The challenge for the skilled trades: finding new employees

There is a shortage of apprentices, journeymen and women, and master Tradesmen and women everywhere: The skilled labor shortage will continue to affect the skilled trades in 2023. In total, there is a shortage of more than 60,000 skilled workers. This affects almost all skilled trades - from heating construction to electrical engineering. Conversely, this means for the skilled workers: We have an applicant market. They can choose where they work.

As an employer, you can use various measures to increase the number of applications: One is positioning yourself as an attractive employer that pays for further training or offers flexible working time models. In Job for interested parties to learn about these conditions, your company must be visible. That's why good job ads are so important for the skilled trades: The fewer skilled workers there are, the better the job ads have to be. So that your business stands out from the others and you also reach the few people! 

→ Read more: How to counteract the shortage of skilled workers in the skilled crafts sector

This belongs in a good job advertisement

Due to the shortage of skilled workers, you don't have the luxury of job seekers sitting quietly in front of their computers, intensively scouring job boards. In the skilled trades, you need to attract the attention of people who already have a job but want to switch. They have less time and are more likely to look for open positions in between. That's why it's important that your job ad is clearly laid out. 

Correctly write job advertisements for your craft business
Correctly write job advertisements for your craft business

Interested parties should be able to quickly grasp: These are the benefits and opportunities they receive in your business.

Example:
You only tell about the possibility of a four-day week in the job interview? That's a great argument for your company! It should be in the job advertisement. And it should be clearly visible.

Tip:
Colorful job ads with cheeky slogans are always in vogue. But you don't have to jump on this bandwagon to attract attention. It's much more important to show yourself as you are. Whether cheeky or pragmatic. After all, you want to appeal to exactly those people who fit into your team. 

Prefer to get information from videos? Watch now:

Before you write the text ...

In Job to present your company as attractively and authentically as possible, you should answer a few questions beforehand. Only then start writing the text. This will make it more informative and clear. 

What kind of business do you run?

Is it traditional and conservative? Do you have a lot of experienced employees? Or are you more young and dynamic? What makes your company stand out? What sets it apart from other companies? 

What is the working atmosphere like?

In what mood do employees start their working days? What does the workforce like to do together? How do you deal with mistakes and successes?

Where are employees allowed to take responsibility?

Are employees allowed to manage their own projects? How much responsibility do they bear? 

What does your company offer in terms of working time organization?

Are there flexible work hours? Four-day week? Part-time opportunities? Does your craft business support young families?

What about vacation days and salary?

How many vacation days do employees receive? How high is the salary? Are there structured salary levels? 

Who are you looking for?

Determine what criteria applicants should meet and what is just the cherry on top of the cake. Criteria include: Type of training, knowledge, work experience and driver's license class.  

Where do you search?

trade businesses can find new employees in various places, such as online job boards or social networks. Tip: Publish the job ad directly on several job boards. That way you will reach more people. 

→ Get to know the 7 most important job boards for skilled crafts

The structure of a job ad: creative and informative

You have creative freedom when designing and formulating your job advertisement: Adapt it as clearly as possible to your company. Skilled employees should be able to get a realistic picture of the job and the company. 

When it comes to structure and content, we recommend that you stick to the classic, tried-and-tested structure. This ensures that you list all the important points. It also makes the job ad easier to read: interested parties will find the information they are looking for more quickly.

The structure of a job advertisement looks like this
Checklist for job ads

The structure of a job advertisement looks like this:

1This is us:
Introduce your business. Don't just mention numbers. But make it exciting and mention special features and your way of working.

What we are looking for:
Describe the open position briefly and specifically. What are the person's duties? What responsibilities does he or she have?

What we expect:
Here is space for your requirements. So: What training and professional experience does the person bring? What technical knowledge and social skills are important? Again, be specific. For example, everyone understands the word "resilient" differently. Describe what that means for the workday: Operating heavy equipment? Reacting to spontaneous shifts in deadlines?

That's what we offer:
For professionals, this is the most important part in a job ad. Keyword: applicant market. Tell what you offer the person: Advancement opportunities? Attractive salary? Flexible work hours? Assumption of the costs for the master craftsman course?

That's what we need for the application:
How should interested parties apply? Do you want to see references? Do you need a detailed cover letter or is a short e-mail sufficient? How big should the attachment be? Tell the applicants what you need.

 

Writing text for the job ad: 5 tips for the formulation

The text of a good job ad reads smoothly, crisply and lively. Even as they read it, interested parties should think, "Whoa! Sounds like a good job! I want that!" 

Here are 5 tips on how to write such texts:

1. original title:
"Employees Wanted" doesn't stand out from the crowd. Instead, choose a sympathetic or original title for your job ad. For example, start with: "Dear net builders, how about ...".

2. Short main sentences:
Formulate short main sentences. Avoid long nested sentences. Remember as a rule of thumb: A sentence that contains three commas or more is much too long. Divide it into main sentences.

3. Write actively:
Write actively so that a person is the focus. This comes across as more lively and likeable. Passive sentences quickly come across as cold. You can recognize passive by the word werden, for example. "It will be done!" is passive. "We are doing ..." is active.

4. Address directly:
Address the readership directly. This builds connection and feels more personal. For example, "We offer you 30 days of vacation. You'll work in a small, cohesive team."

5. Keep it honest:
Don't exaggerate, but present your operation honestly. The picture you paint of the company should also correspond to reality.

Observe AGG

When writing, observe the General Equal Treatment Act and formulate the texts neutrally:

Quote General Equal Treatment Act AGG

More attention thanks to creative job advertisement: 3 ideas

View calendar in the meisterwerk app
View calendar in the meisterwerk app

  1. People feel particularly emotionally addressed by pictures. Include a "This is what your day with us could look like" section in the job ad: Show the company with photos or videos. Or give an insight into concrete work tasks: Show an employee's schedule, for example from the Meisterwerk app. However, make sure that no sensitive data of the employee or the clientele can be seen! 
  2. Short interview: Let an employee get a word in edgewise and include a photo of him or her. What do you like about your job? Why do you like working for us? 
  3. Do you have strong regional roots? Write the introduction in your dialect. That will stand out. But do that only in the introduction: the rest should be in High German. So that people who don't (yet) know your dialect can also find all the information. 

In summary: What makes a good job ad in the skilled trades

A good job ad is informative, clear and eye-catching. It gives interested parties the feeling: This is a good job! The job fits me! 

A final tip:
If you share the job ad on social media: Feel free to repeat it several times. Then more people will see your call!

Efficiently complete Jobs with the Meisterwerk app

You have finally hired new skilled workers? Improve collaboration with the Meisterwerk app: Bye-bye, constant note-searching! Organise and plan so that your workforce performs at its best.

  • On the construction site, in the office or on the road: Your team always has all the important information about the job at hand.
  • A subproject is done? A deadline postponed? All stakeholders receive the updates in real-time
  • Your employees communicate quickly and comprehensibly via the app.

Shift planning in the skilled trades: how to do it clearly and efficiently + Excel template
Read article
The changing Job book: How the skilled crafts sector will be digitised in 2023
Read article
Digital report portfolio: This applies to the skilled crafts sector
Read article
Keeping track with digital report cards
Read article
Digital signature: legally secure and without scanner
Read article
Google ratings in the craft sector
Read article
Digitization in the skilled trades: advantages and hurdles at a glance
Read article
Crafters on Instagram: Here's what it gets you + 5 tips to get started
Read article
Outdoor tablets in comparison: These models are best suited for the trade
Read article
Craftsman apps in comparison
Read article
Faster, more efficient, more sustainable - the paperless office in the skilled trades sector
Read article
WhatsApp in the skilled trades: How to stay DSGVO-compliant
Read article
This is what Handwerk 4.0 means for your business: definition, examples and studies
Read article