For a lot of contractors, finding customers is no longer the hardest part of the business. Finding people to do the work is. Jobs get turned down, crews run short and the owner ends up back on the tools.
The same marketing that brings in customers can bring in technicians, laborers, apprentices and project managers. That means a good website, a strong reputation, real photos and a clear message. Good candidates check you out the same way customers do. This guide shows how to make hiring part of your marketing instead of an emergency every spring.
Think like a candidate
Before a good tech or operator applies, they want answers to a few questions, and they will skip companies that do not give them:
- What does it pay, and how does overtime work?
- Will I have steady hours all year, or get laid off every winter?
- Is the equipment decent, and are the trucks kept up?
- How do they treat people? Do crews stick around?
- Will they train me, and is there a path to lead, foreman or manager?
- What is the schedule? How often am I on call?
- How far is the drive, and do I take a truck home?
Your careers page and job posts should answer those questions before anyone has to ask. Being vague about pay and hours is the fastest way to lose good people to the company down the road.
Build a real careers page
A careers page is your recruiting home base. Every job post, truck decal, social media post and referral should point to it.
- Its own page, such as yourcompany.com/careers, linked from your main menu and footer.
- Every open role listed, each with its own description.
- Pay ranges, schedules and benefits in plain words.
- What you provide: trucks, tools, tablets, uniforms, boots, phone.
- Training and growth: paid certifications, apprenticeships, ride-alongs and what the path up looks like.
- Real photos and video of your crew, shop, trucks and job sites. No stock photos of models in clean hard hats.
- Words from your people, with permission: how long they have been with you and why they stay.
- A short application that works on a phone: name, phone, role, experience and a few questions. Make the resume optional. Never make people create an account.
- What happens next, and how quickly you will be in touch.
- Job posting structured data, so your openings can appear in Google’s job search results.
Write job posts people actually read
Most construction job posts are a list of demands followed by “competitive pay.” Stand out by doing the opposite.
- Use the title people search for. “Residential HVAC Service Technician” or “CDL Class A Dump Truck Driver,” not “Rockstar Tech” or “Team Member.”
- Put pay near the top. Several states and cities now require pay ranges in job posts. Even where they do not, many candidates skip posts that hide it.
- Be specific about the schedule: start time, days, overtime, on-call and seasonal patterns.
- Describe a typical day. What kind of jobs, how many calls, residential or commercial, new construction or service.
- Split must-haves from nice-to-haves. Keep the must-haves short. Many good people will not apply unless they meet every line.
- Say why you. Specifics beat slogans: newer trucks, home every night, paid training, a four-day week in winter.
- Make applying one step. A link to your short application, or “text [number] to apply.”
Example opening for a job post
Residential HVAC Service Technician – $[XX]–$[XX]/hour + overtime
Monday through Friday, 7:30 to 4:30, with on-call one weekend a month (paid on-call). Company truck, tablet and tools. We pay for your certifications and train you on every system we install. Most of our techs have been here more than five years, and here is why…
Only write what is true. If you cannot say “most of our techs have been here more than five years,” say what you can, like how many people you have promoted from within.
Where to get the word out
Online
- Job boards like Indeed and ZipRecruiter, plus trade-specific boards and associations. Post free first, then pay to sponsor the roles that matter most.
- Google’s job search, by adding job posting structured data to your careers page.
- Your social media. Crew spotlights, day-in-the-life videos and project photos show what working for you is like better than any post.
- Local groups on Facebook and Nextdoor, where neighbors share openings.
- Paid social ads. Facebook and Instagram ads for jobs fall into a special category with limited targeting. You cannot target by age or gender, and location targeting is broader. Good photos and clear pay do the heavy lifting.
Offline
- Your trucks. A “Now hiring” decal with a short web address or QR code turns every truck into a recruiting billboard that drives past other tradespeople all day.
- Your job sites. Add “Now hiring” to your yard signs.
- Supply houses and dealers. Counter staff know who is looking. Leave cards and ask.
- Schools and programs: trade schools, community colleges, high school career and technical programs, apprenticeship programs and union halls where they apply.
- Veterans. Many service members leave with strong technical and leadership skills. Look into military transition and veterans’ hiring programs in your area.
Your own crew
Your best recruiters already work for you. A referral bonus, paid once the new hire has stayed a set time such as 90 days, rewards people for bringing in someone good, not just anyone. Tell your crew about every opening and remind them often.
Respond fast
Good people in the trades get hired quickly. If an application sits for a week, it is probably gone.
- Call or text every promising applicant within a day.
- Schedule the interview within a few days, and be flexible about evenings.
- Consider a ride-along or a paid working interview, so they can see the job and you can see their skills.
- Tell people who are not a fit. A polite “no” protects your reputation.
Your reputation as an employer
Candidates read employer reviews on job sites, and they ask around. Supply houses, inspectors and other tradespeople all talk. Treat that reputation like your customer reviews:
- Respond to employer reviews calmly and professionally, just like customer reviews.
- Ask happy long-time employees if they would share their experience.
- Treat people well on the way out. Former employees are part of your reputation.
Build the pipeline before you need it
The worst time to recruit is when you are already short-handed. Keep a pipeline running all year.
- Keep your careers page live and keep accepting applications, even when you are not actively hiring.
- Show up at schools. Career days, shop class visits, sponsoring a skills competition or a student chapter. Today’s student is next year’s apprentice.
- Offer summer and part-time roles to students who might become full-time hires.
- Keep a list of good candidates you could not hire, and call them when something opens.
- Hire for the busy season early. Start recruiting in late winter for a spring and summer rush. Our seasonal marketing calendar marks the timing.
Measure it like marketing
Treat recruiting the way you treat customer leads. Ask every applicant how they heard about you, right on the application form. Then track:
- Applications by source
- Interviews and hires by source
- How many new hires are still with you after 90 days
- What each hire cost, counting job board fees, ads and referral bonuses
After a few months, you will know which sources bring in people who stay, and you can put your money there.
Stay on the right side of the rules
Hiring is regulated. Keep job posts focused on the job: skills, licenses, physical requirements that are truly part of the work and schedule. Avoid wording that suggests a preference for age, sex or other protected traits, such as “young,” “recent grad” or “guys.” Follow pay transparency laws where you hire. When in doubt, have an HR professional or employment attorney review your job post template once, then reuse it.
We help contractors with recruiting marketing: careers pages, job posts, hiring ads, truck and yard sign messaging, and crew content for social media. For a broader look at your marketing, ask for a free marketing audit.