The skilled trades are some of the most essential professions. Carpenters, construction workers, electricians, and countless fields in between, the skilled trades are critical to our society’s overall daily functioning.
Over the last several years, the skilled trades market has been experiencing an increased labour shortage, which has only been exacerbated by the professional uncertainty that accompanied COVID-19. Skilled labour has never been in higher demand – it is imperative of the labourers that are available, to ensure they remain employable. Guaranteeing that candidates have their certifications, licenses, and credentials up to date, prepares them for any assignments that arises. This is a key factor that sets agencies apart, having clients and candidates alike vying to work with them.
Mindscope understands the pain points of staffing agencies and the tedious task of keeping track of a candidate’s essential documents. Read on to learn how we can support in this process.
Skilled Labour Certifications
The skilled trades industry is a collection of highly skilled and trained professions, many of which, require certifications and licenses to practice. In general, there are three overarching categories of trade certifications: mechanic, construction and precision production. Within those categories, there are hundreds of certifications that employers look for. In some cases, certifications are voluntary, but tradespeople with extra credentials are typically preferred due to their demonstrated level of expertise.
The upkeep of these licenses is essential for both the employee and employer. Withoutrenewinglicenses, memberships or certifications, tradespeople can be prevented from working. This puts them in a position of poor standing within the industry. Preventing tradespeople from working will only shrink the already dwindling talent pool, by using recruitment technology a recruiter is able to avoid this roadblock.
Texting Communication
One of the easiest ways for necessary updatesto slip through the cracks is through a lack of communication – or by sending communication that never gets read at all. Reminding all skilled trades candidates, when their licenses will expire is the first step in ensuring their credentials are renewed, so choosing the right method of communication is key.
Many contract and skilled trades employees don’t have desk jobs and are typically working on site, making it more effective to communicate with them via text. In fact, over 90% of texts are read within the first three minutes of them being received, compared to a relatively dismal 20% open rate for emails. If this is a candidate’s preferred way of communicating, it only makes sense to meet them where they are comfortable.
Mindscope’s Nexmo integration takes sharing information with candidates to the next level. All communication (including both texting and email) between the recruiter and candidate is recorded and stored in their candidate profile. Additionally, a recruiter can send messages directly from the Mindscope platform, directly to the candidate’s phone. Renewing credentials is easily forgotten or pushed to the bottom of a person’s to-do list, being able to communicate to candidates and reminding them in an accessible way allows the recruiter to lessen the likelihood of a documentation bottle neck when placing the candidate again.
License Expiry Tracker
Keeping track of multiple candidates with different licenses, certifications and renewal dates is a full-time job all on its own. In a competitive staffing climate, competitors are eager to snap up candidates, staying organized and efficient will keep recruiters ahead of the curve.
In the Mindscope database, users can easily search through the talent pool, finding candidates with the correct credentials for any job order. The recruiter can quickly bulk text message the candidates via text and submit them for the role, all in a few clicks. Additionally, users can set up reminders to notify both the recruiter and the candidate when licenses are about to expire. This powerful module, allows an agency to keep an efficient hiring pipeline, keeping the client and the candidate satisfied.
Want to learn more about Mindscope’s wide array of effective staffing and recruiting functionalities? Contact us to start a 7-day free trial today.
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