Anthony Cafagna: How to attract Gen Z to jobs in the plumbing industry

It’s no secret that there is a major shortage of skilled workers in the plumbing industry right now. According to one report, the booming real estate market, combined with piqued interest among homeowners in renovation projects during the pandemic, substantially increased customer demand for home services that isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Although there are plenty of job opportunities for plumbers and apprentices who want to get paid to learn essential job skills, not enough young people from Generation Z are interested in pursuing this type of career path to keep up with market demands. So what can plumbing companies do differently to seize this opportunity and attract more Gen Z workers? Keep reading to find out.

Re-optimize your career page and job postings

Gen Z job seekers want to easily find information about open job postings and quickly submit their applications. This generation was raised to embrace and rely on digital conveniences such as cell phones, social media and instant Google results to answer their most pressing questions. As a result, the average Gen Z job seeker will quickly navigate away from a career page or job listing if it is poorly optimized or looks like the “candidate experience” isn't a priority for the company.

Plumbing companies need to call attention to the different ways they cultivate a positive experience for the talent they are trying to recruit. Business owners should view their career pages and job postings as an opportunity to get the candidate excited about a potential future with their company. Gen Zers take pride in being independent and open-minded, which is why plumbing companies need to make sure these priorities are reflected in their recruitment content.

Highlight how your company enables employees to work autonomously in situations that will not only help them develop valuable career skills, but will also expose them to interesting people with diverse backgrounds. The fact that plumbers don't have to be stuck in an office all day and get to socially interact everyday is very appealing, especially if the applicant has an extroverted personality.

Recruitment content should also note the different ways that plumbing work stimulates the mind and body. Your job posting and career page should indicate that the physical demands of being a plumber can help you stay active and healthy, as well as the technical aspects of the job that will keep your mind sharp.

Disrupt industry stereotypes

Just like their millennial predecessors, Gen Z job applicants tend to have a preconceived notion of the home service industry that has been unfairly skewed by our culture's emphasis on going to college. According to Forbes, only 20% of millennials felt like they were encouraged to pursue vocational school, while only 9% of Gen Z felt they were encouraged to start their own businesses. The article also notes that half of Gen Z buys into the idea that entrepreneurs with university degrees are more likely to be successful.

Plumbing companies need to try harder to disrupt stereotypes about our industry and exhibit the many career benefits that are available if you land a job as a plumber. I was also pressured to go to college after I graduated from high school, but I eventually dropped out because I wasn't sure it was worth the investment. I initially applied for jobs at air conditioning and electrical companies, but they told me I needed to go to vocational school before I could be employed. So when I started looking into plumbing companies and found out they would offer me a job and even pay to train me, I knew right away that it was the right career path.

Plumbing companies have to overcome recruiting obstacles by showcasing stories like mine and demonstrating how the industry benefits the community, provides essential services and helps workers gain valuable skills that will help them expand their career ambitions. Like many other plumbing business owners, I started my own venture after learning the ins and outs of the occupation over the years. Even though stories like mine are common in the plumbing industry, statistics show that Gen Z does not fully grasp the range of opportunities that are available in blue-collar jobs, nor do they understand the stability and security they could have if they bypassed college for a job in the plumbing industry.

In order to disrupt industry stereotypes, plumbing companies need to put more effort into telling compelling stories that show Gen Z plumbing isn't just some unglamorous blue-collar job. Perhaps the best way to remove the stigma against blue-collar work is to advertise certification/training programs that applicants can get paid for if they want to get a foot in the door and gain some hands-on experience.

Integrate new technology into the hiring process

Generation Z has high expectations when it comes to how companies utilize technology throughout the hiring process. Gen Z applicants are looking for companies with an effective, streamlined hiring process that doesn’t drag out for weeks or frequently stall. So if your plumbing company is still using outdated recruiting methods or your career page isn’t mobile-friendly, then you need to improve the overall user experience for the candidates you are trying to attract.

Most Gen Z candidates won’t even bother submitting an application if it isn't easy to learn about the brand, find available positions and apply on the career page. Create short videos with your team that describe your core values, summarize the job descriptions of the roles you’re trying to fill and show off the employee benefits/interesting perks you offer your team.

Facilitating convenient communication channels with candidates as they go on to the next level of the hiring princess is also a crucial aspect of recruiting Gen Z. Automating communication via live chats and email subscription forms or adding a recruiter contact form will urge potential candidates to reach out to you and feel confident they will get a timely response.

There is also interview scheduling software that plumbing companies can use to cut time off the interview process. Gen Zers prefer face-to-face communication for interviews that are flexible and convenient, so plumbing companies should take note and offer video interviews in addition to in-person interviews.

Closing thoughts

To wrap this up, plumbing companies need to do more to really understand what Gen Z is looking for in prospective employers so they can cater their recruiting strategies accordingly. Although plumbing has traditionally been a low-tech trade, attracting more workers from Gen Z with technical insights should be a top priority if you want your plumbing company to be innovative and at the forefront of the industry.