A Practical Guide to Recruiting Skilled Tradespeople in the UK

Navigating the process of recruiting skilled tradespeople can be a complex task. This guide offers a practical approach, providing strategies to attract and retain the right talent for your UK business.

In this article, we will cover:

• Understanding different types of recruitment prospects: experienced workers, apprentices, and career changers.
• Making your business an attractive proposition with competitive benefits and a positive work environment.
• Choosing the right platforms to advertise your job vacancies.
• Streamlining the application process for a positive candidate experience.
• Making the final hiring decision and learning from the recruitment process.
• Let's delve into the steps of successful recruitment in the skilled trades sector.

Types of Recruitment Prospects

When recruiting for skilled trades, consider three main groups: experienced workers, apprentices, and those retraining for a career change.

Experienced Workers

These seasoned professionals offer invaluable knowledge and can work independently. However, you may find the options from this demographic to be scarce due to an ageing workforce.

• Advantage: These seasoned professionals offer invaluable knowledge and require less supervision.
• Disadvantage: In 2021, half of the UK's construction workers were over 45, many of these have now retired with the total number of workers on the decline.

Apprentices

Training apprentices gives businesses the opportunity to shape new talent. In the UK, for the 2022/23 academic year, 195,600 new apprentices started their training, making this employee stream a rich one to tap into.

• Advantage: Training apprentices gives businesses the opportunity to shape new talent, creating a strong pipeline of future skilled workers.
• Disadvantage: Apprentices require a substantial upfront investment in training and supervision

How much does it cost an employer to have an apprentice?

Apprentices under 18 or who are still in their first year of training are paid £5.28 per hour, 19-20-year-olds are paid £7.49, 21-22 year-olds £10.18, 23+ get £10.42. Employers also have access to government grants that cover up to 90% of the cost of the apprentice. This means, over 3 years, for the most expensive apprentices, it would cost a business approximately £7,500. Find out more at Gov.UK.

Applicants who are retraining

People changing careers bring a unique skill set. Although exact figures are unclear, government initiatives like the National Retraining Scheme are promoting this transition.

• Advantage: People changing careers bring life experience and a diversity of perspectives, plus a level of accountability you might not find in younger applicants
• Disadvantage: The time required for retraining these workers can be significant, and the return on investment may be uncertain.

Identifying which group to target depends on your business's needs, as each offers distinct advantages.

Make an Appealing Proposition

Attracting talent requires creating an appealing workplace. Here's a brief guide:

Competitive Pay and Benefits: Offer fair wages and benefits. Experienced workers may expect higher pay, while apprentices value fair entry-level wages and opportunities.

Flexible Work Arrangements: Work-life balance can appeal to all, particularly those retraining or changing careers.

Training and Development: Structured training attracts apprentices, while ongoing development can entice experienced tradespeople and career changers.

Respect and Recognition: Foster a positive environment where everyone feels valued. Acknowledge the skills of experienced workers and provide mentorship for apprentices.

Clear Career Pathways: Show progression opportunities. Experienced tradespeople may aim for specialist roles, while apprentices and career changers value potential advancement.

Job Security: Stability and long-term contracts can appeal to all, particularly experienced tradespeople.

Culture and Values: Align your company culture with the values of your target group. For instance, apprentices might value a focus on sustainability.

In short, tailor your proposition to the needs of your target group to improve your appeal as an employer.

Where to Advertise

Choosing the right advertising platforms is crucial to connecting with the right demographic. Here are a few places to consider:

Social Media

Platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram can help you reach a broad range of potential applicants. You can post job vacancies, share insights into your company culture, and engage with potential candidates.

Company Website

Your website is often the first place prospective employees look. Regularly updating your careers page with job vacancies and information about working at your company can be an effective way to attract talent.

Job Platforms

Sites like Indeed, Reed, and Totaljobs, as well as trade-specific platforms like Go Construct, can help you reach large audiences. These platforms allow you to list job specifications and requirements and let applicants easily apply.

Recruitment agencies

Agencies can be an effective way to find new candidates. These companies do most of the heavy lifting, finding potential candidates and passing them over to you for assessment. The problem is these can become expensive very quickly, and with no guarantee that a new hire will stay on, this can make recruiters feel like a risk.

Your Network

Utilise your professional and personal network. This can include industry connections, suppliers, customers, and even friends and family. You never know who might know your next great hire.

Word of Mouth

Encourage your existing employees to refer potential candidates. People are often more likely to trust and consider job opportunities coming from someone they know.

Job Fairs & Trade Shows

These events offer opportunities to meet prospective candidates in person. You can showcase your business, speak directly with potential applicants, and even conduct initial interviews.

The Application Process

The application process serves as a candidate's first experience with your organisation. A straightforward and thoughtful process can help attract top talent and give them a positive first impression.

Creating a Clear and Easy Application Process

An effective application process is clear, user-friendly, and sets appropriate expectations for candidates.

Begin with a detailed job description that outlines responsibilities, qualifications, and application instructions. Ensure the process is easy to understand and follow, from initial application to potential next steps.

When receiving applications, set up an automatic reply confirming receipt. This simple step reassures candidates that their application has been received and provides an estimated timeline for the next steps.

Remember, the application process is not just about screening candidates, it's also the candidates' first impression of your business. So, make it as positive and efficient as possible.

Recruitment management software can really make this step (and other parts of recruitment) so much easier. Not only can they help you create custom application questions, but they can also short-list your applicants via ATS (applicant tracking systems), set up automatic alerts, and so much more.

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Taking References

Checking references is a crucial part of the hiring process, allowing you to verify a candidate's employment history and gain insights into their skills and work ethics.

When taking references, respect the candidate's privacy - only contact references after obtaining the candidate's permission. It's best to prepare a list of questions beforehand that can help you understand the candidate's capabilities, strengths, and areas for improvement.

The Interview

The interview stage provides an opportunity to delve deeper into a candidate's qualifications and their cultural fit.

Prepare a structured set of questions that align with the job requirements and company values. Open-ended questions can encourage candidates to share their experiences and problem-solving skills.

Remember, an interview is a two-way street - it's also a chance for candidates to evaluate your company. Ensure to also answer their questions and make them feel valued.

Giving a Skilled Task Assessment

For trades roles, a practical task assessment can provide a clear picture of a candidate's skills. Ensure the task mirrors real-world challenges they'd encounter on the job.

For experienced workers, this could be a more complex task, while for apprentices, a basic task could suffice. Be clear about what you'll be assessing and give feedback afterwards, as it's a valuable learning opportunity.

In each of these stages, aim for transparency, respect, and constructive feedback, which can leave a positive impression on all applicants, regardless of the outcome.

The alternative approach

Sometimes this more formal structured approach might not be appropriate.

If you only have one candidate or they’re someone you already know and have a connection to, it might not be necessary to follow the above process.

In fact, in some instances, you should avoid a highly formal recruitment process as it may put candidates off or not match up with your company culture.

Even so, it’s still important to perform all the checks and due diligence, but you can do it in a more relaxed manner. Take the candidate on for a trial job and make sure you talk to them as you go, ask relevant questions and get a feel for them.

You’ll find out far more about someone from working with them for a few hours than you ever would in an interview. If you’re happy you can ask around to confirm if your experience matches up with what others are saying and if you’re happy go ahead and make the hire.

Making the Final Decision and Beyond

Making the final decision in the recruitment process involves ensuring the candidate is the right fit, not only for the job role but also for your company culture.

It's important to consider all aspects - their skills, experience, and references, but also their attitudes, values, and their performance during the interview and task assessment.

When you've made your decision, communicate promptly and respectfully with all candidates. For those not selected, offer constructive feedback when possible. This can help them in their future job search and leaves them with a positive impression of your company.

Once the new hire is onboard, ask for their feedback on the recruitment process. This can offer valuable insights into what worked well and what could be improved. Continually refining your recruitment process based on this feedback will help you attract and select the best tradespeople in the future.

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