The commercial construction and staffing industry has faced a year of innovation and new challenges—from COVID-19-related project delays and supply chain disruptions to the “great resignation” and a brief recession. Despite these setbacks, analysts anticipate growth in non-residential construction for 2022. As a staffing firm serving this sector, we wanted to weigh in on what these trends mean moving forward.

First, the pandemic’s start did see some project slowdowns as nonessential projects were placed on hold. However, as a staffing firm in the thick of hiring, it didn’t take long for jobs to ramp back up. The most significant difference we saw this past year is that our commercial construction candidates who have been in the industry for upwards of twenty years aren’t necessarily taking assignments like they used to due to ongoing COVID concerns. 

Pre-pandemic, these candidates were more willing to travel for a project that may last six months. Now, we’re finding their families have more of an impact on their decisions, and rightfully so. Although COVID booster shots are becoming more available, this scenario could change. 

Savvy Staffing Strategies

 “We have an entire pool of people who a couple of years ago would have considered four or five different construction projects. But now,” says FootBridge General Manager Joe Squires, “That isn’t the case. They’re asking themselves if it’s worth it to take a temporary job that takes them away from their family for a months-long project. People are afraid of getting sick and bringing the illness home to their loved ones. So, COVID is a real factor when it comes to placements in the commercial construction industry right now.”

Next, while the news headlines indicate commercial construction starts will improve in 2022, there are still more jobs than qualified candidates. Therefore, those in commercial construction businesses have had to get creative when finding talent, and that’s where a staffing firm partnership comes in.  Especially since it’s a candidate’s market, clients have to be quick in their decisions when hiring top talent.  

Why staffing firms? 

It’s hard to know if a staffing firm is suitable for a commercial construction company until we speak to them. But what we can tell you is that here at FootBridge, recruiting is our primary focus. More than likely, we have run a similar search for a candidate just like the one a client requests on any given day.  So, we have a good idea of who is available to fill a position. 

“If your one job is to make the perfect cup of coffee, you will put all your resources into that assignment,” says Squires.  “You’d find your favorite bean, maybe even a grinder, and the perfect coffee machine for the best brew.  But that’s not how it works with companies hiring for large, capital-budget construction projects. Human resource managers are the ones taking on recruiting, but they also have many other essential responsibilities that can take away from their efforts. It’s why they like to integrate staffing firms into their hiring strategy.”

Of course, we’ve come across clients who worry that even a staffing firm will have difficulties sourcing suitable commercial construction candidates. But what these firms may not realize is that we are deeply vested in the market. There’s also no need to endure multiple approvals because we have already vetted the candidate. Most of our clients hire candidates based on our recommendation saving them time and money. 

To summarize, positive growth is happening in commercial construction, and our recruiters are ready to tackle any job our clients put in front of us. We are looking forward to 2022, and here for our clients when they need us and deliver significant results. Visit our job board for a complete list of commercial construction openings. 

Want to know more? Read our commercial construction success stories here. 

As always, hiring top talent is essential to the success of your business, and our team is here to help you find the right people with unmatched expertise. Let’s collaborate today to fill your open positions. We are ready to source your next top performer for continued business success.