5 Takeaways From the 2025 Future Workforce Conference

BuiltWorlds’ Future Workforce Conference—which took place this past March in Austin—was a chance for contractors from around the construction industry to reevaluate how they build and maintain an effective workforce for today and the future. The conference brought together a unique mix of HR and talent acquisition professionals alongside educators, leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs to discuss industry-specific challenges, strategies and solutions related to workforce management, recruitment, development, retainment, and communication.

In looking back at the content and conversations had, we wanted to share a few takeaways from the event that companies should keep in mind as they work to address the ongoing shortages in labor and skillsets plaguing the buildings and infrastructure industries.

Go Beyond a Zero-Incident Mindset

Construction inherently carries risk of injuries and incidents. Addressing that risk requires companies to go beyond adopting a zero-incident mindset to further operationalize safety, employee mental and physical wellness. As discussed during the event, part of that operationalizing includes adopting safety monitoring solutions and tools, many of which are constantly evolving and offer benefits across a variety of jobsites. The real question companies are left with is whether to buy off-the-shelf products—like those identified in the 2025 Smart Jobsites Top 50—or develop in-house systems.

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Reinforce Learning & Development

Attendees agreed that training programs can easily feel stale. Keeping things fresh is a true challenge. A dedicated and evolving learning and development strategy will provide paths to personal growth and leadership opportunities. Recommended best practices included mixing up of participants in exercises, utilizing homework and feedback to encourage and reinforce engagement, and leveraging technology solutions to support overall efforts.

Take Advantage of New Tools for Talent Acquisition

The industry’s approach to talent acquisition is rapidly advancing, particularly thanks to innovations in AI. Recruiters and recruits alike are utilizing generative AI tools to improve efficiencies on both sides of the process. The general consensus was that recruiters can leverage these new tools to streamline certain parts of the recruitment and hiring process, but that they shouldn’t replace the review of skill sets and experiences that candidates bring in; and that candidates may use these new tools to better position themselves and their resumes for review, but should only use them as a support.

There was also discussion of the power of language in job posts, with many noting that carefully and thoughtfully spelling out responsibilities, compensation and benefits was a substantial way to attract more and better talent.

Leverage Partnerships

A hot topic of conversation at this year’s Future Workforce Conference was the utilization of partnerships for learning and recruitment. High-tech computing, academic institutions and unions were among the top targets for potential partners mentioned. Attendees also agreed that understanding and further leveraging local, regional, and national initiatives to encourage candidates to enter the industry was an effective means to expand talent pools as well as available skill sets.

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Embrace Women in the Workforce

Women account for only about 11% of construction’s workforce. Ensuring the future of construction means building an industry that welcomes and embraces a larger share of female workers and leaders. At the Future Workforce Conference, we heard from a number of women from throughout the industry, who provided insight and guidance on how companies can attract and support more women in construction’s workforce. They recommended sponsorship and mentorship programs for women as well as devising internal and external outreach strategies specifically designed to attract female candidates.