The Future of Hiring and Challenges of HR Directors in Construction

Sustainability and Green Building

Construction companies in the sustainability and green building sector are seeing increased demand. As demand for companies grows, though, organizations must be able to keep up with it, and that often means hiring talent that has a sustainability or green background to support the organization’s objectives. But, how do you do that in today’s challenging hiring market?

The Increasing Importance of Sustainability and Green Building

Consumers and commercial organizations continue to push for the inclusion of more green-focused strategies within their projects. That could be energy-saving components or using green materials that are eco-friendly. That’s forced many construction companies to realign their goals to meet this demand. A recent study completed by SAP found that 47% of executives in the engineering and construction industries are putting sustainability at the top of their to-do list, with a strong focus on the design phase. It’s not a bad thing when it comes to making moves to protect

the environment, but it does require a new focus on the skills that typical construction industry workers lack.

Recruitment Efforts Must Shift to Meet This New Demand

The construction industry is always in flex, and hiring continues to be one of the core components of a company’s success. Yet, the new demand for green building and sustainability means companies need to look for highly skilled, even specialized, individuals who can meet these new needs.

HR directors in construction will need to look for professionals who have education, training, and experience in areas such as:

• LEED certification

• Sustainability building practices skills from experience • Green training programs completion

• Working with low-carbon building materials

• Waste management and minimization skills

• Energy modeling and analysis at the design level

Finding talent with these skills isn’t always easy, though many colleges and trade programs are incorporating more of these topics into the day-to-day curriculum. It will take some time to reach a point where anyone coming out of school will have green certification, though.

Recruitment Efforts Must Adjust and Value Skilled Talent

For construction managers and HR directors of large firms, it may be time to reconfigure who is helping you to staff your organization.

MRINetwork shares, “It’s not just about filling positions with people who can learn on the job. Green construction and sustainability skills are in demand but also hard to find in seasoned employees. That’s why it takes a concentrated effort to narrow down the focus to ensure the best possible talent is always available.”

To do this, it may be necessary to cast a wider net when seeking talent. That may mean working with more globally-focused talent networks that can provide better reach. When working with talent organizations, it’s essential to align more of the company’s recruitment efforts with the specific areas of green certification they need, including areas such as LEED certification or green material sourcing.

Some of the most sought-after green building specialists may include:

• Sustainability specialists

• Landscape architects and designs

• Industrial designers

• Energy auditing

• Facilities management design

• Civil engineering professionals

• Chief resilience officer

• Acoustical engineers

• Financial analyst with a sustainability focus

Professionals with experience in conserving engineers, reducing pollution and waste, building recycling programs into companies, and those working in alternative energy use are valuable resources for today’s construction companies. These in-demand professionals have an intimate and highly valuable resource to offer.

“What makes these professionals so in demand is their unique and specialized knowledge of sustainability practices, but they are out there with highly specialized skills ready to support a construction company’s growth.”

Where to Find Top Talent in Today’s Limited Environment

As a new skill that is more in demand than ever, companies who are looking for construction workers, mid-level management, or company leaders with a sustainability background will need to expand to new resources and specialized recruitment providers.

MRINetwork can help with this. As a trusted resource for companies that are on the cutting edge of their industries, we work to drive skilled workers and source them from a larger audience than your local market.

We focus on finding the talent your business needs to thrive. Contact us now to learn more about the HR challenges our clients are facing and what can be done to support their success in finding the best green-skilled employees. Call MRINetwork now.