It was barely dawn when I answered a panicked call from a real estate developer I work with. She was at the jobsite, scrambling because her general contractor’s superintendent had quit with no warning. Concrete was scheduled to pour in 48 hours, and a critical leadership gap threatened to derail the timeline. As the head of a construction recruiting firm, I’ve come to expect these 7 AM SOS calls. In this case, I assured her we’d find a solution and, by leveraging my network, we secured an experienced superintendent by the end of the day. That crisis was averted, but it won’t be the last. Owners and developers often find themselves in similar situations, facing urgent hiring needs that can make or break a project.

In my daily life, I see how high the stakes are for project owners when it comes to recruiting talent. The construction industry is in a tight spot: one recent analysis found around 245,000 open construction jobs nationwide in mid-2025, reflecting a significant gap between projects and people. Another report estimates that we need to hire roughly 723,000 new workers per year just to keep up with demand. Owners and developers feel this pinch directly. If your project can’t find the right superintendent, electrician, or project manager, progress grinds to a halt. Time truly is money in construction, where delays can cost businesses thousands of dollars. A bad hire doesn’t just impact your budget. It can lead to safety problems, poor work quality, or delayed project completion. That’s why recruiting can’t be treated as a side job. It’s imperative to bring the project together on time and within budget.

Unique Hiring Challenges of Construction Projects

Recruiting for construction projects comes with challenges that owners and developers uniquely appreciate. Unlike a contractor who might have a steady crew, project owners often start from scratch or rely on assembling teams for each new development. I’ve seen owners juggle financing and approvals while also trying to vet candidates for a site that hasn’t even broken ground. One developer told me bluntly that hiring felt like “a second full-time job” on top of managing the project itself. The pace of development schedules means every hire is urgent. If lease revenue or project financing hinges on a completion date, any staffing delay sends stress through the roof.

Another challenge is alignment. Owners and developers don’t just need warm bodies on site; they need people who understand the project’s broader goals. A general contractor might focus on getting the job built, but as an owner you’re also worried about long-term asset quality, safety records, and staying within pro forma budgets. In my experience, successful hires for owners are those who “get” that bigger picture. When we’re hiring a site manager, for example, we don’t just look at technical skills. It’s just as much about their mindset. We aim to find people who speak up early about budget issues, keep safety front and center, and take pride in a job done right. The crews and managers an owner brings on must be able to align construction execution with the project’s business objectives.

Building the Right Team from Day One

Through the years, I’ve developed a few core strategies to help owners and developers build winning teams. First and foremost: start early. The worst phone call I get is, “We’re starting construction next week and now we need people.” At that point, you’re already behind. I always urge clients to treat recruitment as part of the pre-construction planning. One of my long-time client partners, a senior project manager, says his first call after winning a new project is to my team to help map out the project’s org chart. He knows that sketching out which roles to fill and initiating those searches early avoids costly scrambles down the road. If you line up a Project Manager, Superintendent, Estimator, or other key players before shovels hit the ground, you can hit the schedule milestones with far more confidence.

Another critical step is defining roles clearly and realistically. Owners sometimes assume the general contractor will handle “the staffing,” but in practice there are positions you may need to hire or at least vet yourself. Do you need an internal Owner’s Representative to safeguard your interests during construction? Will you directly hire a site Quality Manager or Safety Officer to keep an independent eye on things? I’ve worked with developers who initially left all hiring to the GC, only to realize mid-project that they needed their own project engineer to manage reports and keep the contractor honest. It’s far better to identify those needs upfront. When the responsibilities of each role are clear, you can target candidates with the exact experience you require (for example, a superintendent versed in sustainable design if you’re building a LEED-certified facility).

Owners and developers also have to sell the opportunity to candidates, especially in a competitive market. Top construction talent often has their pick of jobs, so why should they join your project? I advise the leaders I work with to highlight what makes their project or company attractive. Is it an innovative project using the latest tech or building methods? Does your organization offer a pathway into future developments or a chance to be part of a marquee project in the city? Things like company culture and everyday work-life details really do matter when someone’s deciding whether to join your team. Pay attention to the work environment and the small perks that make a job feel worthwhile. Even if construction can’t be 9-to-5, I’ve seen owners offer small concessions like flexible travel schedules or allowances for days home with family, and it made a world of difference in attracting a great candidate. These human elements signal that you value your team, and word gets around in the industry.

Finally, don’t go it alone when you don’t have to. Smart owners leverage every resource to find talent. That means tapping your network, reaching out to past collaborators, and yes, often partnering with specialized recruiters. There’s no shame in asking for help. Some of the most savvy developers I know routinely engage recruiting firms (or keep a trusted recruiter on speed dial) to supplement their efforts. In one hyperscale data center project I supported, the developer faced an enormous hiring load: dozens of management and skilled trades roles had to be filled within weeks to meet an aggressive schedule. We delivered an integrated solution, bringing in seasoned project controls personnel, site supervisors, and over 70 vetted tradespeople on very short notice. The project hit its commissioning date, and the developer later told me they couldn’t have done it alone. The takeaway isn’t that you must always use outside recruiters, but rather that the best hiring strategy is proactive and well-connected. Whether through personal relationships or industry partners, cast a wide net to get the right people on board.

One List to Tape Above Your Desk

  • Are we identifying our critical hires (and recruiting for them) early enough in the project lifecycle?
  • What’s our backup plan if a key team member quits or a new project phase needs people ASAP?
  • What makes our project/company attractive to the skilled professionals we’re trying to hire?
  • Do we have a network or partner in place to quickly source talent when we hit a recruiting roadblock?

These are the questions I encourage every owner and developer to consider. I often walk through this mental checklist with my clients at the project kickoff. If you have good answers to these questions, you’re in solid shape. If not, it’s a sign to shore up your hiring plan before small problems become big ones.

In the end, hiring isn’t just another item on the to-do list for owners or developers. It’s one of the building blocks of a successful project. I’ve seen it time and time again: bringing the right people on board can completely change how a project turns out. When you take the time to plan and make smart hiring decisions early, it really pays off. Your project stays on schedule, your costs stay in line, and you spend your days steering the project rather than putting out fires due to understaffing or mis-hires. There’s a particular satisfaction I get walking onto a jobsite that my team helped staff, seeing a well-oiled crew of project managers, engineers, and tradespeople all working safely and efficiently toward the owner’s vision. Construction may be built with steel and concrete, but it’s run by people. Bringing the best people together is arguably the most important job an owner has. When you do it right, you’re not just building projects, you’re building success stories that will last long after the ribbon-cutting.