When it comes to attracting talent, "the old standard way isn't cutting it," according to Brad Humphrey, the VP of Human Resources Operations at Pavecon.

Long gone are the days of the "now hiring" sign in the window.

"I think you're going to have to get more involved with certainly the social media stuff," said Humphrey, who added that some high schools and community colleges are exposing students to trades.

During the 2021 International Roofing Expo, Humphrey led two classes— "Managing Customer Expectations" and "Boot Camp for Field Leaders—Four Corners of Field Leadership Excellence."

These education sessions helped coach the audience on how to become more successful and build their businesses.

"I think the probably the first thing is you got to make sure you're keeping you're taking care of the people you got right now," Humphrey said. "The people issue is overwhelming most contractors because we've never dealt with it like this. 

"We were already hurting for workers before COVID hit," he continued. "COVID exacerbated it further."

It's also time to find a new generation of leaders as "20-30% of our workforce," Humphrey said, will be retiring in the next three to four years. Training the next generation is vital, he emphasized.

"We just don't have enough young blood or younger blood people coming in," Humphrey said.