Recruiting for Blue Collar Positions
Brokers and Agents – When talking to your clients, this info may be helpful.
Recently the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) published an article that outlined a few simple, but often overlooked, things to keep in mind for our customers in the construction trades as they search for quality employees. Here is a little bit from that article as well as a link to it for more information.
In a time when more people are going to college and pursuing white-collar jobs after graduation, employers are having difficulty overcoming a shortage of blue-collar workers. From construction to food service to IT customer service, jobs are going unfilled, with no signs of an improving situation this year. “These industries have more unfilled job openings than unemployed workers with experience in their respective industry,” according to new research from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Recruit Early On – One tactic she says is paying dividends is connecting with high schools to recruit potential employees before they graduate. “We speak with high school students about careers in building engineering and property management,” she said, “and we have created apprenticeship opportunities for students at trade schools.”
Fish Where the Fish Are – Blue-collar workers might not be searching for jobs in the same places as white-collar job hunters, so it’s important for companies seeking blue-collar workers to be visible in those places, said Eric Mochnacz, SHRM-SCP, director of operations at Red Clover, an HR consulting firm based in Butler, N.J.
Create Marketing Content – Many blue-collar workers have misconceptions about what opportunities they might qualify for and where. A good marketing strategy can help dispel those while bringing new employees into the fold, said Anne Wittenborg, director of employer marketing and employee experience at Marvin, a window and door manufacturer based in Warroad, Minn.
Start a Paid Referral Program – Example = If an employee refers a full-time or part-time employee who stays at the company for at least six months, the referring employee receives a bonus, which incentivizes team members to always be on the lookout for new recruits.
Offer Excellent Benefits – Providing good pay is a start. But when workers are faced with higher costs of living, offering excellent benefits is also necessary, especially for any blue-collar workers who might not be earning a high salary.