Why “Need Them Yesterday” Recruiting Fails—and What to Do Instead
TJ Kastning
⏳🚨💼
We hear it all the time from construction leaders:
“We needed someone yesterday.”
It’s not just a figure of speech—it’s a flashing red light. A key person quits. A project kicks off ahead of schedule. Or a poor hire finally reaches the breaking point.
Whatever the cause, urgency takes over. Recruiting becomes a sprint. You post the job, call five recruiters, and hope someone shows up fast.
But here’s the hard truth:
Hiring when you’re desperate is the fastest way to end up in the same mess again.
Desperation leads to distortion 😵💫
Under pressure, good leaders make bad hiring calls. Why? Because desperation narrows your field of vision. You start making choices based on pain relief, not long-term fit.
You skip defining the role.
You ignore warning signs.
You take “good enough” when you need “mission-critical.”
Weeks later, that rushed hire is burning out—or getting walked out. Meanwhile, your team is demoralized and your project timelines are slipping.
Analogy time: It’s like pouring concrete in the rain 🌧️🛠️
You can do it.
But it’s going to crack, buckle, or cost you twice as much to fix.
Hiring, like building, requires prep, sequencing, and the right conditions. Skip those steps, and you pay for it later—in time, trust, and turnover.
Here’s how to stabilize when you’re behind 🧭
You can move fast and stay smart. Here’s how to buy yourself speed without sacrificing quality.
✅ 1. Slow down just enough to speed up
Take one focused hour to clarify:
- What does this hire need to accomplish in the first 90 days?
- What working styles or values won’t align with your team?
- Who’s involved in the interview—and what are they each assessing?
This level of clarity supercharges your recruiter, shortens your decision cycle, and filters out noise early.
✅ 2. Use structured interviews to protect against bias
When you’re stressed, it’s easy to chase charisma or gut feelings. But those don’t run jobs or manage teams.
Structured interviews force apples-to-apples comparisons and give you real insight—not just vibes.
You’ll know why you’re hiring someone—not just that they “seem solid.”
✅ 3. Use a short-term fix while you search for a long-term fit
Sometimes, the need is immediate. In that case:
- Use a trusted sub
- Bring in a short-term temp
- Shift internal resources
Buying time gives you breathing room to recruit with discipline. Better a short patch than a long-term problem.
✅ 4. Build a bench
This is where most leaders drop the ball. You solve today’s problem… but don’t prepare for tomorrow’s.
Start meeting talent even when you’re not hiring. Use a confidential talent network, or have a recruiter keep tabs on future-fit people.
Your future self will thank you.
❌ Bonus Mistake: Using a pack of recruiters thinking it’ll speed things up
“If one recruiter is good, five must be better, right?”
Wrong.
That’s like hiring five framers and telling them to build the same house—with no plans, no coordination, and no project manager. It’s chaos.
When you send your job to five contingent recruiters:
- You become the bottleneck
- They all race to be first, not best
- Candidates get mixed messages
- No one owns the outcome
You trade quality for urgency—and get neither.
✅ What to do instead: Choose one partner and go deep
Pick one recruiter or firm who understands construction, urgency, and your leadership style. Give them the context. Set expectations. Let them represent you—not just spam your job ad.
A strong recruiting partner will:
- Pre-sell your opportunity to the right talent
- Protect your time with quality over quantity
- Guide both sides through hiring and retention
- Tell you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear
The result? A hire who sticks, contributes, and grows. Not just someone who was available fast.
Ready to break the cycle? 🔁
Let’s have a quick, no-pressure conversation. Here’s what it looks like:
- Evaluate your current recruiting pain points
- Discuss how our process moves fast and keeps standards high
- Decide if we’re the right partner to reduce your hiring risk
🎯 Schedule an exploratory call here
💡 The best time to start building a smart hiring strategy was yesterday.
The second-best time? Right now.
You’ve got what it takes. Let’s build something that lasts. 👷♂️🚀
