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Most operators aren’t short on work.
They’re short on reliable workers—and even shorter on time.

The real issue isn’t effort or demand. It’s that most systems for hiring blue collar workers were never built for how the trades actually function day to day.

Why Is It Hard to Hire Tradespeople Right Now?

Hiring in the trades doesn’t happen in a clean, controlled environment.

It happens:

• Between job sites

• After hours

• While you’re managing crews, clients, and deadlines

That means hiring is usually rushed, reactive, and competing with everything else. And when operators finally sit down to hire, they’re often met with tools that slow them down instead of helping.

Common frustrations include:

• Résumés that look fine but don’t translate on-site

• Applicants who apply casually and disappear just as easily

• Job boards that charge more the longer roles stay open

• A flood of applications with no clear way to tell who’s worth calling

That’s why so many employers say they can’t find reliable workers, even when applications are technically coming in. The process creates activity—but not confidence.

Where Traditional Hiring Falls Apart in the Trades

Most hiring platforms were designed around white-collar assumptions.

They prioritize:

• Keywords and credentials

• Formal job history

• High application volume

That model might work in an office. It breaks down quickly in skilled trades hiring.

In reality, operators are trying to answer very different questions:

• Will this person show up consistently?

• Can they communicate clearly on-site?

• Do they actually have hands-on experience?

• Will they fit with the existing crew and pace of work?

Those answers rarely live on a résumé. And they’re almost impossible to judge through a generic application flow. That’s why more employers are questioning why job boards don’t work for trades in the first place.

Why Résumés Create More Guesswork, Not Less

Résumés weren’t built for trades work.

They flatten experience into bullet points and job titles, without showing how someone actually works. Two applicants can look identical on paper while performing very differently in the field.

That forces operators to guess:

• Who’s reliable

• Who’s exaggerating experience

• Who will last past the first few weeks

And when hiring is already under pressure, guessing feels like the only option—even though it leads to repeat mistakes.

What Actually Helps: Hiring Without Résumés

The operators having the most success today aren’t hiring harder.

They’re hiring with better visibility.

What works better in practice:

• Seeing applicants and hearing how they talk about their work

• Clear expectations upfront around pay, schedule, and location

• Fewer conversations, but with people who are actually aligned

• Screening for reliability and communication before interviews

This kind of skills-based hiring in the trades reduces no-shows, shortens hiring timelines, and leads to better long-term fits. It works because it mirrors how tradespeople and operators actually evaluate each other in the real world.

The Takeaway for Employers

Hiring in the trades feels broken because most tools are outdated.

They:

• Take time you don’t have

• Cost money without delivering clarity

• Force you to make decisions with incomplete information

The fix isn’t more job posts or more résumés.

It’s using tools built specifically for hiring tradespeople—tools that prioritize real experience, clear expectations, and faster, more human connection.

If you’re looking for a better way to hire trades, download the Collars app and see how trades hire.

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