Hiring quality construction workers today is a tough business. Currently, unemployment remains low at 3.6% and it is predicted the industry will need 1.7 million workers this year alone. Needless to say, construction firms are concerned about worker shortages and hiring but for federal contractors and subcontractors, those hiring concerns are taken to the next level. Not only are federal contractors facing the same worker shortages but when they do find employees, they need to make sure they’re adhering to VEVRAA and all the other government compliance requirements.
Veterans Help Fill Positions
Veterans are a highly-skilled, diverse set of individuals who have the experience and skill-set that make them highly-qualified candidates for your construction company. They are also under a protected status with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), creator of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). VEVRAA applies to companies that do business with the federal government—specifically federal contractors or subcontractors with a contract amount of $150,000 or more and 50 or more employees.
VEVRAA exists to prohibit employment discrimination against protected veterans. VEVRAA also establishes a hiring benchmark, indicating that 6.4% of the total workforce should be veterans. Protected veterans are all individuals who served on active duty in the U.S. Military and did not receive a dishonorable discharge.
Those protected under VEVRAA include:
- Disabled Veterans
- Recently separated veterans (within the last three years)
- Active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans
- Armed forces service medal veterans
Compliance with VEVRAA encompasses the hiring process and requires the documentation of all good faith recruiting efforts.
Meeting Other Types of Compliance
There are a host of other compliance regulations when you’re a federal contractor or subcontractor, including:
- AAP, EEO and OFCCP Reports
- Completing E-Verify
- Updating onboarding paperwork
- ACA compliance
- Certification management for OSHA-10, OSHA-30 and other types of certifications
The OFCCP requires that federal contractors and subcontractors adhere to these standards as it is the cost of doing business with the federal government. As the federal government typically pays more than other employers in the industry, the OFFCP wants to ensure all employees have fair access to your job opportunities. Failure to comply could end up costing your construction company fines, lost productivity and a marred reputation.
Here’s How an ATS Can Help
An Applicant Tracking System helps federal contractors and subcontractors maintain compliance along every step of the hiring process.
- Customizable for your company, it can automatically post to numerous local and national job boards to help you fill the gaps left by the industry’s shrinking labor pool.
- It automatically screens candidates so you never have to report on applications you’ll never use.
- It allows your applicants to upload their own information, putting them in charge of making sure the information is accurate (essential for reporting to the OFCCP later on).
- Maybe the best part, it updates automatically so you’ll also have the latest guidelines, ensuring a clerical error doesn’t compromise your compliance.
While these tools are invaluable for maintaining compliance, an ATS like the one we offer through our parent company, Arcoro, can also help with hiring outside the scope of federal contracts.
- Email templates and bulk messaging allow you to stay in contact with candidates, keeping them interested in the position, and follow up with past candidates when a new position opens up.
- Our simple application process means candidates never have to create a profile or remember a login.
- Mobile access means your applicants can apply on any device from any location.
- Resume parsing (automatically filling in the required forms based on uploaded resumes) means the entire application process only takes about three minutes.
- A confirmation receipt is automatically sent to applicants so they know where they stand during the entire process.
Can a federal contractor find construction workers to hire without an ATS? With varying degrees of difficulty, yes. So maybe this is a better question: Why would you want to go it alone? ExakTime’s ATS not only helps ensure compliance with the many regulations you must adhere to throughout the hiring process, but also helps you find and hire the best candidates for this project and in the future—to take your business to the next level.