Recruitment For Construction Workers In Canada 2023/2024

Construction workers, also referred to as construction labourers, perform various tasks on construction sites. They have responsibilities such as clearing away debris, setting up scaffolding, loading and unloading construction materials, and assisting with the operation of heavy machinery.

Canada, a vast country extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Arctic Circle to the U.S. border, is the second-largest nation in the world. It encompasses a wide range of geographical features and climates. The St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes connect eastern and central Canada, forming one of the world’s major inland waterways.

The largest city in Canada is Toronto, followed by Ottawa, the capital. Other significant urban areas include Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary.

The country has established principles that strictly prohibit employment discrimination based on factors such as gender, nationality, disability, religion, race, and others.

Job Summary

Currently, there are many job vacancies available for dedicated, skilled, capable, and qualified individuals in the country who want to work as Construction Workers. However, it is important that the candidates who are chosen must show a strong ability to work well, even in stressful situations, and have exceptional skills in handling multiple tasks.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

You’ll follow established instructions in demolishing of buildings as may be required
You’ll be responsible for the assembling and application of construction materials
You’ll be responsible for the movement of materials to the construction site
You’ll be responsible for the preparation of the worksite by removing dangerous materials
You’ll be responsible for the smoothing and leveling of new concrete
You’ll adhere strictly to safety and health regulations
You’ll execute all other assigned duties

Job Skills and Requirements

High school diploma
Good organization skills
Previous experience is required
Exceptional time management skills
Good communication skills
Pay strong attention to details
Effective interpersonal skills
Good problem solving skills
Friendly an positive attitude

Interview Questions for Construction Workers

1. Tell us about the construction projects you have worked on in the last year.

Reveals more about the candidate’s recent experience and his physical ability.

2. What do you think are the key responsibilities of a construction worker?

Tests the candidate’s knowledge of what the job entails.

3. Tell us about a time when you disagreed with a team member about how to perform a certain task. How did you handle the situation?

Demonstrates the candidate’s communication skills and his ability to work in a team.

4. Have you ever been in a situation where the supervisor was unhappy with your work? What did you learn from the situation?

Reveals more about the candidate’s work ethic, attitude, performance, and skills.

5. What steps have you taken in terms of further developing your skillset?

Reveals more about the candidate’s motivation, skills, and training.

How to Find Construction Workers

Create a job post

To attract and hire dependable construction workers, write a job post that focuses on the benefits and perks you offer, company culture, and your incentive program. Be sure to highlight whatever you offer that you know is currently a major drawcard.

This may include:

Competitive salaries.
Health benefits.
Safe work environments.
Positive company culture.
Enough working hours.
Career advancement opportunities.
Skills development.
Job security.

Post a job ad to the right places.

Share your job advertisement on Craigslist and Indeed. These platforms are popular job boards that reach a large audience, and they are usually the first places construction workers go to find job opportunities.

Using social media is a fantastic way to promote your business. Instagram and Pinterest are particularly effective in attracting visitors to your website by showcasing impressive images of your projects. However, when it comes to hiring construction workers, it’s important to concentrate on Facebook and LinkedIn and make some adjustments to your strategy.

Social recruiting is about promoting your company culture, the benefits you offer, career advancement opportunities, etc. The main aim of using social media for talent acquisition is to show people all the reasons that make working for your company great.

And in so doing, the chances are good that you will start receiving more and more applications for vacancies, and that finding a good construction worker will become easier.

Here are a few ways you can use social media to attract your next skilled construction worker:

Set up social media profiles specifically for recruiting.
Post a mix of original and curated content, regularly.
Engage as often as possible with your audience by liking and sharing posts, answering questions, and helping where you can.
Use images and videos to highlight your company culture, quality of construction projects, big clients, etc.
Post Facebook job ads.
Ask your current employees to like and share your posts.

For a more active approach, Facebook and LinkedIn are particularly good tools if you want to find construction workers to hire. Both can be used to research and actively recruit experienced workers from competitors, identify potential employees working in related fields, target recent graduates and military veterans, or create relationships with trade schools and vocational colleges.

Create relationships with schools and colleges.

One of the main difficulties faced by the construction industry today is attracting young people to pursue careers in this field. There are numerous misunderstandings among the youth regarding construction as a career choice. Many mistakenly believe that construction solely involves strenuous physical labor, is dirty, and lacks technological advancements.

Moreover, they perceive construction as nothing more than a regular job and are unaware of the above-average income opportunities, prospects for career growth, skill development, and other benefits it offers. It is crucial to address these misconceptions at their origin.

To tackle this issue, many contractors are focusing on recruiting from high schools, vocational colleges, and trade schools. Recruiters invest time in cultivating strong relationships with these educational institutions, organizing job fairs, providing apprenticeship programs, and so on. By seeking referrals from guidance counsellors and teachers, it is possible to identify potential employees at an early stage.

Set up an employee referral program.

You should not hire new employees only when you have an immediate need. Hiring should be an ongoing process throughout the year. If you only hire when you’re in a desperate situation, you’ll end up with a few excellent workers and many unskilled laborers who have negative attitudes.

Conduct interviews.

Once you’ve looked through resumes, invite applicants to a short phone interview. This will help you to gauge which of those are best suited for the position.

Example of questions to ask:

What do you expect for a salary?
Why did you leave your previous employer?
What do you think are your main responsibilities as a construction worker?
Why do you want this job?
Do you work better in a team or alone?

Conduct in-person interviews.

Select the top candidates and invite them for an interview, either at the workplace or in the office. During this last interview, you can gather additional information about the applicants and determine if they are suitable for the position.

In addition to their responses to your questions, observe their punctuality for the interview, their behavior, physical strength, and fitness level, among other things.

Hire a new construction worker.

After discovering a skilled and reliable construction worker, give them a call to inform them that the job is theirs. Following the phone conversation, send them a job offer letter that clearly outlines all the details of what you are offering and what they can anticipate in the upcoming steps.

The onboarding process is a crucial and essential final stage in hiring that should not be neglected. By having a well-structured and systematic onboarding process, you can make a positive initial impression and ensure that new hires quickly get started and acclimated to their roles.