Five Tips to Recruit Gen Z to the Construction Industry
Date Posted: September 30, 2019
Posted In: Workforce,
From For Construction Pros: Generation Z — people born after 1996 — are now beginning to enter the workforce. In the U.S. alone there are 65 million Gen Zers, and this cohort is projected to make up 20% of the workforce in the coming months. With the influx of Gen Z into the job market, construction firms need to adapt recruiting strategies to attract Gen Z job seekers. Something that will serve them well, given 78% of firms have had difficulty finding skilled labor this year.
Five tips can help firms effectively recruit this next generation of talent.
 1. Start recruiting early
Career planning for Gen Z begins early. According to the Student Research Foundation’s Career Pathways and 21st Century Skills Study, 72% of high school freshmen have already begun to consider their career pathway. To successfully interest Gen Z in construction industry careers, firms need to help educate students about career opportunities in the trades. As part of this effort, firms should attend high school career fairs and develop educational outreach programs aimed at teachers and guidance counselors that highlight the range of construction career opportunities as well as the financial benefits of working in skilled trades.
2. Highlight career development
Gen Z gravitates toward career opportunities where they can develop and grow. A Robert Half survey found that 95% of Gen Z respondents named career advancement a top factor when choosing an employer. Ninety-one percent said professional development and training opportunities were another priority consideration when choosing an employer.
To successfully attract Gen Z talent construction firms should highlight how Gen Z job seekers can advance in their organizations — outlining career trajectories such as moving from entry-level apprentice to journeyman to lead man to foreman to general foreman to superintendent.
Construction companies should also focus their messaging to these job seekers on professional development, emphasizing ongoing training opportunities, mentorship programs, apprenticeships, and leadership skills programs designed to help employees move up the career ladder.