April 16, 2025
Several members of the Propel People team attended the AGC Annual Convention last week in Columbus, Ohio. It was an opportunity to connect with industry professionals and discuss the biggest challenges facing construction today.
Throughout the convention, one theme resonated consistently: hiring managers and construction companies desperately need better tools to find qualified candidates and onboard them fast. The current process is fundamentally broken—HR teams are spending half of their time on manual screening and paperwork. In an industry already pressed for time and resources, this inefficiency has become unsustainable.
1. The Labor Shortage Is Creating Massive Problems for Businesses
Contractors at the AGC Convention were unanimous in identifying workforce shortages as their #1 pain point. These shortages are having tangible consequences: delayed project timelines, growing backlogs, and rising labor costs—all because companies simply can’t hire fast enough.
Traditional recruiting methods are no longer adequate. Job boards generate overwhelming numbers of unqualified candidates, employee referrals are inconsistent, and staffing agencies charge high commissions with no long-term guarantee. Yet they still struggle to understand the requirements and nuances of construction roles.
Many contractors report having to turn down lucrative projects or extend deadlines because they can’t staff up quickly enough.
Propel's platform addresses this critical gap by streamlining the hiring process specifically for trade contractors, helping them fill essential roles faster and keep projects on schedule.
2. The Construction Industry Needs Custom Solutions
The convention highlighted another insight: hiring isn’t a one-size-fits-all challenge, yet most recruiting tools on the market fail to address construction’s unique requirements.
Construction hiring differs significantly from other sectors like tech or finance. The industry needs solutions that weigh the importance of specific certifications, hands-on experience, work availability patterns, and physical capabilities. Standard applicant tracking systems (ATS) often miss these nuances, forcing hiring managers to manually filter through candidates who might look qualified on paper but lack essential construction-specific qualifications.
The skills needed for a journeyman electrician or crane operator can't be evaluated using the same criteria as a software developer or financial analyst. Additionally, construction often requires assessing factors like willingness to work in various weather conditions, ability to travel between job sites, and specific safety training credentials.
Propel's AI platform has been designed and trained specifically to meet the needs of the construction industry. It understands the terminology, certifications, and experience patterns that matter in trade contracting, enabling more accurate matching of workers to jobs.
3. HR Managers Need Time-Saving Solutions
Perhaps the most consistent message from the convention came from construction HR managers themselves: they're overwhelmed and desperately need solutions that save time rather than adding complexity.
Many hiring managers described spending countless hours manually screening resumes, playing phone tag with candidates, and coordinating interviews—often while juggling multiple other responsibilities. One HR director from a mid-sized contractor shared that they typically review over 200 applications per month, with only about 15% meeting basic qualifications.
Hiring managers aren’t looking for complicated tools; they need simple, effective automation that integrates with existing workflows and streamlines processes. They need:
- • Automated initial screening to filter out unqualified candidates
- • Text-to-apply capabilities that meet candidates where they are
- • Bilingual support to engage with the diverse construction workforce
- • Integration with existing HR systems to eliminate duplicate data entry
- • Mobile-friendly platforms that work on job sites, not just in offices
Powered by AI, Propel delivers these time-saving solutions, helping hiring managers accomplish more with less effort. The platform's automated screening has been shown to reduce initial review time by up to 80%, giving HR teams precious hours back in their day to focus on strategic initiatives and candidate engagement.
The Future of Construction Hiring
The AGC Convention made it clear that construction hiring is at a crossroads. Companies can either continue struggling with outdated processes or embrace solutions designed specifically for their industry's unique challenges.
Propel is the smarter, faster recruiting platform that expands your talent pool while prioritizing the most qualified candidates. By instantly identifying top matches and streamlining the entire hiring workflow, we help HR teams save hours every day, giving them time to focus on what matters most: building their workforce and completing projects successfully.
The construction industry is building America's future. Isn't it time the hiring process evolved to match the industry's importance?
