The Heart of Search

Culture should be the heart of search. Any decent recruiter can match resumes with job descriptions; however, a great recruiter will match candidates not only by skillset—but also by cultural fit. To do that, a recruiter must develop strong relationships with skilled construction professionals and continue to build those relationships throughout their entire careers. In our unique perspective, a recruiter should be an industry professional that understands the construction marketplace, is skilled at relationship building and works under the Career-Directed Approach™.

For Candidates

We suggest that you begin to build a relationship with a recruiter who takes a career-driven approach as early as possible. Many of the most successful people we know in the construction industry are people who began managing their careers immediately following graduation.

Be very selective in who you choose to work with. You must thoroughly vet any recruiter, no matter which firm they are calling you from. Make sure that the recruiter is truly interested in getting to know you, the culture you work best in, and your short and long term career goals.  You should select someone you trust and who will serve as a consultant to you as you grow throughout your career. Any recruiter who only calls you with one specific search on one particular day is probably not someone you want to engage with. The goal should be serving your career, not simply filling a single position.

Much of my daily job consists of checking in with professionals I have long-standing relationships with. Very few of those conversations are directly related to specific job searches. In most cases, I am calling to check in, ask how they are doing, listen, and sometimes answer questions or act as an advisor. When the time is right for someone to advance to the next step, and I encounter a great opportunity that will help them move their career forward, only then will I bring it to them.

For Employers

Working with a career-focused recruiter means that when you have a need for talent, your recruiter can quickly connect you with candidates they have been working with for many years that are likely to be a perfect fit for the job and for your company. Because they know these individuals so well, they will come to you ready to make a move and possessing the skill sets you require. This type of recruiter can give you a much more thorough overview of a candidate’s career and previous work experiences than you will get from any resume.

If you find a candidate who is managing their career properly, you are likely to find someone who can do the job well and thrive in your work environment. They are also more likely to be making a change for the right reason, which can lead to smoother integration and higher productivity on a faster timeline.

A Culture Match Benefits Everyone

Because career-directed recruiters place culture at the heart of their searches they are better able to serve the needs of candidates and employers alike. That kind of recruiter must get to know not only the professional, but also the person in order to truly understand how they define success. Through that process the recruiter learns a lot about the kind of work environment that individual will thrive in. Matching a candidate and employer by culture increases the likelihood that new hires will grow into successful team members who will contribute to the continued success of the employer.