How to Attract Quality Construction Labourers

Experts are calling labour shortages in the construction industry its “single biggest pressure” in 2023, with turnover rates soaring. Robert Ewing, ABS head of business indicators, said the construction industry turnover rate is “up 15.4 per cent on the same time last year, reaching its highest level since January 2010”.

In these conditions, attracting quality construction labourers can be a challenging task. Skilled workers have their pick of job opportunities, so standing out from the crowd can be difficult for employers.

To help, we’ve put together the best insights and tips to help you find and reel in the perfect labourers for your construction needs!

1.    Focus on Local Networks

In construction, a tight-knit industry that is heavily location-focused, tapping into local connections and word-of-mouth referrals can be powerful tools for finding the best labourers. Many skilled construction labourers may not be active on platforms such as LinkedIn and can be better reached through their local network.

The construction industry is a tight-knit network of professionals with strong connections and friendships. This makes your current employees and contractors great avenues for finding construction labourers for your next project.

These connections can lead you to experienced labourers who might not be actively looking for jobs but are open to new opportunities (see here for 5 tips on building and maintaining strong relationships in the construction industry).

2.    Offer Flexible Work Options

Many skilled labourers are open to short-term or day-to-day contracts. If your project allows for it, consider offering short-term and/or flexible work arrangements to widen the pool of available talent. You could also hire a labourer for a day and offer them more work if they prove themselves to be hardworking and sensible.

Flexible work options can be particularly appealing to those who value variety in their work and prefer to take on projects as they come. Further, they increase worker’s sense of wellbeing and work-life balance – meaning they are more likely to perform better and possibly even stay in the same position for longer.
 

3.    Foster a Positive Work Environment

A positive workplace reputation can be a strong magnet for attracting skilled labourers – it also keeps them around.

Highlight your company's positive culture, safety measures and commitment to employee development. This can shine through to prospective labourers through word of mouth, the company’s reputation, online presence and the interview process!

Here’s a quick tip: if you have teams that enjoy working for your organisation, ask them what they love most about coming in to work. Their responses can give you ideas on how to ‘sell’ job vacancies to potential candidates. 

4.    Be Prepared to Reward Top Talent

Given the significant labour shortages in the construction industry, labour turnover is also at an all-time high. For a workforce that is constantly jumping from employer to employer, remaining competitive with your payment offering means it’ll be easier to lock down top-tier talent – and hold onto them for longer!

Ultimately, generous pay communicates to your construction labourers that they are valued, which can make them less likely to jump ship in favour of higher pay elsewhere.

5.    Partner with a Labour Hiring Agency

Labour hiring agencies remain one of the fastest ways to find quality labourers. Agencies have already heavily identified highly skilled, qualified construction workers in a specific location or niche. The best labour hiring agencies have robust training and safety programs, making them a cost-effective choice for filling out your workforce.

Here at JV Recruitment, we understand what top construction candidates are looking for in their next job. As specialists in construction labour hire, plus permanent and contract recruitment, our years of industry experience and extensive networks provide us with the ability to connect you to your ideal candidates.

For practical tips on attracting skilled construction labourers, see our eBook on ‘How to Attract Top Talent to Your Business’ for more.

Our trades and labour team manage up to 400 labour hire staff each day in Victoria alone, supporting construction, civil & infrastructure, traffic, manufacturing and energy & renewables companies of all sizes.

Whether you’re looking to hire a labourer for a day or would like to lock down a permanent worker across Brisbane, Geelong, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney, we’re here to help – please don’t hesitate to contact us.