How do you attract young talent to construction?

When we talk about recruiting construction staff, many people immediately think of the old hands. But even they retire at some point. More and more room is opening up for young talent in construction: people with muscle, motivation and fresh ideas. You want them! But how do you attract them?

Why focus on young talent?

Why exactly should the youngsters be your target group? There are several reasons. Starters, for example, are still full of motivation. They are often more up to date with today’s technologies (or adapt to them faster). The physical side matters too. If your team is out on the scaffolding, building roads or digging holes, a younger addition can be very attractive. Think of their better fitness, strength and faster pace of work. On top of that, young talent is still motivated to learn and grow. Don’t forget that it’s often easier to train someone up to a higher level than to find someone who already has all the knowledge and experience you’re looking for.

Young talent, however, often thinks and behaves differently from what many employers are used to. Curious how to deal with that? Then download the whitepaper “Dealing with Gen Z in the workplace”.

Download the whitepaper

Tip 1: Know who you’re looking for (but don’t chase a unicorn)

Start with a clear picture of the type of person you’re looking for in the role. If you really are looking for young construction staff, think about which diploma these people need. Maybe experience, or even just motivation, is enough, and they can learn the trade with you. The more clearly you work this out for yourself, the more smoothly your search will go.

Also be aware that there is a real shortage of construction staff, so definitely don’t set the bar too high. Everyone wants the people with the most experience for the lowest salary, but that just isn’t realistic. So accept that imperfection is fine, and that someone with plenty of motivation will go a long way if you can offer training and growth opportunities, for example.

Tip 2: Where is your target group?

Knowing who you’re looking for and creating catchy content are 2 important first steps. But if you share your ads on platforms where your target group isn’t, not much is going to happen. Construction staff (young construction staff included) are often on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. But since you’re looking for young people, you can also try TikTok as an advertising channel. TikTok is especially popular among young people. You can also make fun, spontaneous and catchy videos and post them organically on your TikTok account: that’s completely free, and if the algorithm plays along, thousands of users will see your videos.

Tip 3: Advertise with what young construction staff find interesting

It’s important to know what your target group finds interesting. Your target group really consists of two components: the people you’re looking for are interested in working in construction, and they’re young. So don’t forget to mention the following in your campaign.

Salary

To some it’s obvious, to others it seems an unnecessary addition: the salary. It’s definitely not unnecessary! If you add the salary range to a vacancy or a marketing message, you can expect a lot more response than if you don’t. In this sector, salary remains one of the main reasons people apply, so being transparent about it really gives you a head start.

Training and growth opportunities

Young construction staff are still at the start of their careers. They often want to learn and grow. Is that possible in your company? Promote it! But do be specific. The phrase “training and career opportunities” on its own won’t cut it. You only grab a young audience’s attention when you give examples of the courses they can take or the job titles they can look forward to.

(Atmosphere) images

Good photo and video material is indispensable in a recruitment campaign. Professional, clear and attractive images don’t just make you more credible as an employer; they also give candidates a good picture of their future workplace. So you want real people, materials and work in shot. Think of images that are relevant to the role and the target group. Here too: the more concrete, the better, including for young construction staff!