The construction industry is quickly rebounding with a need for many new, skilled workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction as an industry had a gain of 41,000 between the months of March and April in 2016, and that was comparable to the average change over a two month period for the previous year. Of course, what this means is that there’s a rapid need for skilled employees. As the industry booms, many construction workers are finding that enrolling with staffing agencies allows them to find great projects through reputable contractors with guaranteed payment.
Benefits for Contractors
General contractors still very keenly feel the quick decline the industry had a number of years ago and many are wary to put too many employees directly on their payroll. For contractors, the balance is in finding reputable construction workers who provide top level quality, are dependable, and complete projects within the scheduled time frame. Working through staffing agencies allows the company access to workers who are already vetted. The workers are hired on a temporary basis, so general contractors don’t need to worry about sick days or other benefits that a full-time employee would require. Another great benefit to using agency staffing is the lack of commitment to the employee. This gives the contractor the opportunity to work with an employee first. When a construction worker is stellar at what they do and fits in well with the company, a contractor can request that employee all the time and can even opt to hire them directly onto their payroll. It becomes a great way to vet potential new hires.
Because there is such an increase in demand for workers, agency hiring becomes an excellent resource to make sure that the jobs are filled with qualified construction workers in a short amount of time.
Benefits for Construction Workers
For construction workers, contracting through a temp agency gives them the opportunity to find seasonal work without sending out massive resumes or going through the traditional job search methods. The agency generally calls them to see if they’re available for work and the construction worker can decline if it interferes with previous commitments. This allows a skilled worker access to a regular stream of projects and often keeps them busier than if they were a permanent hire in a contracting firm.
Many construction workers find this arrangement beneficial because it gives them access to an immediate income. For those who also freelance skills, such as side projects, this type of scheduling works well because they can determine whether or not to take a temporary assignment based on their own freelance assignment schedule.
The temporary agency arrangement becomes a winning option for both construction workers and the contractors needing skilled labor in a short period of time.