How Do I Become a Construction Recruiter?

Construction recruiters are professionals who work in the construction industry to find the best candidates for job positions, manage job candidate information, and provide training and general employee management duties. To become a construction recruiter, it normally is essential to have an undergraduate degree in a field such as management or business administration, though an associate's degree might sometimes be a satisfactory requirement, especially if an applicant has a number of years of job experience. A person who wants to become a construction recruiter should also have at least two to three years of experience in a human resource or management position in which he or she learns about typical recruitment practices. It is valuable if this experience is in the construction industry.

Aside from interviewing job candidates and tracking application materials, construction recruiters must also communicate with managers and representatives from other departments. This normally is to ensure that they are familiar with the needs of these departments when it comes to finding applicants who can fill positions. Construction recruiters might also need to discuss financial and technical issues related to construction projects.

The level of technical understanding required of a person who would like to become a construction recruiter depends largely on the company he or she might work for and the level of engagement he or she might have in project management. In a large construction company, for example, a construction recruiter might need only deal with labor negotiations and basic interview procedures with job candidates, but he or she might not need to know about issues of building science and project budgets. Construction recruiters in smaller construction agencies, on the other hand, might work directly with project managers to set budgets and schedules. In these cases, a person who wants to become a construction recruiter might get some formal training in building science and building code and might even benefit from having firsthand construction experience.

Regardless, a person who wants to become a construction recruiter must be able to communicate professionally with employees and create respectful, appropriate work environments. Professionals in these roles tend to have some formal background in human resource management and might even belong to professional organizations where they occasionally attend seminars and classes. They must also remain familiar with labor laws and regulations regarding hours, pay, benefits, and contracts. In some areas, a person who wants to become a construction recruiter might have to earn special professional certification to be considered for a position.