Five interesting employee personas in the talent pool that recruiters can target

There were 11.3 million job openings in the United States by the end of May 2022. The construction industry is still feeling the effects of the labor shortage. To fill these positions, industry executives must understand how to recruit talent and what motivates employees to leave or stay. A new study has found five employee personas with differing workplace priorities. 

The Traditionalists

60% of workers from this group have remained in their jobs during the great resignation. The hallmarks of a traditionalist are as follows:

• They are career-oriented
• Work-life balance is a priority, but they are willing to trade off
• Motivated by: compensation, perks and career advancement
• Risk-averse and unlikely to quit without another job

Employers favor traditionalists because they are easy to recruit, and retaining them is straightforward.

The do-it-yourselfers

This type of worker tends to be around 25 to 45 years of age, self-employed or taking on non-traditional roles. Attracting them is hard because they are motivated by:

• Workplace flexibility
• Meaningful work 
• Compensation
• A desire for autonomy
• A sense of purpose

Companies will have to prove to this persona that they can offer them better working conditions than they can create for themselves.

The Caregiver

This employee persona is sitting at home actively or passively looking for work. Age ranges from 18 to 44; this group is predominantly women who are parents or caregivers. To bring them back into the labor force, some of their priorities are:

• Compensation
• Workplace flexibility
• Employee health and well-being
• Career development

Companies who want to recruit this persona might consider offering:

• Part-time options
• Four-day workweeks
• Flexible hours
• Expanded benefits packages

The Idealist

These are young people, from 18 to 24, who do not have dependents or mortgages. They value belonging to an inclusive and welcoming community. Their motivations include:

• Flexibility
• Career development
• Advancement potential
• Meaningful work
• Community
• Compensation

Companies can offer flexible schedules that accommodate classes to attract these younger workers. Development programmes with defined advancement trajectories might be another attractive perk. 

The relaxers aka “Gronks”

This group is usually retirees, those not looking for work, and those who might consider re-joining the workforce if the job is a good fit. They represent the largest segment of the latent workforce. Here are some of the characteristics of relaxers:

• They have completed their traditional careers
• Will not need more money to live comfortably
• They want more than the traditional value proposition

Companies should reach out to former employees and try to win them back with better compensation or better working conditions, with consideration of their respective employee personas. The effects of inflation have made many go back to work; this is the right time to attract different employee personas to alleviate the labor shortage.

Kaufman Search & Consulting works with leading Contractors and top-level talent throughout the country, building teams for tomorrow’s projects one perfect fit at a time. We use extensive know-how and our solid relationships with key decision makers at our client companies to elevate your executive career in construction.

AboutStephanie Kaufman

Career change is a major life decision affecting your professional fulfillment, your family´s livelihood and your employer’s success in the marketplace. Stephanie has had deep understanding of that premise in her decade-long activity as executive search expert supporting construction industry leaders. Her experience pointed to the essential aspects of a perfect professional match such as competence, personality and cultural compatibility. She has developed a portfolio of returning high profile clients and a sensitive and efficient hands-on approach to both sides of the recruitment process. She vouches for investing time in getting to know the clients and candidates on a personal level and diligently guiding them through step by step. All this comes together in a proven strategy that molds to your career and staffing needs, bringing exactly what you need and when you need it.