While growth in construction stalled in April, growth was back up in May. This suggests construction employment has already started to recover. With this in mind, it is important for construction firms to continue to interview and hire new talent, maintain their brand, and keep working on delivering a great candidate experience.

Growth in May

In May alone, the construction industry saw 464,000 new jobs added, which was the largest one-month increase in jobs on record that the industry has experienced. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor shows that in April, the nonresidential construction sector saw a net decrease in new jobs of 570,00, but in May there was a net increase of 237,000 new jobs. These are clear signs that growth in commercial construction has started to bounce back. The economy appears to be recovering faster than most economists predicted.

Keep Interviewing Candidates

While the impact of the coronavirus will continue be felt for some time, it is important for construction firms to keep interviewing candidates. One thing that hasn’t changed is the shortage of skilled talent. Now is the time to attract construction professionals and make smart hires. As the economy recuperates, you will need the best talent on your team if you want to make up for the losses experienced in the spring.

Maintain Your Brand

Candidates and clients alike are being more conscientious about the businesses they engage with so it is essential that construction firms do what they can to bolster their brand. While the economy works itself out, you want to work on showing customers your team can deliver a high-quality product while maintaining high health and safety standards.

Deliver a Great Candidate Experience

This year has made companies think differently about the candidate experience since many firms haven’t been able to hold in-person interviews. Whether you’re interviewing remotely or in-person, you want the recruitment process to be personable. Candidates need to feel valued and they need to feel a sense of belonging even before the job starts.

Even though April saw unprecedented changes in new job creation in construction, by May the industry had started to bounce back faster than many experts had predicted. Chances are high this growth will continue into June and July. Meanwhile, construction firms should continue to interview and hire new talent, bolster their brands, and work on creating a great candidate experience.

 

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