What To Expect From The Construction Industry in 2019!

We may already be a quarter of the way through the new year but it is never to late to try and plan for what lies ahead. This is no different for the construction industry in 2019. However, a report released in late 2018 may, in fact, show a very minimal change in construction activity, only increasing in revenue by about $2 million from the previous year. So what does this mean?

In short, this could simply mean that while record growth within the construction industry is starting to plateau, spending and activity related to projects are most likely going to stay constant through 2019 with very minimal increases in overall spending. However, there are still some key factors that indicate a change is on the horizon. Based on past events with a similarly strong economy, this level of growth and spending is simply not sustainable over a long period of time.

Chief Economist and VP of Dodge Data & Analytics, Robert Murray, believes that a even if the construction industry sees a decrease in activity that doesn’t necessarily mean that the overall state will suffer a decline. It is his belief that overall value and spending on construction starts will achieve a “deceleration…the enhanced level of activity that has been achieved over the past several years.” In essence, the construction industry may fall back to where spending and activity was at its most profitable and sustainable over the past few years; a decline but not drastic.

However, according to Cristian deRitis, the Senior Director of Moody’s Analytics, the biggest red flag indicating an economic decline is the steady but low unemployment rate. Cristian argues that, historically, “any time unemployment hovers around 4.5%, recession comes about three years later.” And, in fact, ever since March of 2018, the unemployment rate has been steadily dropping. With this information in mind, according to Moody’s Analytics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this could mean that the economy is due for a recession next summer.

In addition, it is no surprise that the desperate demand for a skilled workforce is effecting the overall health of the construction industry. In a recent survey performed by the Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk, 81% of those surveyed said they are having a hard time filling craft positions and 56% said the same thing about salaried positions. Where a small number of contractors are attempting to sustain through the labor shortage, the overall problem is that economists agree that is a problem that isn’t going away overnight. Only time will tell how much the construction industry will be able to retain this level of productivity through a long-term labor shortage and consistent low unemployment rates. However, all signs seem to point to 2019 remaining steady and profitable.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

 

 

Trillium Staffing Recognized by 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in 2019!

Trillium Staffing is excited to announce that once again they have been recognized by West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in 2019. The awards competition provides the regional business community with the opportunity to showcase their best practices and demonstrate why they are an ideal place for employees to work. The awards are presented to organizations based on nominations and direct feedback from employees of each organization.

Continue reading

Employee Retention Should Be Your Top Priority!

Throughout 2018, the name of the game was employee retention. As the job market continues to tighten and the unemployment rate remains the lowest it has been in years, this trend is certainly continuing into the new year. As we march past the 1st quarter of 2019, companies need to continue to focus on employee retention and come to terms with how this affects their overall hiring strategy.

Continue reading

The Growing Manufacturing Skills Gap and the Myths Behind It!

As in the construction and transportation industries, the manufacturing sector is experiencing an ever increasing skills gap which is ultimately resulting in millions of jobs potentially going unfilled in the next 10+ years. What seems to be causing this growing issue and what can be done about it?

Continue reading

AI and ML to Put the Human Back in Human Resources!

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) continue to be the topic of discussion in 2019, what does this mean for the recruiting process and human resources applications? The hope is simple; that if recruiters and human resources professionals can free up their time from performing the tedious, time consuming activities associated with narrowing down and locating talent, they can focus on building and strengthening the relationships with their potential hires.

Continue reading

Top US Cities for Job Satisfaction!

In need of a change of scenery or looking to head down a new career path in 2019? While wages and location can be key factors in determining where you may end up, job satisfaction should also be taken into account. Considering the average worker spends around 30% of their lives at work, the expectation should be to at least somewhat enjoy what you do for a living.

(Pictured above – Map of All Trillium Locations)

Continue reading

New Year, New Recruitment Strategy? What To Keep In Mind!

With 2019 officially underway, the talk this time of year is new year’s resolutions, strategy updates and business improvements. While unemployment remains low and the labor shortage continues to span various industries, Recruiters and Hiring Managers need to be vigilant in keeping with the potential trends of the new year.

Touch Screen Smaller

Continue reading

How Awareness and Early Education Can Combat the Construction Labor Shortage!

It is no surprise to anyone in the skilled trades industry that we are in the middle of a very serious and real labor shortage. In fact, according to timesunion.com, 80% of US based construction companies surveyed are experiencing problems in finding qualified workers, mainly hourly skilled trades workers. Just within the state of NY, 79% of companies stated having issues locating hourly workers, according to the Associated General Contractors of America;s 2018 Workforce Survey.

Guy on site Smaller

Continue reading

So You Were Ghosted as an Employer…What To Do Now?

One of the biggest fears of any hiring Manager or Recruiter is having your new hire ghost you on their first day on the job. Unfortunately, day 1 arrives and your hopeful new employee is no where to be found, no call, no text, no email…nothing! What happens now?

Frustrated Worker

Don’t get too discouraged or be hard on yourself. Unfortunately, although this type of behavior is frowned upon and can be considered to be in poor taste, recently ghosting an employer has become a part of the hiring landscape. It all started with candidates just not showing up for interviews and has since escalated into straight up not showing up for their first day of employment. Unfortunately, this new behavior can, in fact, hurt a company’s bottom line. With the cost of recruiting continually on the rise, what can an employer do if and when this happens to them?

  • Sit back, take a breath and look over the hiring process. Was there something within your hiring process that may have deterred the candidate? Was the candidate frustrated or anxious at any point or were they strung along for too long? While it can be easy and human nature to automatically place blame on the candidate, sometimes the underlying reason could fall back on the company itself. However, in such a tight job market, keep in mind that it could have come down to something as simple as they got a better offer.
  • Don’t stop recruiting: Even if you feel like you have a candidate lined up and ready to start, you should continuously keep recruiting. It is never a bad idea to have a few candidates within an arm’s reach should you need it. Also, it is highly likely that you interviewed and screened more than just one candidate. Take a look back at your previous applicants and see if there are any worth a second look before starting the process over.
  • Simply move on: In the event that you or your company is ghosted, you may never know the true reason as to why that individual never showed up. Taking solace in this, you have to keep the hiring process moving forward. Work on any kinks in on-boarding and improve the relationships that your Recruiters are building with the candidates. It is in these relationships that candidates will begin to feel vested with your company and less likely to vanish, without a trace.

It is rather unfortunate that ghosting is infiltrating the workplace and most likely a culture shift could be to blame. However, that doesn’t mean that your company can’t arm itself to better prepare and even prevent ghosting from occurring within your organization. Make the necessary changes, updates and improvements to your hiring process to secure a prospective employee’s faith in your company and how they fit into it.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

 

Offer is Made! Your job is done, right? Wrong!

A new study conducted by CareerBuilder.com shows that over 50% of applicants continue searching for a new position even after the offer is made! In working with SilkRoad Technology and the Harris Poll, Careerbuilder surveyed 1,138 hiring Managers and 1,100 employees this past summer. The findings were quite enlightening.

stockxpertcom_id9324522_size2 (1)

Continue reading