June 10, 2025

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Hiring in construction doesn’t have to break the budget. With the right tools and process, you can attract stronger candidates and reduce costs per hire, without sacrificing speed or quality.

In his LinkedIn article, Dr. Matt Poepsel outlines 7 Ways to Optimize the Construction Hiring Process. It’s a must-read for any contractor or HR leader looking to transform how they recruit in today’s competitive labor market.

1. Write Clear, Detailed Job Descriptions
Avoid mismatched hires by clearly outlining job duties, required skills, and work conditions. Propel People’s job posting templates are tailored for construction roles, helping you write precise descriptions that attract the right talent from the start.

2. Use an Industry-Specific Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Generic systems don’t cut it. Propel People’s construction-specific ATS includes features like license tracking, field-based communication, and compliance filters—built for the way your crews work.

3. Optimize for Mobile Job Seekers
Most tradespeople apply from their phones. Propel People offers a fully mobile-optimized application experience, reducing friction and boosting completion rates from job seekers on the go.

4. Streamline Applications with Resume Parsing
Tedious forms drive away applicants. With Propel People’s built-in resume parsing, candidates can upload their resumes and instantly pre-fill key fields, speeding up applications and improving candidate flow.

5. Add Pre-Screening Questions to Qualify Candidates
Filter out unqualified applicants early with Propel People’s customizable pre-screening filters. These filters allow you to set automatic questions based on certifications, experience, or job-specific requirements.

6. Use Text Messaging to Keep Applicants Engaged
Don’t let top talent slip through the cracks. Propel People’s SMS-based communication tools let you send instant updates, reminders, and next steps, keeping candidates engaged and drastically reducing ghosting.

7. Create a Standout Candidate Experience
A smooth, transparent process builds trust and boosts offer acceptance. Propel People’s end-to-end experience, from mobile-friendly applications to timely communication, positions your company as organized, responsive, and a great workplace.

These strategies are not merely best practices; they are proven methods for reducing hiring times, minimizing turnover, and fostering high-performing teams. In his companion piece, "The True Cost of Hiring in Construction: Beyond Recruitment Fees," Dr. Poepsel delves into the deeper economic implications of hiring in the industry. He identifies the hidden, margin-draining costs that many firms overlook, including lost productivity and retention challenges, and illustrates how adopting a more innovative and streamlined hiring approach is achievable for organizations.

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Optimize the construction hiring process with Propel People today.

Propel People is the intelligent, AI-powered hiring solution designed exclusively for the construction industry. With powerful tools like ProScore, our proprietary resume ranking system, along with SMS-based applications, pre-screening filters, and a mobile-friendly experience, Propel People streamlines your entire recruitment process and helps you hire top candidates faster.

Stop letting delays, turnover, and poor-fit hires slow you down. Whether you're recruiting for field roles, skilled trades, or office support, Propel People gives you the speed, precision, and insight you need to build a high-performing team.

Read The True Cost of Hiring in Construction: Beyond Recruitment Fees to learn more.

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By: Matt Poepsel, PhD
June 10, 2025

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Are you overlooking the real cost of hiring in the construction industry? In his informative article, “The True Cost of Hiring in Construction: Beyond Recruitment Fees,” Dr. Matt Poepsel draws on his expertise in leadership and talent strategy to expose the hidden expenses that quietly chip away at your margins, from lost productivity and poor onboarding to cultural misalignment and early turnover.

In the article, Poepsel explores:

• The invisible hiring costs that erode profitability
• The true consequences of a bad hire
• Seven practical strategies to streamline and strengthen your hiring process

If you're part of a construction leadership or HR team, this is a must-read. It challenges conventional hiring methods and shows how a more innovative, more strategic approach to recruitment can give your organization a competitive edge.

That’s where Propel People comes in.

Propel People is the intelligent, AI-powered hiring solution designed exclusively for the construction industry. With powerful tools like ProScore, our proprietary resume ranking system, along with SMS-based applications, pre-screening filters, and a mobile-friendly experience, Propel People streamlines your entire recruitment process and helps you hire top candidates faster.

Stop letting delays, turnover, and poor-fit hires slow you down. Whether you're recruiting for field roles, skilled trades, or office support, Propel People gives you the speed, precision, and insight you need to build a high-performing team.

Read The True Cost of Hiring in Construction: Beyond Recruitment Fees to learn more

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By: Dan Ringen
January 6th, 2025

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Construction hiring is in the middle of a major shift away from traditional methods of hiring and moving towards a tech-forward approach. This shift is pushing HR Teams to new strategies and understanding the trends in the industry and what they can do to drive efficiency and support the business is vital. Let's take a look at those trends making an impact and changing the hiring and employee landscape in the construction industry.

Top 5 Trends Impacting Construction HR Teams

1. Shrinking Workforce
2. HR Team Size and Budgets
3. Technology
4. Increase In Projects
5. Competition and Speed To Hire

Shrinking Workforce

According to ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors), the current workforce shortage in the construction industry is over half a million. We don't expect this to resolve in the upcoming years and so adjusting your strategies to match the current landscape is essential. Things like finding workers where they are, being open to non-traditional ways of sourcing employees, a focus on retaining your current employees and keeping an eye on the next generation of workers to enter the industry and how you can attract them is a must.

ABC Article: Construction Workforce Shortage Tops Half A Million

HR Team Size and Budgets

Construction HR teams are often lean and stretched pretty thin in their roles. HR teams of 1-2 are often tasked with all HR aspects for companies with employee numbers that far exceed the average HR to Employee ratio seen across companies of similar size. According to the Society of Human Resource Management, the average HR to Employee Ratio is 1.7. That means that for every 100 people the company has, the HR team should be 1-2 people, we often see however companies much bigger than that operating with 1-2 HR employees. With the recent increases in material and labor costs, companies will continue to operate on tight margins and so any request to increase headcount in HR to support the team's initiatives will be tough to get approved. Finding alternative ways to drive efficiencies is key and products like Propel People aim to do just that by automating manual portions of the recruiting process to allow HR teams to focus on the things that matter without needing to add headcount.

SHRM Article: How Many HR Staff Members Is Best?

Technology

The evolution of HR technology is gaining steam and the construction industry is growing in the adoption rate of these technologies that have shown success in other industries. HRIS and ATS platforms continue to improve and the development of Recruiting Automation Software (RAS) has taken these platforms and made them even more powerful. Review your current tech stack and ensure that you are getting the most out of your tools and that those tools are built for you. Propel People is RAS combined with an ATS that is designed specifically for the construction industry and aims to help reduce the time you spend in the screening process while driving top talent to your inbox.

Increase In Projects

The construction industry continues to grow despite the shrinking workforce which means your company is able to take on more projects but that demands more employees. This puts HR teams in a tough spot where they are trying to hire more employees in a shrinking workforce. Being able to find quality talent and get them hired will allow your company to take the projects they previously had to turn down.

Competition and Speed To Hire

Finally, as you can imagine, if the amount of projects are increasing but the workforce is shrinking, most construction companies are in heavy competition to attract workers. Whether it's reviewing your benefit structure, adjusting your hiring approach or finding ways to keep your current employees, HR teams need to always be evolving to stay in front of the competition and getting to top talent fast. That includes decreasing the time it takes to hire someone. Everyone wants the next employee and making sure your first in line allows you to do just that. In the past, it's been challenging to reach employees on their schedule in a way that works best for them. Propel People allows for automated text conversations so that your screening process can happen whether your in the office or not, that way you are maintaining the interest with candidates and can get them on the job as soon as possible.

In closing, the hiring landscape in construction is not what it used to be. HR teams need to be constantly adapting their strategies and methodologies to be on top of the trends discussed here and Propel People wants to be a part of your new strategy.

Have any thoughts or questions? We'd love to hear about it, send us an email at hello@propelpeopleco.com or sign up for free to try it out!