How to get more per diem welders

What if I told you that you can increase your per diem welder job applicants by three times and do it for free? This article will walk through simple ways to write better per diem welder job ads that get results. We’re going to address specifically the needs of per diem welders, but this information applies to many other traveling construction trades that are looking for per diem jobs. Per diem electricians, per diem pipe welders, per diem millwrights, per diem ironworkers – the advice in this article applies all of these traveling construction skilled trades.

With a little bit of effort, you can dramatically differentiate your jobs from the competition and attract the best per diem construction talent in the industry.

 

What’s wrong with most per diem welder job ads?

It’s always disappointing to see a per diem job with a good pay rate not get attention. How can that happen? There are a variety of reasons but one of biggest issues is the way that per diem welder job ads are typically written.

Most construction companies do not realize that they are writing job ads ineffectively. Most construction job ads do not attract the right construction skilled trade candidates. This is especially true for the per diem construction workforce that are looking for very specific information.

At Road Dog Jobs we see thousands of job ads for construction skilled trade jobs every week. We talk to job seekers every day and watch the data on the jobs that get results, and the job ads that don’t. Sometimes even great jobs that pay a high wage rate and per diem don’t get applicants because they’re written poorly. Our site is especially effective for companies looking to hire per diem welders and other traveling construction skilled trade jobs.

Each week we see data trends that show us the common elements of job ads that get results. And the comment elements of job ads that get ignored. What we have found is compelling and you should take note as your write future job ads.

This solution is free and effective and worth taking seriously. Learn these basics and see your results improve!

 

What are the key elements of an effective per diem welder job description?

Your goal should be to make your job ads easy to understand. Long winded ads that talk about your company’s history and talk about the founder just don’t work. We’re sorry to stay but if you’re looking to beat your competition at attracting top talent, it’s time to change the way you’re writing job ads.

When we break down the data, there are eleven (11) pieces of critical information that per diem construction skilled trade workers, and especially traveling welders are looking for.

The eleven (11) pieces of critical information for per diem construction skilled trade workers are:

1. Trade name / Job title. Explain, simply, what trade you’re looking for. Avoid listing several trades in the same job. One job ad should be targeting one trade at a time.
2. Job location. Where is the job happening? If you can’t or won’t disclose the town, even stating the state is helpful. We see jobs list “nationwide” as a location and we can assure you this not very effective.
3. Pay rate. If there’s one piece of critical information this is it! The per diem construction skilled trades people are looking for high wages. The main reason anybody is in the business of traveling for construction are the higher wages. So be up front about what you’re paying. Put it out there and make it easy for people to decide whether they’re willing to work for the wages you’re paying. That will save everybody time.
4. Per diem rate. This is another critical piece of information. This rate can be a way to attract a lot attention. We’ve seen high per diem rates generate a ton of applications even when the pay rate isn’t as high.
5. Per diem days paid per week. How many days a week are you paying per diem? Some jobs pay per diem for days worked and others will pay seven days a week. This information helps per diem welders make the calculation on what they can earn.
6. Work hours per week. How much overtime is the job working? Per diem welders are looking to maximize their earnings, working more hours can be very attractive.
7. Project duration. Longer projects provide certainty and can, at times, be attractive even with lower wages or per diem.
8. Project start date. When is the job starting? This information can help people who are looking to find the next job or who are looking to work back to back projects.
9. Signing bonus. In a competitive labor environment, some companies are paying sign on bonuses to attract people. Sometimes these bonuses are paid in phases as people stay for certain periods of time, for example, after six months.
10. Travel pay. Some projects will pay for travel. This can be an hourly rate, mileage reimbursement per the IRS guidelines or a lump sum payment. This payment can also be split between the beginning of the project when a per diem welder arrives and the end of the project when the welder is laid off.
11. Expense reimbursement. This is another way that companies will pay for the expenses of a per diem welder. Some companies will reimburse for hotel and meal expenses. Others will secure lodging directly and provide it to the per diem welders for free.

Construction companies should aim to address several of these items in your job ads and to make the information simple to understand. You do not need to address all eleven pieces of information to see improved results. Start with pay rates and per diem rates and go from there. You will see improvements your per diem welder applicant flow and the more of this information you can include the better your results will be.

Most conventional wisdom on writing job ads doesn’t apply to the per diem welders and other per diem construction jobs. Your goal should be to create an ad that captures attention and inspires action from the person viewing the ad.

 

What is an example of an effective per diem welder job ad?

Here is an example format of what your traveling construction job ad could look like. Fill in the blanks with the information from the needs of your own construction jobs. Notice that the information is short and to the point.

Structural Welder (per diem), $26 / $100, Hiring Now!

• Looking for Structural Welders in Tulsa, OK
• Sign on bonus of $250
• Pay rate is $26
• Per diem is $100
• Working 60 hours per week
• 12-week duration
• Job starts on Monday
• Travel pay is $100 in and $100 out
• We will cover the cost of lodging expenses
• [at this point you can put in anything you want. But only AFTER as much of the above information is given.

Admittedly this ad is over the top with sign on bonus, travel pay, per diem and lodging covered. The point was to show one way to put that information into an ad

Well written ads put you in a better position to attract per diem construction skilled trades workers. Unless you are paying above market rate for a job, (in which case you will attract boatloads of candidates) writing an effective job can be a differentiator in the results for you and your company.

 

How do per diem construction job ads work with recruiting funnels?

Construction skilled trade recruiters are in the business of building candidate funnels. The per diem construction candidate funnel starts with identifying many potential candidates at the top of the funnel. This top of funnel effort is about building awareness of your company with the construction skilled trades candidates.

You can learn more about how to build candidate funnels by downloading our free report on the five (5) mistakes construction labor recruiters are making today.

Job ads are at the bottom of the candidate funnel. This is where construction skilled trade recruiters are looking to convert qualified, available candidates into employees of your company. The whole point of the ad is to inspire action and get the right candidates to apply to your construction jobs.

The goal is to drive the same reflex that a “buy now!” sign triggers in a shopper. You want the candidate to quickly understand the offer and put their application in today.

Long winded ads with too much information do not inspire people to click the apply button.

 

Why you should think about your per diem welder job ads from the perspective of a marketer.

Job ads are a form of marketing. And marketing professionals know that ads can be written in a way that inspires action. Or they can be written in a way that candidates will ignore it and move on.

The way to look at the job your selling is to understand the value proposition that you are offering.  Sure, every per diem welder wants the highest pay rate. That is a given. Same with high per diem rates. These are the “easy buttons” in developing job ads.

Even if you are not paying the highest rates, think about what your job’s angle is? What’s the selling point? For example, there are a lot of people that only want to travel in a certain radius from their home. Maybe your job’s location is the selling feature?

Or if it’s the middle of the summer in Texas and you have a job in Alaska, you better believe you can make a strong pitch about working in cooler temperatures! Is your project long duration? That will be a big attraction to people. Maybe your project is starting next week. Urgency is a huge driver for acting.

The point is your goal is to figure out the angle that you can position your job from to inspire action. What is the thing that you want to emphasize in your job ad and help position your job as being attractive?

 

What is wrong with conventional construction skilled trade job ads?

The typical construction skilled trade job ad is too long and does not deliver the information that candidates are looking for. Think about this, would you read through your own job ads before deciding to apply? Better yet, have you ever really read through your ads?

Does anybody really think their next combo welder or millwright foreman is reading through three pages of required skills before deciding to apply or not?

No, of course they are not. Long winded job ads full of fluff and boilerplate would not attract your attention either.

So however mundane or unimportant this seems, the data shows that companies following the best practices in this article with their job ads are seeing disproportionate recruiting benefits over the competition. We see easily three to four times the job applicants for job ads that follow the recommendations in this article.

 

What are best practices for writing effective job ads?

Here are a few tips in writing job ads for traveling construction projects.

1. You do not necessarily need to cover all eleven (11) pieces of information in your job ads.
2. The more of the information you cover the higher your chances of attracting candidates will be.
3. In order of importance, pay rate, lob location, work hours per week and per diem rates will drive the highest candidate flow.
4. The information should be placed high up in the ad and very easy for people to understand.
5. Pick one or two relevant pieces of information from the list to sell your job from.
6. If you are paying a good rate, high per diem, or your job is a long duration, put that information in the job title - don’t bury your best-selling points!
7. Candidates care very little about the things that you think are important about your company; when the company was founded, or three pages of job functions. You can include all of this information but only after the 11 items are addressed!
8. Job ads that generically look for multiple trades in multiple locations and that there is no clear hiring need will not attract the right candidates. Great candidates want to go to work now, not maybe someday in the future. Write one job ad for each job or craft that you are hiring for. Be specific!

 

Conclusion on writing better per diem welder job ads.

Construction companies want to win, right? You want to attract the best talent to your company, right?  Writing effective jobs ads is an easy and free way to separate your company’s jobs from the competition. The best construction companies recruiting the skilled trades are following this advice in writing their construction job ads today.

Who knew, writing job ads is marketing? Think like a marketer and win the war for talent!