How to Recruit and Retain Gen Z in Construction

In less than five years, it’s projected that millions of jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). Meanwhile, the construction industry is short roughly 350,000 workers this year alone, and that deficit shows no sign of slowing. 

With so many white-collar roles on the cusp of being eliminated, and the clear need for literal boots on the ground in construction, it’s a paradox that the building industry remains so understaffed.

The New Toolbelt Generation

A promising development is the new “toolbelt generation” surfacing among Gen Zers (those born between 1997 and 2012) eager to take on work that AI can’t replace and that offers attractive wages, career stability, and upward mobility.

Three years ago, it would have seemed far-fetched that construction trades would offer more job security than software development.

Today, it's a reality, as Gen Z college grads face a higher risk of unemployment than someone who completed a trade program.

Gen Z’s initial enthusiasm proves recruiting them won’t be the issue, but retaining them is another story.

Old Industry, New Rules

Construction is an industry widely recognized for being resistant to change, primarily made up of workers from older generations conditioned to follow their own playbook.

As a result, there are several friction points to retaining Gen Z construction workers, including:

• Slower to adopt technology: Gen Z grew up with fast-paced and dynamic technology at their fingertips. They’re accustomed to frictionless, efficient lifestyles, so a field not entirely embracing these innovations will be jarring. Gen Zers will value working in an industry that invests in AI to reduce repetitive, low-value tasks and free them up to do the work they actually care about.
• Old-fashioned, strict hierarchy: Leadership primarily sustains a “tough it out” mentality about the long hours and hard labor the job requires, at least at the bottom rungs. Gen Z are the “canaries in the coal mine” who aren’t afraid to speak up when they’re not satisfied with their workplace culture. With so many unfilled trade jobs, they’ll leave for a new position before they accept old-school treatment.
• Different structures and schedules: This new generation won’t all have gone to college, an environment that typically fosters a sense of responsibility for showing up on time, maintaining a schedule, and being proactive about career growth. Recruiting them will require getting creative and meeting them where they are, while they're still in high school. Retaining them will rely on this same proactivity and patience.  

Gen Z is Ready. Are You?

Considering or attending a trade school has long carried a stigma for students as a second-best route to a career, but that attitude is changing.

Today, one in three parents are willing to bet on trade school instead of insisting on college for their children. And yet, there is little being done to inform Gen Z about the next steps on that path.

In my seven years on the board of Boys & Girls Club of America, one thing has become undeniable: millions of young people have untapped potential that our systems aren't designed to develop.

That change can start by initiating high school programs that introduce the next generation of construction labor to technology, from estimating and takeoff software at the first stage of a project to AI-enabled machinery for finishing touches. 

These tools are slowly being integrated into the building and construction realm—and the curriculum needs trade programs that are given the same standing as financial literacy or computer science classes.

In concert, encouraging older generations to rethink their leadership approach and culture will create a mutual respect between the generations that retains new workers now and in the  future.

Lastly, enabling early mentorship opportunities in the industry won't just keep kids on track, they’ll also build the leadership instincts that trade careers demand.

There is promise for future skilled workers among Gen Z who feel college isn’t their path, but are unaware of other options. It is imperative to proactively educate these young individuals on all professional paths available.

Construction’s Future Isn’t Just Blue Collar

The Toolbelt Generation is going to transform a historically slow-to-change industry into a technology-forward, efficiency-first field.

That shift will also elevate the visibility of off-site and office-based roles, positions that open the industry to more women and underrepresented groups and reshape what a construction career looks like and delivers.

Gen Z is going to play a key part in this shift, championing the vitality of both the white collar and blue collar roles, connecting the front-office worker with those pounding the nails.

The new generation is showing up ready to work. The question is whether the industry will build an environment worth staying for.