Construction companies across the United States continue to face a historic workforce challenge. For HR leaders, this tightening market means that recruiting, engaging, and retaining skilled craft workers depends on more than competitive wages.
A strategically-designed onboarding process drives engagement, accelerate productivity, improve compliance, and reduce early turnover – especially for a largely mobile and field-based workforce.
The Construction Labor Shortage Is Real and Severe
Recent industry surveys paint a clear picture of how acute labor shortages have become. According to the 2025 workforce survey by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), 92 percent of construction firms report difficulty filling qualified positions, including both craft and salaried roles.
Another industry projection estimates the construction sector needs to roughly 439,000 new workers just to meet demand.
And while construction employment continues to grow, the number of openings remains high. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 649,300 construction and extraction job openings each year through 2034, driven by both growth and replacement needs.
These shortages have real consequences, from project delays to increased costs.
Why Onboarding Matters More Than Ever
With competition for workers so intense, the employee experience from the moment a candidate accepts an offer can sway retention, productivity, and long-term engagement.
Engagement Begins Before Day One
Mobile-first onboarding isn’t a perk, but a necessity for the many workers who don’t have a desktop computer.
A majority of all applicants apply via mobile, so giving them the ability to complete forms, review expectations, and engage in the company culture before their first day sends a strong message that the organization values their time and contribution.
It also improves the odds they’ll show up on their start date, a growing trend we’re seeing across multiple industries, as they navigate the valley of uncertainty between offer acceptance and their start date.
Strong onboarding processes also are linked to measurable increases in retention, showing employees who report a positive onboarding experience are significantly more likely to stay with a company for the long term, with retention increases of 69 percent or more when onboarding is well executed.
Because finding new talent is hard enough; replacing your best people is even harder!
Faster Productivity and Better Engagement
Onboarding also has measurable impacts on productivity. Structured onboarding shows productivity improvements of 50 percent or more, helping new hires contribute value sooner.
Studies that compare formal onboarding to informal or absent programs consistently show that employees in strong onboarding environments become productive faster and are more confident in their roles. HIGH5 Strengths Test
Efficiency Gains for HR and Operations
Without a standardized onboarding experience, HR teams spend hours manually managing paperwork, compliance forms, and system entries. A mobile-enabled onboarding platform that integrates with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and HR information systems (HRIS) eliminates redundant data entry and ensures compliance with state and local requirements.
It also frees HR to focus on higher-value work like engagement and development, leading to higher retention across the company. That’s real bottom-line impact!
What This Means for Construction HR Leaders
In a labor market where skilled workers can choose among offers, the onboarding experience becomes part of the employer brand. For construction HR leaders, this means:
Adopting mobile-friendly onboarding workflows that start at offer acceptance.
kEnsuring that all compliance, payroll, and credentialing forms are completed before the first day on site.
Incorporating culture, mission, and development pathways early in the experience.
Using automation to reduce errors, compliance risks, and repetitive HR tasks.
When new hires feel informed, welcomed, and connected from the start, they are significantly more likely to stay, become productive sooner, and recommend your company as a place to work.
Making Onboarding Work For Your Construction Company
Modern onboarding is more than a checklist.
It is a strategic investment in your workforce that can deliver measurable returns in retention, productivity, and operational efficiency. For HR leaders at construction companies, the right onboarding system helps you compete not just on pay, but on experience.
We invite you to explore our platform, which provides everything you’re looking for: automated workflows, simple systems, easy integrations, and a mobile-first approach that every worker can appreciate.
