Attracting More Workers to the Construction Industry

We all know that the ongoing skilled worker shortage in the construction industry does not have one simple solution but will need to be addressed in multiple ways. A new study from Dodge Construction Network (Dodge) examines one part of that solution: attracting more people into the pipeline of potential workers. The findings reveal both a strong potential to draw more people into the industry, but also some challenges which the industry will need to address to make the industry more compelling to a larger set of potential workers.

Dodge Workforce Study 

Dodge surveyed the potential workforce for construction, including over 1,000 people from ages 14 to 44 who are students, jobseekers or people currently employed who would consider changing careers. Contractors were surveyed as well, and 263 people in leadership roles at either the project or company-level responded from general and specialty trade contracting companies. 

Good News: Construction Has the Potential to Attract Many More People to Its Ranks

Openness to Working in Construction

When presented with a standard list of careers and asked which they are actively considering working in, only 7% of the potential workforce said that they were considering a job in construction. 

Later in the survey, all the potential workforce respondents were asked to rate the likelihood that they would consider pursuing a job in construction. 

• 28% of jobseekers and those employed in other industries and 31% of students said that they were at least somewhat likely to do so. 
• Promisingly, nearly a third more said that they were neither likely nor unlikely to do so.

These findings reveal that the potential pool of workers for construction is much larger than the current number actively considering it. If only a small share of them—for instance, just 10% of those somewhat likely to pursue a career or neutral about it—were to become more interested in construction, that could significantly increase current pipeline of potential workers. 

The findings suggest that tapping that additional pool of workers is viable if the construction industry can make its positive features better known to the potential workforce, respond to their concerns and adapt where possible to meet their expectations for their careers.

Positive Perceptions of the Construction Industry

Those in the potential workforce were asked which factors they associate with a career in construction. On average, over 80% noted believe working in construction involves being part of a team and a benefit to society, over 70% associate it with good pay, and around two thirds see opportunities for career advancement. Good pay, opportunities for career advancement and being a benefit to society (especially for students) are also highly rated by the potential workforce as factors that they seek in their career choices.

Job security is also a potentially positive element. It is a top factor influencing the selection of a career, and contractors rate their satisfaction with their own job security very highly. Only a relatively small percentage of the potential workforce (about one quarter) associate poor job security with the construction industry.

Clearly, any representations of the construction industry should capitalize on these already positive perceptions.

How Construction Needs to Evolve to Attract More Workers

Create a More Positive Work Environment

Unfortunately, not all the potential workforce’s career priorities align with what they perceive that construction offers. Other top factors, such as flexible work hours and having a positive culture, are not as frequently considered part of a career in construction. 

That perception is supported by the findings from the contractors, with those who joined construction for these reasons being less satisfied with how well the industry fulfills them than most of the other 16 attributes of a good career measured in the survey. Even more concerning, when asked in an open format question about what surprised them most in their career, many contractors cited a toxic or discriminatory environment, the second most common answer.

Both factors fall under the category of a positive work environment, and this is what the construction industry needs to address to attract more workers. In fact, the top factor influencing how those who work in other industries selected their current job is work-life balance (57%), and it is more influential than their interests (50%), earning potential (47%) or personal strengths (45%). 

If construction is going to appeal to a larger share of the potential workforce, it will need to actively address the challenge of being perceived as a positive place to work. 

Address Safety Concerns Publicly 

The study revealed that contractors significantly underestimate the degree to which safety concerns reduce interest in working in construction. It ranks first in the share of the potential workforce who consider it among the biggest issues that would prevent them from seeking work in construction but eighth in the share of contractors who think it is a concern that prevents people from joining the industry.

Utilize Social Media

The second biggest concern after safety is simply not knowing enough about what a career in construction is like. The industry needs to do more to help people understand what a career in construction would be like and to promote the best parts of working in construction to its potential workforce. 

Students and jobseekers were asked about where they learn about careers in general and where they learn information about the construction industry. The biggest gaps in their responses are for two of the top sources of information in general: social media and other online sources. 

• For jobseekers, there is a 30-point gap between those who use social media to find out about career options in general (61%) and those who use it to find out about construction (31%). 
• There is nearly as big of a gap (22 points) for students in their use of online sources other than social media for information about careers (51%) versus information about construction (29%).

If the industry wants to promote its strongest aspects, create more familiarity about what a career in construction is like and counter negative perceptions, it will need to utilize online sources to do so.