Keeping up with commercial construction trends helps you stay competitive, maintain an effective team, and provide you with the tools you need to grow your construction business. Here are some current construction trends that are likely to affect your hiring and workforce.

Technology Supporting Workers

While some predicted that technology would replace human workers, the reality is that technology will supplement employees not replace them. The construction industry has been slow to adopt advancing technology, but the industry has now started to catch up with the rest of the service industry. Firms have started to integrate innovative software that provides them with project management, time management, budgeting, and scheduling solutions. Construction companies have also begun to use drones to improve job site safety and to collect data. The main factor driving integration of technology is that the technology itself is becoming cheaper and more accessible. However, these developments won’t replace human employees. They will, however, make their jobs easier. Much of the technology being adopted eliminates repetitive work. Technology integration might even allow employees to have longer careers by reducing some of the physical demands of construction work.

Gen Z Entering the Workforce

Right now, the millennial generation ranges from age 23 to age 38. This means that many of the youngest professionals entering the construction workforce are from Generation Z—those who were born between 1995 and 2010. Millions of new job candidates are entering the employment market each year. This is great news for the construction industry because there is a major talent shortage, but companies need to adjust their hiring strategies to appeal to Gen Z. Gen Z members grew up in a recession. Unlike millennials, they want reliable, high-paying jobs that won’t cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition. You can appeal to Gen Z by outlining a clear path for career advancement.

Labor Shortage

Another continuing trend is that the labor force is decreasing, despite the millions of Gen Z members entering the workforce. The problem is that even more baby boomers are retiring, and they’re taking all of their skills and experience with them. Yet, unemployment is very low, and there are many of vacant positions in the construction industry. Firms need to find new ways to appeal to job candidates. With all the technological advancements coming to the industry, one strategy is to appeal to the tech-savvy job seekers. Both Generation Z and millennials grew up around technology and many of these job seekers want to work with technology.

The construction industry is rapidly changing. It’s also extremely competitive. Staying ahead of upcoming and ongoing trends will help you succeed in this industry. Technology integration, decreases in the labor force, and the rise of Gen Z are three trends that are impacting hiring and talent retention.

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