Hiring and managing millennials

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Recruiting a new generation, millennials onsite

From what we hear about 60 to 70% of construction firms are having trouble filling current vacancies for qualified tradesmen while the demand for workers is continuously increasing throughout the country. Buildings continue going up despite the shortage of skilled labour in the construction industry. The deficit of manpower is rapidly heading toward critical status and will start slowing down some projects, especially in residential construction.

Many older and highly skilled workers moved out of construction or relocated entirely to places like Australia and New Zealand in search of greener pastures after the housing market collapsed and subsequent recession. Although the government is currently running a significant campaign to get these lost skills back, so they stay on track with Ireland’s 2040 development plans. It is inevitable that construction companies are going to need to hire from the (often criticised) millennial generation. The challenge is not only that most firms are recruiting from the same pool but also that millennials are notoriously fickle when it comes to choosing and staying with employers. The result is that firms end up in a bidding war trying to outdo each other with financial packages adding vans, laptops and an endless list of perks to attract and keep the workforce needed.

Sherlock Recruitment has been engaging with millennials for over five years, and so to help you we have put together our top two things millennials are looking for when accepting a job. This is the knowledge that we have attained through countless hours of one on one interviews with candidates, entering or are in the industry; this is what we found:

What do millennials want in a job?

  1. Team members 34 and under, crave a sense of accomplishment from all reports this is the strongest driver of workplace happiness amongst this generation, facilitating higher retention and work output.
  2. Millennials also tend to crave teamwork and collaboration. They want to know their work will be valued and that it has contributed to the company achieving its goals and their contribution actually add value toward completing the project.

So how can construction companies show they value their employees? Some ways to increase engagement is to give them opportunities to be more involved with supervisors and project managers so they can also contribute, providing ways for workers to learn the latest technology and equipment, offering them training opportunities (additional health & safety certifications) and the possibility to increase their value. Then convincing millennials that this career path will be stable and offers work-life balance and financial rewards. This is where Sherlock excels, and also removes the risk of a potentially fickle millennial, as we employ the candidate on your behalf and should they or you decide that it’s not a right fit, there is no risk or additional expense to you. We also run an entire training management programme, facilitating all the critical health and safety training, plus additional courses such as abrasive wheels, working at heights and many others.

Engaging with millennials

Don’t expect millennials to scour your company websites for jobs. Instead, you will need to reach out to them where they are. This is also were working with an agency like Sherlock creates tremendous value as one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of manpower and tradesmen to the construction industry we are well established with the highest quality candidates. We are a straight-talking vibrant company with a young and ambitious team which appeals to the millennial candidate, often being their first port of call when they are looking for open vacancies. We are well established in the institutions, clubs and media platforms where they congregate and have partnerships with trade schools and colleges around the country especially with typically hard to fill roles like groundworkers, plumbers, carpenters, electricians and many more. We have been involved in those programs by providing insight, mentoring and job opportunities for over five years now further.

If you are looking for quality tradesmen and manpower the fastest and simplest way to get access to them, would be to talk to a consultant in Sherlock recruitment.  The consultants then handle everything for you and make sure they stay engaged, involved and delivering throughout their contract.  Call them- 01 4568438, www.sherlockrecruitment.com