Any construction project, no matter its scope, will only be successful with the right team. It doesn’t matter if the blueprints, the approvals process and the funding are pitch perfect—if the professionals onsite aren’t right, the finished product won’t be either. However, this isn’t just about how the building gets built. It’s also about the impact the construction process and the final development have on the surrounding community.

Development brings jobs and skill-building opportunities to communities, and the accrual of these benefits is often one of the core conditions of a community’s support for a project. Given the outsize impact a large development can have on a community, it’s imperative that construction executives understand and work to support local hiring: It’s an opportunity to build a team that’s deeply familiar with the community and to tap into a wide array of incentives.

Although hiring the right local team takes work, there are key protocols contractors can follow and metrics they can track to ensure they have exactly the right local team for the next project.

KNOW THE LOCAL HIRING RULES

Every construction leader’s first step should be getting a strong grasp of a region’s local hiring requirements, which can differ across cities, counties and states. It’s crucial to liaise with the relevant public entities and government agencies that can provide details on tax incentives, contracts, public funding and other nuances—such as priority for minority- and women-owned businesses. In New York City, for example, many new developments must have a carve-out for local hiring initiatives to fuel the local economy and provide benefits to local workers.

USE TRIED-AND-TRUE TACTICS

There are a handful of tactics that contractors should always use when navigating local hiring, no matter the city or state. First, only promise what is achievable. If a contractor over-promises the number of local jobs it can provide, it will damage its relationship with the local government and its integrity with the community.

Second, be creative. Local hiring doesn’t have to mean just working with local carpenters and electricians. It can also entail permanent job opportunities once the development is built, such as eventual administrative and maintenance staff positions.

And third, invest in job training. In addition to traditional jobs, local hiring can entail apprenticeship and vocational opportunities for students and young adults in the community. This ensures the project has a long-term impact and that the community continues to benefit even after the final bricks are laid.

SET CLEAR GOALS AND TRACK KEY METRICS

Whether a local hiring initiative is successful can’t be judged by hunches or feelings. Instead, contractors need concrete, qualitative metrics about skill sets, positions, job grades, geography and more. It’s also key to set and track goals around the number of individuals placed both during and post construction. For example, contractors might determine that a positive outcome is filling 30% to 50% of eligible new jobs with residents who live within the local ZIP code. Further, you can quantify the economic benefits that local hiring provided to the community, from dollars earned to hours of training provided.

Local hiring is often the secret ingredient in a project’s success. Successful local hiring initiatives support the growth of a capable workforce and build long-term community support for the development. As contractors plan their next project, they should keep these protocols and metrics top of mind—and remember to always view the community as their strongest ally.