GITNUXREPORT 2025

Hr In The Building Industry Statistics

Construction HR faces talent shortages, retention, technology, and diversity challenges.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

72% of HR personnel see automation as a way to streamline administrative tasks

Statistic 2

70% of HR teams report challenges in implementing new HR technology systems

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42% of HR professionals in the building industry cite retention as their top challenge

Statistic 4

35% of HR leaders in construction are planning to implement more flexible work arrangements

Statistic 5

40% of construction companies reported an increase in employee engagement after implementing HR tech tools

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54% of HR professionals in the building industry say that onboarding processes are a key factor in retention

Statistic 7

60% of HR managers in construction believe that improving health and safety training could reduce turnover

Statistic 8

68% of construction firms use some form of employee survey to gauge engagement

Statistic 9

33% of HR managers in the industry prioritize mental health initiatives to improve worker productivity

Statistic 10

67% of industry HR professionals believe that improving onboarding can reduce turnover significantly

Statistic 11

76% of HR managers consider employee retention as their top priority

Statistic 12

41% of HR professionals believe that better communication from leadership improved workforce morale

Statistic 13

45% of construction companies have increased focus on wellness programs for their employees

Statistic 14

66% of workers in the building industry feel that safety training programs need enhancement

Statistic 15

37% of HR teams track employee turnover rates closely to improve retention strategies

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48% of HR managers cite employee burnout as a growing concern

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58% of construction firms report difficulties in managing safety compliance across multiple sites

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65% of building industry companies report difficulties in hiring skilled labor

Statistic 19

78% of construction firms plan to increase their HR staffing in the next year

Statistic 20

52% of construction companies use digital platforms for recruiting

Statistic 21

45% of the industry's HR staff report difficulty in training new hires due to transient project schedules

Statistic 22

The average cost to replace an entry-level construction worker is approximately $3,500

Statistic 23

23% of HR leaders in the industry are actively seeking certifications for their HR staff to improve industry-specific knowledge

Statistic 24

80% of construction companies experienced a project delay due to labor shortages

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55% of HR professionals report that recruitment difficulties have led to increased use of subcontractors

Statistic 26

38% of construction firms utilize employee referral programs to boost recruitment

Statistic 27

24% of HR departments in the industry have integrated AI tools to assist in candidate screening

Statistic 28

43% of HR leaders indicate that complying with safety regulations is a primary concern in recruitment

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62% of HR managers report that lack of skilled tradespeople hampers project timelines

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29% of HR departments plan to expand their use of social media for recruitment

Statistic 31

The median age of employees in the building industry is 42 years

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39% of HR teams are actively developing strategies to attract more women into construction roles

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The average tenure of HR managers in construction is 3.5 years

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70% of HR professionals in the industry believe diversity improves project outcomes

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Only 28% of HR teams in building companies feel confident in their data analytics capabilities

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29% of construction companies have dedicated diversity and inclusion programs led by HR

Statistic 37

Only 15% of HR professionals in the building industry feel their organization effectively manages career development

Statistic 38

58% of HR departments report difficulties in managing multi-generational workforces

Statistic 39

47% of HR teams in construction are planning to increase training budgets for the upcoming year

Statistic 40

50% of building industry HR departments track diversity metrics

Statistic 41

40% of the industry’s HR budget is allocated to training and professional development

Statistic 42

54% of workers in the building industry are hourly-paid, which influences HR scheduling and payroll strategies

Statistic 43

53% of HR teams are looking to improve their onboarding process in the next 12 months

Statistic 44

49% of industry HR leaders believe that remote work options are critical for attracting younger talent

Statistic 45

54% of HR professionals in construction report that project complexity increases HR management challenges

Statistic 46

21% of construction HR teams are implementing gamification techniques for training

Statistic 47

69% of industry HR professionals believe that industry certifications boost employee morale and motivation

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Key Highlights

65% of building industry companies report difficulties in hiring skilled labor
The average tenure of HR managers in construction is 3.5 years
42% of HR professionals in the building industry cite retention as their top challenge
78% of construction firms plan to increase their HR staffing in the next year
52% of construction companies use digital platforms for recruiting
70% of HR professionals in the industry believe diversity improves project outcomes
Only 28% of HR teams in building companies feel confident in their data analytics capabilities
45% of the industry's HR staff report difficulty in training new hires due to transient project schedules
The median age of employees in the building industry is 42 years
35% of HR leaders in construction are planning to implement more flexible work arrangements
40% of construction companies reported an increase in employee engagement after implementing HR tech tools
54% of HR professionals in the building industry say that onboarding processes are a key factor in retention
29% of construction companies have dedicated diversity and inclusion programs led by HR

With nearly two-thirds of building industry companies struggling to hire skilled labor and only 28% of HR teams feeling confident in their data analytics, it’s clear that effective HR management is both more critical and more challenging than ever in the construction sector.

Digital Transformation and Technology Use

72% of HR personnel see automation as a way to streamline administrative tasks
70% of HR teams report challenges in implementing new HR technology systems

Digital Transformation and Technology Use Interpretation

Despite 72% of HR professionals recognizing automation as a key to streamlining administrative tasks, 70% still grapple with the tricky reality of implementing new HR tech—a reminder that innovation in the building industry still requires the blueprint of patience.

Employee Well-being, Burnout, and Organizational Culture

42% of HR professionals in the building industry cite retention as their top challenge
35% of HR leaders in construction are planning to implement more flexible work arrangements
40% of construction companies reported an increase in employee engagement after implementing HR tech tools
54% of HR professionals in the building industry say that onboarding processes are a key factor in retention
60% of HR managers in construction believe that improving health and safety training could reduce turnover
68% of construction firms use some form of employee survey to gauge engagement
33% of HR managers in the industry prioritize mental health initiatives to improve worker productivity
67% of industry HR professionals believe that improving onboarding can reduce turnover significantly
76% of HR managers consider employee retention as their top priority
41% of HR professionals believe that better communication from leadership improved workforce morale
45% of construction companies have increased focus on wellness programs for their employees
66% of workers in the building industry feel that safety training programs need enhancement
37% of HR teams track employee turnover rates closely to improve retention strategies
48% of HR managers cite employee burnout as a growing concern
58% of construction firms report difficulties in managing safety compliance across multiple sites

Employee Well-being, Burnout, and Organizational Culture Interpretation

With 76% of HR professionals prioritizing retention and over two-thirds harnessing surveys and onboarding to combat turnover, the building industry's HR landscape reveals a proactive pursuit of engagement—a vital blueprint for constructing a more resilient and satisfied workforce amid safety, well-being, and flexible work challenges.

Hiring, Recruitment, and Talent Acquisition Challenges

65% of building industry companies report difficulties in hiring skilled labor
78% of construction firms plan to increase their HR staffing in the next year
52% of construction companies use digital platforms for recruiting
45% of the industry's HR staff report difficulty in training new hires due to transient project schedules
The average cost to replace an entry-level construction worker is approximately $3,500
23% of HR leaders in the industry are actively seeking certifications for their HR staff to improve industry-specific knowledge
80% of construction companies experienced a project delay due to labor shortages
55% of HR professionals report that recruitment difficulties have led to increased use of subcontractors
38% of construction firms utilize employee referral programs to boost recruitment
24% of HR departments in the industry have integrated AI tools to assist in candidate screening
43% of HR leaders indicate that complying with safety regulations is a primary concern in recruitment
62% of HR managers report that lack of skilled tradespeople hampers project timelines
29% of HR departments plan to expand their use of social media for recruitment

Hiring, Recruitment, and Talent Acquisition Challenges Interpretation

Amid rising costs, digital innovation, and labor shortages pushing the industry to rely more on subcontractors and referrals, construction firms are caught in a balancing act—struggling to find and train skilled workers fast enough to prevent project delays and costly turnover, all while navigating safety compliance and harnessing new recruitment tools like AI and social media.

Workforce Demographics

The median age of employees in the building industry is 42 years
39% of HR teams are actively developing strategies to attract more women into construction roles

Workforce Demographics Interpretation

With the median worker at 42 and less than half of HR teams actively boosting female participation, the building industry faces both an aging workforce and an urgent need to diversify its talent pipeline—lest it build itself into obsolescence.

Workforce Demographics and Employee Retention

The average tenure of HR managers in construction is 3.5 years
70% of HR professionals in the industry believe diversity improves project outcomes
Only 28% of HR teams in building companies feel confident in their data analytics capabilities
29% of construction companies have dedicated diversity and inclusion programs led by HR
Only 15% of HR professionals in the building industry feel their organization effectively manages career development
58% of HR departments report difficulties in managing multi-generational workforces
47% of HR teams in construction are planning to increase training budgets for the upcoming year
50% of building industry HR departments track diversity metrics
40% of the industry’s HR budget is allocated to training and professional development
54% of workers in the building industry are hourly-paid, which influences HR scheduling and payroll strategies
53% of HR teams are looking to improve their onboarding process in the next 12 months
49% of industry HR leaders believe that remote work options are critical for attracting younger talent
54% of HR professionals in construction report that project complexity increases HR management challenges
21% of construction HR teams are implementing gamification techniques for training
69% of industry HR professionals believe that industry certifications boost employee morale and motivation

Workforce Demographics and Employee Retention Interpretation

Despite the industry's high regard for certifications and diversity's positive impact, the transient tenure and limited confidence in analytics reveal that HR in construction remains a house of cards, battling multi-generational pressures and project complexities with a toolbox still in need of a solid upgrade.