Dean Austin Kinslow

Helping solve construction labor shortages

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Younger Generations Provide The Answer To U.S. Labor Shortage

An aging workforce and a lack of technology skills in the construction industry could leave the U.S. facing a housing crisis. Building contractors are struggling to find enough skilled workers to fill job openings.

With a growing number of U.S cities already facing a housing shortage, what was once a coastal problem is fast becoming a national crisis. It is estimated that 3 million homes need building in the next three yDears. Some estimates even put that figure closer to 4 million.

“America’s construction industry needs staffing solutions - and we need them quickly,” Dean Kinslow says.

Dean Austin Kinslow, the co-founder of Cruitfly a construction staffing agency based in Indianapolis, Indiana, says there is an abundance of job opportunities for young people in the construction industry.

“The problem is that construction jobs are not deemed to be very sexy. But the industry is changing dramatically.”

An influx of new technologies is available to help contractors plan, design and build better quality houses. However, the technologies are under-utilized because there is an insufficient number of laborers that can operate them. For example, technologies like 3D printing can build houses in under 48 hours.

“Wages have increased for skilled laborers by at least 3.2 percent in the last year. Contractors and prepared to pay unique people with unique skills what they deserve. And with an influx of new technologies, tech skills are at a premium.”

Kinslow believes this is a great time for young people to enter the construction sector. With the industry expected to generate over 300,000 jobs for at least the next decade, contractors are crying out for tech-minded individuals that want to make a difference.

Cruitfly recognized a crisis was looming years ago and decided to do something about it. Cruitfly was created to match laborers with job openings and to show contractors the value of investing in a diverse workforce. When Kinslow is not playing with his two dogs, Winston and Doug, or hanging out with his family in his “happy place” - a lake in Michigan - he is helping construction companies to build a workforce that will provide long-term solutions to America’s staffing shortage.

“This is a really exciting time for workers to enter the construction industry,” says Kinslow. “New entrants will be expected to learn the necessary skills first hand and most contractors are prepared to provide on-the-job training; after that, you can choose your own path. The sky’s the limit.”

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What Construction Employees Look for in a Company

A great construction company is composed of great workers. If you own a construction company, then it should absolutely be a priority for you to know what workers want from their company. In gaining this knowledge, you can be sure that your company thrives in the coming years as the industry becomes increasingly difficult.

If you want to have a great construction company, then keep reading to learn how you can attract the best employees!

6 Things a Worker Wants From Their Company

Now, let's get down to it. Here are 10 things that every worker wants from their company.

Great Leadership

A construction company is only as good as its leader. Employees want to work for a company that has a great leader who knows how to get the most out of their workers.

In order to have great leadership, you need to be able to communicate effectively, provide direction and set an example for your workers. If you can do these things, then you'll have no problem attracting the best employees to your company.

A Good Work/Life Balance

One of the most important things that workers look for in a company is a good work/life balance. In today's day and age, it's more important than ever to have a good work/life balance.

With the advances in technology, workers are now able to work from anywhere. This means that they don't have to be in the office all the time to get work done. As a result, employees are looking for companies that offer a good work/life balance.

If you want to attract the best employees, then you need to offer a good work/life balance.

Competitive Salaries

Another important thing that workers look for in a company is competitive salaries. In order to attract the best employees, you need to offer competitive salaries.

In construction, there are a lot of companies to choose from. This means that workers have a lot of options when it comes to finding a job. As a result, they're going to choose the company that offers the best salary.

In order to attract the top talent, you need to offer competitive salaries.

Good Benefits

Another important thing that workers look for in a company is good benefits. In today's day and age, health insurance is becoming more and more important.

As a result, employees are looking for companies that offer good benefits. If you want to attract the best employees, then you need to offer good benefits.

Some of the best benefits that you can offer include health insurance, dental insurance and a 401k plan.

Good Company Culture

Another important thing that workers look for in a company is a good company culture. In today's day and age, company culture is more important than ever.

Employees want to work for a company that has a good company culture. If you want to attract the best employees, then you need to make sure that your company has a good company culture.

Some of the best ways to create a good company culture include having strong values, providing employees with development opportunities and offering perks and amenities.

Advancement Opportunities

Nobody wants to work at what they perceive to be a dead-end job. If you want to hire the top tier of employees, then you need to be sure that you forge paths for advancement at your company. Make sure that your prospective hires know that there's a future at the company and that there's plenty of room for them to move up.

Steps to Make Your Company More Attractive

Knowing what workers are looking for is one thing, but actually doing something about it is another. Now, we're going to show you how you can put these benefits to work to attract high-quality talent to your organization.

Implement The Above Initiatives

The first step is to implement the above benefits that we listed.  If you want to attract the best employees, then you need to make sure that your company is offering them.

Make sure that you're offering a good work/life balance, competitive salaries and good benefits. Additionally, be sure to create a good company culture. These things will go a long way in attracting top talent.

Communicate Your Benefits

Having the benefits is great, but if you want to have success, then you also need to be able to communicate to possible employees that you have them available. If they don't know what your company has to offer, then you won't find it easy to bring them into your company.

Work With a Staffing Firm

If you need help with finding employees and communicating the benefits of working for your company, then you might want to work with a staffing firm.  Staffing firms are companies that help other businesses find employees.

They know what workers are looking for and they can help you communicate the benefits of working for your company.

Let's Recap

In this article, we've shown you what workers are looking for in a company. Workers want a company that offers a good work/life balance, competitive salaries and good benefits. Additionally, they want to work for a company that has a good company culture.

We've also given you some tips on how you can make your company more attractive to workers. Now, you have the information that you need to make your organization an attractive destination for the industry's most sought after talent!

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Tips For Hiring During A Construction Labor Shortage

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, employers around the world have struggled to deal with the recent labor shortage. In the United States, there are more jobs than workers at the moment. Unfortunately, construction companies have been hit particularly hard as employees attempt to find work-from-home positions. Nevertheless, there are ways to lure workers back into the labor force. Construction companies can use several techniques to attract workers during this difficult time. Tips will be provided below for achieving this goal.

The Stats

First, readers should learn more about the current situation. How severe has the construction labor shortage become? A recent survey conducted by Associated General Contractors of America found that 93% of companies in the construction industry had job openings they were trying to fill. 91% of companies were having difficulties trying to fill some of those positions. These companies reported that it was increasingly difficult to hire members of the craft workforce that is responsible for more on-site construction duties. 77% of employers claimed that applicants lacked the skills to hold the job or they were unable to take a drug test. Surprisingly, the sector has an unemployment rate of 3.5% so the construction labor market is extremely tight. Expanding The Options Since it has become difficult to hire conventional construction workers, employers should expand their options. Typically, most construction jobs are held by men. That is quickly changing now that the labor shortage is in full effect. Many construction companies are starting to hire women. Doing so opens doors to a wealth of new possibilities. Hiring women is a good way to fill the gap while the labor shortage continues. Be Transparent With Benefits The company should also be transparent about its benefits. Since the labor market is so tight, employers have to prove that they have the best opportunities for workers. When applying for jobs, workers are going to be interested in their wages and the benefits they receive. Therefore, employers should be more transparent about the benefits they provide to their workers. When the company places employment ads online, it should display these benefits to lure new workers. Optimizing Pre-Hiring Process Many companies have a complex pre-hiring process that bogs everything down. If the applicant feels like they’re getting nowhere, they may decide to apply for positions elsewhere. Suffice to say, it is pertinent to simplify and speed up the pre-hiring process. Some companies have multiple interviews before hiring someone. The company can cut down on this by having one interview instead. Regardless, they should take steps to simplify this process to ensure that applicants do not give up before getting their foot in the door. Recruitment Technologies Help Finally, modern construction companies have to be savvy with technology. It can make a big difference when it comes to hiring the best employees. Using recruitment software will prove to be very beneficial. The technology will greatly enhance hiring efficiency. It can help find new workers, evaluate their resumes, and schedule interviews. Construction companies should use this technology to make sure they pull the trigger on new workers first.

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5 Top Tips for Dealing with Contractors

One of the things that people ask most often is how they should tackle the task of managing the various contractors that they need to complete their construction project. When dealing with contractors, several factors can combine to make the process go more smoothly for all involved, and we have listed five below.

Planning

Those who don’t plan their success are effectively planning for failure. However, it can be helpful to map everything out well in advance and ensure you have a clear idea in your mind of what it is that you would like the contractors to do.

Clear and well-presented ideas will find the best responses, so think about how best to organize and prepare what you want to say to the people tasked with carrying out your vision.

Communication

As with any other aspect of business, or life in general, communication is critical when dealing with contractors. Clear communication channels will reduce project friction and allow for a clearer understanding of required outcomes from all parties.

This communication may take the form of in-person meetings or video calls. In addition, once-weekly progress reports can strike the correct balance between supervising progress and micro-managing.

Utilize Technology

Many project management software solutions on the market can bring all the information together transparently. As a result, everyone can see who should be doing a particular part of the project on which day.

Discuss this with your team and figure out which solution they would collectively be most comfortable with, then go with that. It is vital to get buy-in from the contractors on this type of innovation. It will be easier to do this if you explain the advantages they will experience from participating.

Apps like Monday.com, Trello, Asana and the like are available on people’s smartphones and can take the strain out of coordinating workflows across a large team. For example, management can assign tasks to each team member for a particular day, and you can see when the deadlines are. This level of clarity essentially allows for better planning for the whole team and improves communication.

Anticipate Problems

Don’t necessarily think the worst, but be aware that problems and delays can and very likely will happen. For example, it isn’t helpful to lose your temper with the team when things happen that are outside their control, as this may make for poor workplace relations. Hence, it is essential to take the time to get your mindset straight before you start.

Anticipate that there might be problems, but also try to anticipate some of these difficulties in advance so that you can work around and circumvent the worst of them when they happen. This anticipation can help to get the team back on track quicker than would otherwise have been possible and means that there isn’t the same kind of hit to morale.

It is important to remember that nobody wants to feel like they are doing a lousy job. However, if you can encourage them and suggest workable solutions rather than getting mad will help the project proceed at a faster pace overall.

Embrace Teamwork

The phrase “teamwork makes the dream work” may be a little overused and cliche, but it has become that way for a reason. It is crucial to embrace collaborative working and use the “softer” interpersonal skills to smooth away any difficulties. Cultivate good working relationships with the team, especially your critical points of contact, and the whole project will benefit.

Try not to verge into micromanaging as this will feel frustrating to more experienced members of your team. On the other hand, people who have worked in this field for a long time need to believe that you have confidence in their abilities to get the work done, so try to give them the space they need to thrive.

Further Information

Here at Cruitfly, we offer excellent solutions for contractors to find new talent and for individuals to discover the work opportunities they are seeking.

As the “great resignation” has become a sharp focus for businesses, there has never been a better time to look outside your networks for new talent. We are well-placed to offer temporary staffing solutions to cover skills gaps. We also provide the chance to directly hire our recruits where they prove ideal for your company.

We can place people anywhere up the chain, from entry-level to leadership positions and have high-quality candidates joining us regularly. We fill roles in new construction, communication infrastructure, commercial energy and general labor.