How to Work With a Construction Staffing Firm
Asking a construction staffing services provider for help putting together a team for a project can speed things up significantly. Before you get deeply involved with hiring construction jobs, though, you should consider a few things you can do to help the staffing company find the right candidates.
Outline All Necessary Skills
When thinking about all the skills needed for various construction jobs, it's easy to just want to ask for a person who knows it all. That isn't practical, however, and you'll need to make an itemized list for each hire. Break skills down into ones that the candidates must have from day one, ones they should be able to pick up quickly, and ones you're comfortable providing training for.
It's a good idea to talk with the folks who'll be most directly supervising the new hires. Ask them what skills are required and how likely it is that someone can pick them up soon enough to contribute to a project. Don't let supervisors off the hook by letting them overload the skills requirements list. Focus them on the must-haves versus the like-to-haves.
Evaluate Lifting Required Abilities
Some folks on job sites are going to mostly be using machines to get jobs done, but others will have to get hands-on with materials. Even if a task is mostly going to be machine-driven, it's wise to consider what happens if the equipment fails. When in doubt, always ask for a bit more lifting ability from a candidate.
Nail the Timeframe Down
When a staffing firm calls someone about a job, they want to be able to make reasonable promises. Make sure you have your timeframe nailed down as much as possible. Not only will this make life easier for the staff folks, but it's only fair to individuals who'll be hiring on for your project. Everyone can then plan around when the job will start and end.
If there are potential problems with scheduling, such as work being done in a rainy region, be upfront about those issues. People appreciate getting a straight answer about how likely the timeline is to work out.
Plan for Training
No matter how good a job the hiring team does, it's hard to touch all the bases in terms of training. Ask the company about the new hires, and have your people ready to provide training to fill in skills gaps. Set aside time for orientation and training, too.