Ryan Krishnan, DHG Search on the Carolinas Construction Industry

GroundBreak Carolinas is pleased to share thoughts and insights from key leaders in the construction industry from North Carolina and South Carolina.

Ryan Krishnan, a Senior Recruiter with Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, shares his thoughts on the construction industry:

What are your thoughts on the Carolinas Construction economy in 2019?
As a recruiter, we have a unique vantage point that allows us to collect small samples of data from a range of contractors across the region. The industry is still trending upward through 2019; and while there is optimism for the future, it is cautious optimism. The abundance of work and the labor shortage are likely to converge as the economy starts to temper to strike a balance. As the work starts to slow down, the labor market will start to swell again; this may be a good thing for contractors in the long-run.

What are your company’s biggest challenges?
The common chorus we hear is the “skilled labor shortage”, but there is a shortage of middle managers as well. The economic downturn 10 years ago has created a gap in talent in the 5-15 years experience window that has had a trickle-down effect. These employees now receive the most contact by recruiters, colleagues, job ads, and direct contact from companies. Subsequently, conversations about a job change have become “white noise” in the midst of this barrage.
It is important for companies to find a way to differentiate themselves from the rest in this hyper-competitive labor market.

What are your hiring plans for 2019?
DHG Search (recruiting) is one of the many services Dixon Hughes Goodman offers to our clients; and with our client’s growth in this market comes the need for our growth too! We anticipate growth of our team by 13-18% in 2019 to help meet the demand from our construction industry clients.

What change would you like to see in construction in the Carolinas?
I would like to see the industry throttle back just a bit and direct more effort toward developing its talent. The Construction industry has been on a rapid growth pace for 3-4 years now and now the talent shortage is growing with it.

Just as a car is more efficient when not operating at the red line; the industry is more sustainable when not operating at limits.

Ryan can be reached at: rkrishnan@dhgsearch.com