Construction can’t copy-paste solutions from other industries!

Other industries have adapted to alleviate their labor shortages by unlocking access.

• Retail is deploying robotics to access more output.

• Software is outsourcing globally to access more talent.

• Healthcare is automating admin to access more care time with patients.

But construction can’t do any of that. Craft work is highly dynamic, so robotics are a distant solution. It’s hyper-local, so it can’t be offshored. And it’s entirely manual, so there’s little admin work to automate.

The actual blocker preventing construction from unlocking access is not having construction-specific data on individual workers. Without it, there’s no way for intelligent craft hiring tools to exist. That’s why we’re stuck using a patchwork of ill-fitting solutions like job boards, unions, referrals, staffing agencies and ATS software, all of which fall short in the same three ways:

1. Workers aren’t digitized - craft workers are forced to use tools that don’t capture their skills, experience, or preferences. Only 18% even use job boards.

2. Search doesn’t work - most systems lack construction-specific filters like certifications or trade history. Many recruiters don’t know exactly what criteria to search for, even if they could.

3. The tools don’t fit - phone calls are still the primary channel for craft hiring, but most systems are built around email. This leaves craft recruiters overwhelmed and 75% of interested, qualified workers never getting a call back. 

How we unlock access to craft talent

Construction doesn’t just need more labor, it needs a purpose-built hiring infrastructure that can surface, target, and mobilize the talent we already have and do it with speed, precision, and at scale. And thanks in part to AI, that’s now possible:

1. Capturing worker data through chat - as a former skilled tradesman, I know hands are always in use. Conversational AI is letting craft workers build searchable profiles with their voice. They’re no longer typing or filling out forms, just conversing and building and maintaining data-rich profiles that best represent them.

2. Meaning-based search finally makes every worker discoverable - search that understands the intent behind a search query, not just keywords, is helping recruiters (regardless of experience level) find qualified candidates.

3. Automated outreach and call scheduling ensures every interview happens - today’s craft workers know their value and they’re no longer picking up random calls or waiting for follow-ups. AI can now handle branded cold-call outreach, real-time follow-ups, and automated rescheduling, which ensures every single interested worker can be reached and gets a response, even on nights, and weekends. 

#ScaleYourCraft

At Skillit, we’re already turning this vision into reality. In addition to building the largest database of digitized and vetted craft workers in the U.S., our AI scheduler Sam, is helping customers like Swinerton, DPR, Brasfield & Gorrie, and WB Moore scale their craft workforces.

By prompting Sam to surface best-fit candidates instantly and handle the rote work of scheduling interviews, their teams are saving significant time and effort, freeing them up to focus on what matters most: building relationships with the right workers.

And in the coming years, AI will become the primary evaluator of craft talent, shifting recruiters from gatekeepers to high-leverage auditors, all while preserving the human touch where it matters most. Imagine it functioning as a fully predictive labor engine, capable of forecasting demand, managing deployment, and preventing labor gaps before they happen.

Our labor shortage will take years to fix, but thankfully we don't need to wait for a new generation of craftworkers to come online.

We just need to more efficiently reach the ones we already have.

This is how construction solves its labor problem.

This is how America scales its craft.