Dive Brief:
- The rapid expansion of data centers across the U.S. is creating demand for electricians, pipefitters, plumbers, welders and other skilled workers, pushing contractors and other employers to rethink how they recruit, develop and retain talent, executives from Turner Construction, Clayco and DPR Construction said Wednesday during a Construction Dive virtual event.
- Employers are expanding beyond traditional pay and benefits to attract workers to large projects, particularly those in remote locations. DPR Construction offers workers participating in its mobility program living allowances, project incentives, mobilization bonuses, travel stipends and increased pay.
- Retaining workers requires employers to focus on career development, workplace culture and quality of life as well as compensation, panelists said. Building local pipelines through apprenticeships, trade partners and community relationships will also be critical to meeting long-term labor needs, including the workers needed to operate and maintain facilities after construction is complete.
Dive Insight:
The scale of data center development makes the labor challenge different from staffing a single large project, said Jerry Crawford, managing director at Turner Construction.
Data centers are being built simultaneously across the country and require workers with sophisticated electrical and mechanical skills, Crawford said during a session at Construction Dive’s Courting Construction 2026: Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent event.
“There is a workforce shortage … but it’s also a tremendous workforce opportunity,” Crawford said.
That competition for workers has implications beyond data center contractors. Facility managers depend on many of the same electricians, HVAC technicians and other skilled tradespeople to maintain buildings, replace equipment and complete renovations and capital projects. The growth of data centers and digital infrastructure is exacerbating shortages of skilled workers, with the average hiring time for skilled workers reaching 56 days, according to Randstad North America.
DPR has responded in part by building a more formal mobility program to persuade employees to take assignments in locations where workers are particularly difficult to find, Talent Acquisition Manager Brian Schneider said during the Aug. 26 event.
In addition to per diem or living allowances, the company provides a project incentive, mobilization bonus, travel stipend and a pay differential while employees participate in the program, Schneider said.
These are the kinds of things that DPR has identified as being competitive, he said.
Clayco Chief Talent Officer Katie Lane said her company has launched a “first of its kind” student loan repayment assistance program, where the company helps people with outstanding student loan debt.
But money alone is unlikely to keep workers on projects, the panelists said.
Clayco uses what Lane calls “re-recruiting” — continually engaging people who already work for the company rather than assuming recruitment ends once an employee is hired.
The company has focused on leadership development, site visits by senior executives, team activities and an extended onboarding program that provides additional support during an employee’s first six months to a year. Clayco also offers training programs designed to show employees how they can advance within the company, Lane said.
Those efforts become particularly important on remote data center projects, where employees may spend extended periods away from home.
“Nobody’s going to win retention on compensation alone,” Lane said.
Developing a larger labor pool will also require companies to look beyond competition for existing skilled workers, the speakers said. Contractors need to bring additional people into construction through apprenticeships, technical education and other workforce development programs. They must also make the industry’s career paths more visible to younger workers, speakers said.
Local partnerships are another piece of that strategy. Turner, Clayco and DPR said they work with local subcontractors, government officials and communities where major projects are being developed rather than relying entirely on traveling workers.
Those relationships can provide a longer-term workforce benefit, Crawford said, because local workers will still be needed after builders finish a project.
“Who’s going to operate and maintain these facilities after we leave and go build the next project?” Crawford asked. The local workforce, he said.