‘There’s Got to Be a Better Way’: What Gen Z Brings to Construction
Date Posted: September 1, 2026
Posted In: Discussion, Workforce,
From Construction Dive: Long hours and hard work have been traditional badges of honor in construction. Generation Z, however, doesn’t plan to play by the old rules.
Young workers see plenty to like in the construction industry and also room for innovation, Gen Z panelists said in a conversation moderated by Construction Dive Senior Editor Zach Phillips during the “Courting Construction” virtual event Wednesday. For contractors, the arrival and retainment of these young go-getters will be increasingly important as firms face a looming generational handoff.
Sell the career
Construction firms looking to recruit Gen Z members should stress the advantages the industry can offer, particularly the opportunity to climb the ladder quickly.
Retirements among longtime construction leaders will create openings for the younger cohort to learn the business, said Fulton Cure, a consultant at Baltimore-based Well Built Consulting. For young employees getting their foot in the industry, the turnover presents a chance to move up the ranks relatively fast.
“We’re seeing it all over the place that there are so many companies that have these amazing senior leaders who have been there for 15, 20, 30 years,” said Cure. “Those people are retiring in the next 10 to 15 years, and somebody’s going to have to fill their spot.”
Another selling point is the ability to see what their work produces. In other words, firms can sell job fulfillment in their recruitment efforts.
“I think working in construction can bring a lot of pride and fulfillment that you don’t get in other industries,” said Corey Silverman, safety specialist at Highwire, a Burlington, Massachusetts-based software development company. “I know that when I was part of a team that finished a project or we had a topping out party, it was just really cool to be able to say, ‘Wow, I was a part of that massive building being built.’”