Hiring construction tradespeople when nobody applies

When a mason or roofer job ad gets no replies, the ad alone is rarely to blame. Most skilled tradespeople already have a site to work on. To hire them, go to them with a concrete message (pay, where the sites are, team, equipment), on the channels they use in the evening, and reply the same day.

Why nobody applies

The figures from France Travail's labour needs survey (BMO) are clear. Employers rate 79.7% of their roofer hiring plans as difficult, 74.8% for carpenters, 71.2% for skilled joinery and fit-out workers and 70.5% for skilled masons. The average across all occupations is 43.8%.

These trades do not lack people. They lack available people. A good tradesperson is approached by their network, by nearby contractors, by temp agencies. They are not necessarily reading job ads when you are hiring.

How to trigger applications

1. Write the ad the way people talk on site. Hourly rate or monthly pay, meal and travel allowances, type of work (new build, renovation, houses, apartment blocks), team size, travel radius. No list of soft skills.
2. Say what sets your company apart. Sites close to home, recent equipment, a company van, a stable team, a path to team leader: each of these counts for more than a speech on company culture.
3. Advertise where tradespeople spend time. Social networks, video and local news sites in the evening and at weekends. Advertising targeted by trade and area reaches employed tradespeople, on top of those who browse job sites.
4. Make applying simple. A phone number, a short form with no mandatory CV. Many tradespeople have no up-to-date CV, and that says nothing about their skill.
5. Call back the same day. Offer a site visit rather than an office interview. The candidate meets the team, the site manager sees the work.

How to screen a tradesperson

A CV says little about real skill. Three things say more:

• Recent sites: type of build, role held, ability to read plans unaided.
• Qualifications: trade certificates, clearances, work at height, machine licences if needed.
• Area and mobility: driving licence, vehicle, willingness to work far from home.

A paid one-day trial on site settles doubts more reliably than a second interview.

Metrics to track

• Call-back time, measured in hours rather than days.
• The share of CV-less applications that lead to a trial: if it is good, keep the form short.
• Cost per application by trade (mason, roofer, joiner), as gaps between trades are large.
• How many tradespeople are still there after three months, which shows whether the ad matched the reality of the site.

Common mistakes

• Publishing without pay. For these trades, it is the first thing people look for.
• Requiring a full CV and a cover letter.
• Calling back three days later: the tradesperson has already had two other offers.
• Hiring only at peak times. A continuous campaign, even a light one, builds a pool you can reactivate when a site starts.

Reaching building profiles outside the usual circuits

The campaign run for Saretec targeted building and construction specialists for expert roles. It doubled visits to the careers site and generated 184 relevant applications in under two months. The details are in the Saretec case study.

Our page on hiring in construction and building trades describes targeting by trade and area. For supervisors, also read our article on hiring site managers who are already employed.

Frequently asked questions

Should you use temp agencies to hire tradespeople?

Temping meets an immediate need. For a lasting role, a direct campaign lets you hire on a permanent contract without agency fees, provided you reply fast.

What pay should you show?

The real pay, bonuses and allowances included, as a range. Tradespeople compare offers on this point before anything else.