Site managers: where to find candidates who already have a job

An experienced construction site manager rarely looks for a job: they are already running a team on a build. To hire one, identify the neighbouring pools (team leaders ready to step up, junior works managers, site managers from other trades), reach them outside job sites and offer them a project rather than a position.

A role where nearly everyone is employed

In France Travail's labour needs survey (BMO), 71.7% of hiring plans for works managers and non-executive site managers are rated difficult, out of about 7,100 plans. The role is small in volume and in high demand. Good candidates change company through word of mouth, rarely through an ad.

Where the candidates are

• At your direct competitors, of course, but also at firms from other trades working on the same projects.
• Among team leaders who already supervise three or four tradespeople and are waiting for a promotion that does not come.
• Among junior works managers who prefer the site to the office.
• In companies that are slowing down. When a firm loses contracts, its supervisors look elsewhere before its tradespeople do.

These profiles have one thing in common: they rarely browse job ads. They are, however, visible and reachable on social networks, local news sites and the apps they open in the evening. Advertising targeted by role and area reaches them there, alongside your job site listings.

The message that gets an employed site manager to react

1. The type of builds. Houses, apartment blocks, offices, refurbishment, civil works: this is what makes the role attractive or not.
2. The team. How many tradespeople, how much autonomy, which subcontractors.
3. The resources. Vehicle, tracking tools, support from a works manager, site budget.
4. Pay and progression. Real pay range, end-of-project bonuses, a path to works manager.
5. Distance. How far the sites are from home, often the deciding factor.

A short text that answers these five points does more than a one-page job description.

Screening without scaring them off

An employed site manager has no time for a four-stage process. Offer a twenty-minute first call, then a meeting on a live site with the works manager. Along the way, check:

• the size of the teams they have managed and the builds they have delivered;
• their command of schedules, safety and handovers;
• how they work with subcontractors and the project management team.

Metrics to track

• The share of employed candidates among applications: it shows whether advertising reaches the right audience.
• The number of phone calls turned into site visits.
• Total time from first contact to offer: aim for under three weeks.
• Offer acceptance rate, which reveals any pay gap with the local market.

Common mistakes

• Copying an internal job description that makes no sense to an outsider.
• Hiding pay: an employed candidate compares this first.
• Leaving long gaps between meetings. Their current employer will make a counter-offer.
• Searching only for the exact title. A solid team leader stepping up is often more loyal.

Going further

Our page on hiring tradespeople and supervisors in construction details targeting by trade. The article on strategies to attract passive candidates covers how to talk to someone who is not looking. For an example of a campaign aimed at building profiles, see the Saretec case study: 184 relevant applications in under two months.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a site manager and a works manager?

The site manager runs execution on site with the teams. The works manager oversees several sites, the budget and the client relationship.

Is a specific degree required?

Often a two-year technical degree, or a tradesperson who became a team leader. Supervision experience on comparable builds matters more than the diploma.