Attract Quality Electricians

The electrical construction industry will experience a severe labor shortage in the next 10 years, predicts Mike Widner, director of Strategy Construction Company, a Colorado-based electrical staffing agency.

There are many culprits contributing to today’s shortage, Widner says: “Enrollment in trade schools is down, recruiting efforts will not cover high attrition rates and young people are less likely to choose a career as an electrician,” he says. “Trade organizations are addressing the challenge in various ways,” he adds, “but efforts are probably too late and too little.”

Electrical Staffing Agencies
As it gets increasingly difficult to find good electricians, more contractors are turning to electrical staffing agencies to reduce hiring mistakes.

“The electrical industry is an ideal industry for using a staffing service,” says Phil Mussallem, president of Electrical Staffing Inc. in Indiana. “By using a qualified staffing service, contractors can save time and money, avoid administrative quagmires and many legal pitfalls.”

“We offer a tremendous time savings and the ability to bid on work that requires a sizeable workforce,” Widner agrees. “The average electrical contractor is a one-to-five person operation and the owner is normally very busy juggling job-site scheduling priorities. To grow the business, a contractor needs to possess the ability to take on more work—one of the advantages of our using our agency.”

Direct Hiring
“If you want to do the hiring, testing and screening on your own, hire a professional to do it or thoroughly train someone in human resources, as this is a highly regulated industry,” Mussallem recommends.

First, check for inconsistencies and misleading information on employment applications, Widner says. Next, call listed references to validate dates of employment, ending wages and skill level. “Qualifications are easily verified by checking the applicant’s electrical license or verifying apprenticeship status with the previous employer or school the person attended,” Widner says. 

Checking for a criminal history isn’t as straightforward, Mussallem says. “Most contractors have a reference-check policy that will not allow them to disclose any work performance issues due to legal liability issues,” he says. “It’s estimated that over 30 percent of job seekers exaggerate or outright lie on their resumes.”

Despite such obstacles, criminal-record checking is critical, Widner says. “This can reveal patterns of undesirable behavior that may indicate the person’s ability to control his temper and take orders from others,” he says. “Also, if a serious crime was committed, that would place your company at risk.”

Learn the Laws
Besides honing screening skills, experts suggest familiarizing yourself with the latest licensing and employment laws. “A licensed electrician in one state may not necessarily be considered licensed in another,” Widner notes.

Widner also suggests having an attorney specializing in employment law review application and interview questions, employee handbooks, contracts and policies. “The money spent today will prevent many headaches and lost revenue in the future,” he says.

Another tip: Know what you can and can’t ask. “If a question isn’t related to the person’s qualifications to perform the job you are hiring for, don’t ask it,” Widner adds.

Benefits
A bonus program can help lure the cream of the crop to your company. “I see hiring bonuses as an integral part of the future of our industry,” Widner says. “Training and licensing opportunities work only so far. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has experienced this problem for decades. They provide great training for four years and then find their electricians working in the private sector for a few more dollars an hour. The same thing happens to private sector electrical contractors. Convincing contractors to invest in their people must be done to maintain a skilled workforce.”

Be the Best, Attract the Best
As quality electricians become scarcer, electrical contractors must learn how to better recruit, train, develop and maintain a highly productive workforce. “Your company has to be known as the employer of choice by electricians,” Widner says. “Tailored employee recognition programs (not the predictable employee of the month award), weekend getaway packages, flexibility in work/life schedules and other performance-based incentives are a good place to begin.”

“Electrical contractors need to continuously seek innovative ways to retain their electricians, maintain a strong focus on customer service and stick to schedules to keep pace with their competition,” Widner adds.