunities? Training programs?

  4. Use industry-specific recruiters (and build a relationship with them)

    Don’t waste your time with generalist recruiters who lack expert knowledge of the sector. (Yes, of course we would say that, but it’s also true!)

    The construction and energy sectors are vast and complex industries that require recruiters to be highly knowledgeable in the market and have access to a large talent pool. You should collaborate closely with your recruiter about what your idea of the perfect candidate is, what you have to offer, and what the culture is like. Armed with this information and a detailed job spec, the recruiter can then find the candidates and persuade them that your company is the best one to work for. Make career opportunities abundantly clear.

    The ball is in the candidate’s court at present, meaning that they have no good reason to accept a job with few prospects for advancement. You should be able to outline a clear career path and some exciting training opportunities to the candidate during the interview process.

    Find out what their goals are and tailor your offering accordingly. If you don’t have career development opportunities to offer, you will not attract good candidates in this market. It is as simple as that.

  5. Improve your culture from the ground up

    It’s little use trying to show how great you are as an employer, if your current employees aren’t happy and engaged at work. Their complaints to old university friends and colleagues will invariably make their way into the building marketplace, where candidates may discount certain companies altogether after hearing a bad story or two. This is one of the many reasons you should be working to improve your workplace culture, so that employees spread the word about their great job and attract high-calibre candidates.

  6. Make your hiring process pleasant and professional

    Many companies send an unintentionally awful message to candidates by conducting a poor, confusing, or stressful interview process. It should probably go without saying that stress-based interview styles (where interviewers apply pressure to the candidate to see how they handle it) won’t win many candidates in the current market, but there’s also plenty of other ways you can accidentally discourage good candidates.

    To make the right impression on candidates, make the application process simple and phone-friendly, as many Millennials will apply for roles via their smartphones. Be  clear about interview format and expectations, and don’t mess the candidate around by cancelling interviews at the last minute, or leaving them for long periods after the interview with no word of the outcome.

    Be as transparent as possible about life at the company, paint a picture of what their job looks like day-to-day, and invite them to meet other employees, including senior management if you’re really trying to impress.

Attracting star performers in the building or energy sectors is becoming tougher by the year, but you don’t have to go it alone. Contact us for a friendly, no-obligation discussion about your recruitment needs. Email us here or call on 01743 247774.

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