How to Recruit Skilled Tradesmen: Top Tips & Best Practices

Understanding the Skilled Trades Job Market

Skilled trades are hands-on jobs requiring specialized training, such as HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters, and general construction workers. 

Skilled tradesmen make up the backbone of industries like construction and HVAC. Without them, nothing gets built, installed, maintained, or repaired.

The transition to greener energy requires more skilled tradesmen like electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians to work on sustainable businesses and homes. In the USA, one million more electricians will be needed over the coming years to install solar panels and infrastructure for electric vehicle charging. 

However, it’s getting more and more difficult to find qualified workers. A lot of older tradesmen are retiring, and there aren’t enough younger people stepping up to replace them. On top of that, training takes time. You can’t just hire someone and expect them to know how to install a heat pump or HVAC system on day one. Most trade jobs require apprenticeships or certifications.

It’s never been more important to know how to recruit skilled tradesmen and retain them if you want to have enough manpower to handle the work.

Building an Effective Recruitment Strategy for Skilled Tradesmen

Relying on the post ’n’ pray method when you post a job ad doesn’t cut it anymore. You have to get strategic instead. Fortunately, there are some simple approaches you can apply that will help you recruit the tradesmen you need.

1. Getting referrals from current employees

Referrals are one of the best ways to find good hires. Think about it—your team already knows the job and what it takes to succeed. When they refer someone, it’s usually someone they trust, which saves you loads of time filtering through random applicants.

Talk to your team, let them know you value their input, and remind them how important it is to bring in the right people. You’ll be surprised how much pride they take in helping the company grow.

You can even offer incentives such as cash bonuses. You can make these tiered, maybe $200 for a successful entry-level hire who sticks around for at least six months or $500 for a senior-level hire. Alternatively, you can get creative and offer gift cards, extra vacation days, or perks like a team lunch or dinner for every successful referral. 

2. Optimizing job postings on job boards and social media

When you’re posting job ads for skilled tradespeople, LinkedIn can work for certain technical skills, but specialized job boards like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, or even niche ones for trades are usually better. Facebook and Instagram, meanwhile, let you narrow down to the right audience, such as HVAC techs in your city. 

The important thing is to get straight to the point. Talk about the job, the tools they’ll use, and what they’ll get from it. Skip the fluff and focus on what a tradesperson actually cares about.

You can also focus on company culture and perks. Highlight benefits like competitive pay, overtime opportunities, health benefits, tool allowances, and career development opportunities like training programs. 

Finish it off with a strong call to action, such as “We’re hiring! Join a team that values your skills.”

3. Collaborating with trade schools and community colleges

Start by reaching out to their career services office or the instructors who teach the trades. Trade schools and community colleges are always looking for local businesses to connect their students with real-world opportunities.

Tell them you’re looking to work with upcoming talent and are happy to offer internships, guest lectures, tutorials, or sponsored equipment. Showing you’re invested in their students' success makes a big difference.

If you’re asked to give a guest lecture, tell the students what it’s like working in the field and the kinds of projects you tackle. Be sure to make it relatable and show them there’s a good future in this work.

Job fairs are ideal for meeting people ready to enter the workforce. Set up a booth and bring along some tools and project photos. Bonus points if you bring along a recent addition to your team, as they can connect on a similar level.

4. Working with staffing and recruitment agencies

Agencies that specialize in skilled trades have access to talent pools you’d never reach on your own. They also know the demands of your industry and what you’re looking for. They’ll do a lot of the legwork for you, such as screening resumes, checking certifications, and pre-interviewing candidates. 

Even though they charge for the service, it might still be cheaper than advertising for the post, narrowing down candidates, and interviewing them. 

Evaluating Potential Candidates During the Hiring Process

After you’ve narrowed down your applicants, the next step is to make sure you’re picking the right person during the hiring process.

1. Focus on certifications and soft skills

Certifications are a must for trades. Nobody should touch electrical equipment or dangerous tools without the right credentials. 

Soft skills are just as important as technical skills. You need answers to the following questions:

• Are they reliable? 

• Do they communicate well? 

• Can they work in a team? 

• Do they adapt well to challenges?

• Do they have a willingness to learn?

• How do they handle feedback?

A good combination of technical and soft skills helps you to keep your team and projects running smoothly.

2. Streamline the hiring process

Prep is everything. Go into the interview with a structured list of questions. Keep it focused on the must-haves: technical skills, reliability, teamwork skills, and how they handle real-world problems.

Ask scenario-based questions like, “What would you do if a client suddenly changed their project requirements halfway through?” Or, “How do you handle it when a job takes longer than expected, and the customer gets frustrated?” You want to find out how they think and communicate.

You can also do on-site evaluations to measure their technical skills. Set up a small task—like wiring a basic circuit if they’re an electrician or diagnosing a problem with an HVAC system. It doesn’t have to be complicated but it’ll show you how they approach the work and follow safety protocols.

And don’t forget to be supportive. Many candidates will be nervous, especially if they’re fresh out of school. Tell them upfront that it’s less about perfection and more about seeing how they work. That will calm them.

3. Leverage technology to simplify recruitment

You don’t have to handle everything yourself these days, as there are plenty of tech tools to simplify things. Here are a few examples:

Streamlined payroll management

Handling payroll tasks can be a headache. ServiceTitan’s Contractor Payroll Software helps by making it easy to create tailored pay structures that factor in commissions, bonuses, and overtime, all in one place. There’s no need to calculate everything manually, and it ensures your team gets paid correctly and on time, which you can mention to potential recruits.

It also tracks technicians’ drive time, vendor runs, and actual working time, adding everything straight to their timesheets and syncing with the dispatch board. Back-office staff can clock in and out through the same system, so everyone is accounted for. 

Local job-seeker targeting

Direct mail is a powerful way to target local job seekers. ServiceTitan’s Direct Mail Marketing feature takes the hassle out of designing and printing direct mail and managing the data.

You can use the data you already have in ServiceTitan to build a targeted mailing list. Let’s say you’re looking for people in your area who might be interested in skilled trades jobs. Simply upload your postcard design, select your audience by specific neighborhoods or property types, and the system handles the rest.

Retaining Skilled Trades Workers for Long-Term Success

If you’ve been struggling to keep your best workers for more than a year or two, these tips might help:

1. Offering competitive pay and perks

Good pay is always the starting point. If the salary isn’t competitive, nothing else you offer will matter. You don’t have to match bigger companies dollar for dollar, but make sure it’s in the right ballpark.

To sweeten the deal, consider offering a package of perks too. Start with health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and performance-related bonuses. You might also want to offer flexible schedules, especially for tradespeople with kids. 

And, since we’re talking about skilled tradesmen and long-term retention, you might want to consider offering business equity to your top performers. 

2. Creating a positive work environment

If you want people to stick around, then they need to feel part of something bigger than simply receiving a paycheck. This starts by onboarding new staff well. Assign them a mentor and check in regularly. The aim is to create a cooperative and supportive environment.

Recognize individual and team effort, too. For example, if someone faces a major problem and solves it quickly and efficiently, saving you hours of work, then mention it at the next team meeting. 

Many employees take the attitude “if I’m not learning, I’m leaving” these days, so make sure you offer training opportunities. It’s a win-win, as it helps your employees with career development and they’ll make fewer mistakes, leading to happier customers.

3. Engaging with high school students for future recruitment

You can take an active role to fix the trades PR problem and make being an electrician or plumber something to be proud of again. The solution is to present kids with an alternative to remote working or becoming a YouTuber. 

A good way to do this is showing them what’s possible. Go into schools and show them cool stuff, like demonstrating how to turn a pile of pipes and fittings into a functioning HVAC system or letting them get hands-on with a mini soldering station.

Let them know it’s possible to earn a good salary as a tradesman, too. Show older kids (and their parents) the numbers—the earning potential, job security, and zero student debt. 

You can even offer work experience during school vacations, giving them a chance to learn new skills. Looking to the future by bringing in new blood is good for the industry.

Over to You!

When considering how to recruit skilled tradesmen, you need to first build a strategy. A good recruitment strategy includes getting employee referrals, writing good job posts and ads, and partnering with schools and staffing agencies. 

Once you’ve hired good tradespeople, the next challenge is retaining them. This means competitive pay, perks, career development, and celebrating achievements.

The secret to building a team of hard-working, loyal workers is creating a culture that values their skills. It’ll help your business run smoother by incentivizing efficient, high-quality work.

ServiceTitan is an all-in-one digital tool for service businesses like yours. It helps with dispatching, scheduling, marketing, payroll, and other tasks that normally eat up your time. You can show potential hires how ServiceTitan organizes their schedules and ensures they’re paid correctly and on time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the best way to recruit skilled tradesmen?

Start with employee referrals, as your team already knows what it takes to succeed. Optimize your job postings on specialized boards and social media, collaborate with trade schools, and consider partnering with staffing agencies to expand your reach.

Q2. Why is it so hard to find skilled tradesmen?

The skilled trades face a labor shortage due to an aging workforce and fewer young people entering the field. Many younger workers prefer remote jobs or careers requiring a college degree, often overlooking the high earning potential and job security of trades.

Q3. How can I make my job postings stand out?

Focus on what tradesmen care about: competitive pay, benefits, and career development opportunities. Keep your descriptions straightforward and highlight perks like tool allowances or flexible schedules.

Q4. What role do trade schools play in recruitment?

Trade schools are excellent for connecting with upcoming talent. Partnering with them allows you to meet students early, offer internships, and show them the potential of a career in the trades. 

Q5. How can ServiceTitan help with recruiting skilled tradesmen?

ServiceTitan’s Direct Mail Marketing feature allows you to target local job seekers with personalized campaigns. Additionally, its Contractor Payroll Software ensures employees are paid correctly and on time, which helps retain top talent.

And to make things even easier, Titan Intelligence, the suite of AI-powered features from Service Titan, can even help you generate emails. 

Q6. How can I retain skilled tradesmen once they’re hired?

It starts with competitive pay and benefits. Offer career development opportunities and a positive work environment that celebrates achievements. 

Q7. Is it worth reaching out to high school students for recruitment?

Absolutely. Engaging with high school students helps change perceptions about the trades and builds a long-term talent pipeline. Career fairs, school visits, and hands-on experiences like internships can inspire the next generation of tradespeople.

Q8. How does ServiceTitan improve payroll management for trades?

ServiceTitan automates payroll processes, tracking hours worked, including drive time and vendor runs, and syncs it with dispatch. It allows you to create tailored pay structures for commissions, bonuses, and overtime, ensuring accurate and timely payments.