The construction industry faces record-high labor demand and a growing skills gap. We discuss how digital solutions help construction companies attract, train, and retain top talent.
Today’s construction firms are grappling with serious challenges. The industry faces a labor shortage of over 500,000 workers heading into 2025,1 and rapid tech advances make continual upskilling essential.
But it’s no easy feat to find skilled workers, and traditional training methods often drain resources without delivering results.
Thankfully, workforce management software offers a game-changing solution—streamlining onboarding, training, and knowledge retention. Read on to learn how it can help your construction company thrive.
Current Challenges in Talent Development for Construction
More than 80% of construction executives report struggling to fill open positions.2 This challenge hits especially hard when recruiting for skilled roles, where industry expertise and technical know-how are essential.
Recent industry analysis reveals that 44% of current skill requirements in infrastructure will evolve over the next five years.3 Construction firms recognize this shift: 91% agree their employees increasingly need digital skills to succeed.4
This transformation comes as the industry also faces a demographic challenge, with 22% of construction workers now aged 55 and above—nearly double the percentage from 20 years ago.2 As experienced workers retire, they take decades of knowledge with them because there’s no system to capture and share their expertise.
In addition, construction firms struggle with outdated training systems. Safety certifications expire without warning. Paper-based documentation gets lost between job sites. And new hires waste weeks getting up to speed because training materials aren’t readily available.
Digital Onboarding for Retention
So, how can construction companies tackle these challenges? The answer lies first in the onboarding process.
With digital workforce management, your workers can instantly access the training they need, and you can track certifications and safety requirements without drowning in paperwork.Modern onboarding tools put everything in one place, too. Workers can fill out forms, complete safety training, and learn company procedures right from their mobile devices. The system tracks it automatically, too, letting you know who’s ready to work and who needs a nudge to complete their certifications.
🧠 Did You Know? Companies using Connecteam’s onboarding tools see 82% better new employee retention and 62% higher productivity among new hires.
⭐ Mini Case Study: ISG Construction, one of the world’s leading construction services companies, saw these benefits firsthand when tackling its £125 million UBS headquarters project in London. With over 3,000 workers to manage, the company knew traditional onboarding methods would create bottlenecks. So, ISG Construction switched to digital onboarding, cutting orientation time in half while improving documentation and safety compliance.
Upskilling with Innovative Training Technologies
Another solution to these challenges is through digital training platforms tailored to the construction industry.
These systems let your workers learn at their own pace, whether they’re picking up new safety protocols or mastering the latest construction tech. They can watch quick video tutorials between tasks, take certification quizzes during downtime, or brush up on procedures right before starting a new project phase.
Crucially, you can use these training platforms to upskill your construction team. You can create and distribute training materials on any topic you like, ensuring your workforce stays ahead of industry advancements.
Additionally, you can more easily capture your veteran workers’ knowledge before they retire. Record their expertise through quick videos or digital guides to build a knowledge base that helps newer team members learn from your most experienced pros.
⭐ Mini case study: Canada’s Restoration Services saw this power firsthand. Managing six locations and meeting strict insurance requirements, the company needed a rock-solid training system—and it found one in Connecteam.
With Connecteam, Canada’s Restoration Services’s teams quickly learned new procedures and began confidently handling compliance checks. Also, field workers received in-the-moment guidance through the team chat, while new staff shared images and resolved issues with experienced team members in real time.
How Digital Systems Can Help With Talent Acquisition
Digital work management platforms can also help construction companies attract talent—specifically younger talent.
Firstly, they can streamline recruitment, making it easier for candidates to onboard. This makes your company more appealing to candidates seeking a smooth hiring experience (which you can highlight in your job descriptions).
Digital platforms also align with the expectations of younger generations, offering features like mobile onboarding, on-the-go training, and real-time communication. As we’ve seen, construction companies struggle to hire from this group, with the median workforce age now at 42.
Training is an especially important draw for younger construction professionals. 86% of Gen Z and 89% of Millennials value workplaces with purpose and growth opportunities,5 and digital platforms’ training tools make providing those simple.
Lastly, a digital work management system shows that your company is keeping up with the times. This is key in attracting skilled candidates who want to work for forward-thinking employers.
Success Stories: Construction Companies Making It Work
Want more evidence of what happens when construction companies embrace modern workforce management? Let’s look at two companies that took the leap.
Rone Engineering: Connecting 200+ field workers across four offices
Full-service geotechnical engineering and environment consulting firm Rone Engineering Services manages over 1,000 construction projects annually across four offices. Its field teams were once scattered across multiple locations, making it nearly impossible to keep everyone on the same page with traditional communication methods.
Sound familiar?
The company switched to Connecteam and, suddenly, everything clicked. This new digital approach delivered:
- Faster onboarding for new hires
- Better training for all staff
- Streamlined reporting between project managers and field teams
- Better employee engagement across all locations
- Stronger company culture
- Instant updates reaching all employees simultaneously
Mattest Materials: From paper chaos to digital efficiency
Mattest Materials Testing runs labs across Ireland with teams spread between Belfast, Dublin, Cork, and various temporary sites. The company faced a common challenge: keeping all its workers trained, certified, and safe.
When it turned to Connecteam to implement digital workflows and documentation, Mattest saw incredible results. Key improvements included:
- 20% reduction in workplace accidents
- 50% time savings on scheduling tasks
- Streamlined communication between field and office teams
- Complete project visibility through centralized data
- Better safety reporting
- Clear audit trail for all safety certifications and training records
- Enhanced compliance
Transform Your Construction Team Today
Construction companies that embrace digital workforce management are seeing remarkable results. They’re attracting skilled talent, getting new hires productive sooner, and keeping valuable knowledge within their teams. Digital employee training tools are turning experienced workers into mentors, while automated systems handle the paperwork that used to eat up managers’ time.
Ready to see these benefits in your construction business? Book a free demo with Connecteam and discover how our mobile-first platform can help you build and retain stronger teams.