How to Hire Construction Workers (And Actually Get Them to Stay)

You posted the job. You got applications. Half didn't show up to interview. The ones who did weren't qualified. You hired one person who quit after two weeks.

This is the normal experience for companies trying to hire construction workers right now. It's not bad luck. It's a broken hiring process combined with the tightest labor market the construction industry has seen in decades.

Here's how to actually hire construction workers and get them to stay.

Why Hiring Construction Workers Is So Hard Right Now

The construction industry is short over 500,000 workers. Retirements are outpacing new entries into the trades. Younger workers have been steered toward college degrees for two decades. The pipeline of trained labor is thin.

What this means: Qualified construction workers have options. They're fielding multiple offers. They're not going to tolerate a slow hiring process, low pay, or a disorganized job site.

The companies that consistently hire and retain good construction workers aren't the ones posting the most jobs. They're the ones that make it easy to apply, move fast, pay competitively, and show workers what a job with them actually looks like.

Write a Job Post That Workers Actually Read

Most construction job postings are generic. "Seeking experienced carpenter. Must have 3+ years. Drug test required." That tells a worker nothing they care about.

What construction workers want to know before applying:

Pay. List the rate or range. Posts without pay information get significantly fewer qualified applicants. Workers assume low pay and move on.

Location and travel. A job 45 minutes away versus 15 minutes away is a real factor.

Hours. Early start times, overtime availability, weekend work—workers factor this into their decision.

Project type. Commercial, residential, industrial? New builds or renovation? This tells experienced workers whether the job matches their skills.

The crew. Experienced workers want to work alongside other skilled people. Tell them about your team and the quality of work you do.

The best construction job postings read like they were written by someone who actually knows the trade. If yours sounds like an HR template, rewrite it.

Post Where Construction Workers Actually Look

General job boards work for office jobs. For construction workers, you need to be where tradespeople actually search.

BC Recruits connects employers directly with vetted blue collar workers across construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and welding. These aren't people passively browsing—they're actively looking for their next position.

Your existing crew is also your best recruiting tool. The best referrals come from people already doing the work. A $500 referral bonus costs less than one week of a bad hire.

Facebook and local trade community groups move fast. Construction workers share job leads constantly. A post in the right local group can generate more qualified applicants than a paid listing on a national platform.

Don't rely on a single channel. The workers you want to hire are not all in one place.

Move Fast—Really Fast

Construction workers who are actively looking have already applied to five other jobs. If you take three days to respond to an application, they've accepted another offer.

What fast hiring looks like in construction:

Respond to qualified applicants the same day, within hours if possible. Do a 10-minute phone screen instead of scheduling a formal first interview. Make a hiring decision within 48 hours of meeting someone. Have onboarding paperwork ready so you can start someone in days, not two weeks.

If your hiring process takes two weeks, you're losing every good candidate to companies that move in two days. Speed is a competitive advantage right now.

Pay the Market Rate (Or Above It)

The number one reason construction employers can't fill positions is pay. They know the market rate. They're offering below it. And they're confused why nobody applies.

Current market rates for experienced construction workers:

Electrician: $32-$52/hour depending on market and specialization

Plumber: $30-$50/hour

HVAC technician: $28-$48/hour

Carpenter: $26-$42/hour

Welder: $24-$45/hour depending on certifications

General construction laborer: $18-$28/hour

If you're offering below the low end of these ranges, expect high turnover, poor applicant quality, and a constant recruiting cycle. Paying market rate is cheaper than continuously rehiring.

Beyond base pay, construction workers also evaluate overtime availability, health insurance, tool allowances, company vehicle or mileage, and whether their pay gets reviewed regularly.

Don't Make the Job Site a Reason to Quit

You can hire the right person and lose them in two weeks. It happens constantly in construction, and it's almost always a job site problem, not a worker problem.

The most common reasons good construction workers leave quickly:

Disorganized sites where materials aren't ready and assignments aren't clear. Poor foreman relationships—workers don't leave companies, they leave supervisors. Feeling like their skills are being wasted. Safety shortcuts that experienced workers recognize and won't tolerate. No visible path forward on the project or within the company.

Before you blame the labor market for your turnover, audit the experience of working for you. Ask your current crew directly. The answers will tell you exactly what to fix.

Work With a Recruiter Who Specializes in Skilled Trades'

General staffing agencies fill construction positions with whoever they have available. That usually means untrained workers on jobs that require real skill.

A recruiter who specializes in skilled trades works differently. They maintain relationships with qualified workers across electrical, plumbing, HVAC, construction, and welding. When you need a journeyman plumber, they're not posting a job and hoping—they're calling workers they already know.

BC Recruits connects construction employers with pre-screened, qualified skilled trades workers. We understand the difference between a journeyman and an apprentice, between commercial and residential experience, and between workers who show up and workers who don't.

If you're hiring for multiple positions, have specialized requirements, or have been burned by bad hires before, working with a trades-specific recruiter is the fastest path to workers who actually fit your job.

Contact BC Recruits to discuss your construction hiring needs.

Learn more about hiring skilled trades workers and growing industries in the trades.