Tried and Tested Commercial Roofing Recruitment Strategies

Reece Whitfield, Director of The Externals Group, reveals the three best strategies for recruiting top talent in the commercial roofing sector.

Reece Whitfield, Director of The Externals Group

RECRUITING in the commercial roofing industry isn’t easy. Labour shortages, intense competition, and physical demands all make it difficult to find the right people. Often, companies rely on job postings, referrals and word of mouth, but those tactics alone aren’t as effective as they once were.

To grow a strong and reliable workforce, you need a solid recruitment strategy that not only finds people, but qualified professionals who will stay with you for the long haul.

Here are three recruitment strategies that are tried and tested in commercial roofing today.

1 – Build Relationships, Not Just Pipelines

Recruitment within the commercial roofing industry isn’t just about filling roles quickly; it’s about building relationships with skilled professionals way before you even need them.

Whether it’s roofers, foremen, estimators or project managers – the best people are rarely unemployed and waiting for a job ad. They’re already with other companies, and the businesses that hire them succeed because they’ve built trust over time. That trust doesn’t come from mass job postings or cold calling. It comes from genuine connections and ongoing communication.

Get seen in the industry by attending trade shows, safety events, or manufacturing training days. Stay engaged with roofing professionals on LinkedIn or Facebook groups. Make sure you take the time to understand people’s experiences, goals, and frustrations, even if they’re not ready to change jobs yet. When the right opportunity presents itself, they’ll think of you first because of the time you took to show interest in them as individuals, not just as potential hires for your business.

By putting a focus on relationships, you create a network of pre-qualified roofing professionals who already know you and trust your business. This helps with hiring timelines, reduces staff turnover, and improves quality because the people you bring on board already know and understand your values and expectations.

If you’re only posting job ads when you are desperate for staff, you’re too late. Change your focus from “transactional recruiting” to “relationship recruiting”. It does take more upfront time, but it also prevents significant problems later down the line. Companies that make this change not only build bigger teams, but stronger ones too.

2 – Showcase What Makes You Different

The top talented individuals in the commercial roofing industry are not short of options, so your recruitment message needs to stand out.

A lot of job descriptions sound the same, “competitive pay, great culture, steady work”. The issue is that everyone is saying it, which makes you blend in instead of standing out from the crowd. To attract quality people, you need to clearly communicate what makes your company different.

Perhaps what makes you different is how you treat your people – consistent year-round work, paid training, or promoting from within. Maybe it’s your focus on complex commercial projects, safety culture, or use of new and innovative technologies. Whatever it may be, make sure you highlight it in your job adverts, your social media and in your conversations with candidates.

Tell genuine stories and share testimonials from your team who started out as labourers and moved into management. Post short videos showing your team on-site explaining why they enjoy working for you. People are drawn to authenticity. They want to see and hear real stories, from real people, not generic corporate messaging.

You attract professionals who share and value your vision when your brand stands out from the rest. Having that connection means higher retention, stronger performance and will naturally attract talent. Over time, you will notice that you’re no longer chasing candidates – they’re coming to you instead.

If you have trouble explaining clearly what makes your company worth joining, you’ll always miss out to those who can. Take the time to define your ‘why’, the reason someone would want to work with you as opposed to a local competitor. Recruitment marketing isn’t just about jobs – it’s about telling stories.

3 – Don’t Just Recruit, Retain

Retention is by far the most effective recruitment strategy in commercial roofing. Keeping good people reduces the need to constantly find new ones.

Recruitment doesn’t end when someone joins your team, that’s when it truly begins. The industry is known for its high turnover, more often than not because new hires feel undervalued, underpaid, or overworked. If your company develops the reputation of being a revolving door, word spreads quickly, and not in a positive way.

You need to focus on what makes people want to stay. Provide clarity on things like advancement, skill development, and leadership opportunities. Offer consistent work and clear pay structures. When your team gives you feedback, listen to it and act on it. Simple gestures like recognising hard work or providing opportunities for input can make a big difference.

By keeping your current team engaged and loyal, they will become your best recruitment tool. Word of mouth referrals from trusted employees often lead to the best recruits – people who fit your culture and understand the line of work. It’s not just cost-effective, but it also builds team morale and unity within your company.

Too many roofing companies spend heavily on advertising and recruitment agencies while neglecting retention. The cost of losing a good project manager or estimator often far exceeds the cost of keeping them satisfied. Invest in your people and they’ll help you recruit the next wave of quality talent.

The Bottom Line

Recruitment within the commercial roofing industry is changing. Job boards and quick hires can still have a place with immediate needs, but the companies that are consistently attracting top talent do things differently.

They put effort into building relationships, not just databases. They stand out by communicating who they are and what matters to them. Most importantly, they retain their people by creating a cycle where good employees bring in more good employees.

These three strategies aren’t complicated; they’re practical, proven, and more importantly, human. In an industry based on hard work and trust, recruitment isn’t about buzzwords or gimmicks. It’s about people and how you treat them, how you communicate with them, and how you make them feel part of something larger.

When you get that right, recruitment is no longer a constant headache, it becomes a natural part of your company’s growth and success.

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