How to Attract the Best Millennial & Gen Z Trades Candidates

The trades workforce is ageing - according to Jobs and Skills Australia's 2025 Occupation Shortage List, nearly half of all trade roles are in shortage nationally, with construction among the hardest hit.

The businesses that will come out ahead aren't just offering more money - they're rethinking how they hire, how they communicate, and what they actually stand for as employers.

Australia's manufacturing, maintenance and trade sectors are facing a generational crunch. Experienced tradespeople are retiring, and the pipeline of young, skilled workers to replace them isn't keeping pace with demand. For businesses that depend on qualified tradespeople, competition for emerging talent has never been tougher.

The good news: Millennials (born roughly 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997-2012) are entering the trades in real numbers. The challenge is understanding what they're actually looking for, and then making sure your business delivers it.

They're Not Just Chasing Money

That's not to say pay doesn't matter. It absolutely does. But Deloitte's 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey of over 800 Australian respondents found that 94% of Gen Zs and 92% of millennials prioritise meaningful work, and nearly half have turned down a potential employer based on a values mismatch. Pay matters, but it's no longer the whole story.

For Millennial and Gen Z tradespeople, the top considerations typically include:

• A clear understanding of what the role actually involves, day-to-day

• A workplace where they feel respected, not just deployed

• Some sense of where the role could lead - without needing a corporate career ladder

• Consistent communication throughout the hiring process

• Employers who are upfront about conditions, expectations and culture

Younger candidates are also significantly more likely to research employers before applying. Your Google reviews, social media presence and word-of-mouth reputation among the trades community all feed into whether a qualified candidate decides you're worth their time.

Be Specific in Your Job Ads

Generic job ads get generic results. "Experienced tradesperson required - competitive salary" tells a younger candidate almost nothing. They want to know the actual work: What sites? What roster? Is it FIFO or local? What does the team look like? What tools and equipment will they be working with?

Vagueness reads as a red flag to candidates who've done their research. If you're not willing to be specific in the job ad, what does that say about how you communicate once they're on the tools?

Worth knowing: Experience consistently shows that younger tradespeople are much more likely to walk away from a slow or unresponsive hiring process. Many candidates have already moved on before an employer has had a chance to respond. Speed and communication aren't a courtesy, they're a competitive advantage.

Culture Isn't a Soft Metric

The traditional trades culture of "just get on with it" doesn't land the same way with younger workers. That doesn't mean they want hand-holding - it means they want to know what kind of place they're walking into. Is it a team that looks out for each other on site? Are new starters shown the ropes or thrown in the deep end? Is there a foreman who communicates clearly, or one who communicates through volume?

You don't need to reinvent your culture. But you do need to be able to articulate it - and the parts worth selling, sell them. The parts worth improving, work on them.

Flexibility Matters More Than You Might Think

Flexibility in the trades often isn't about working from home - it's about roster predictability, start and finish times that respect personal commitments, and not being expected to work unpaid overtime as a matter of course. Younger workers place a higher premium on their time outside of work than previous generations did, and businesses that acknowledge this tend to attract and retain them more effectively.

Where flexibility genuinely isn't possible, be upfront about it early. Candidates who know what they're signing up for are far less likely to leave inside the first three months.

Your Hiring Process Is Part of the Pitch

Every touchpoint in the hiring process sends a signal about what it's like to work for you. A slow response, a disorganised interview, or a job offer that takes three weeks to materialise all communicate something, and usually not something positive.

Younger candidates in particular will share their experiences, positive and negative, with their networks. A poor hiring experience doesn't just cost you one candidate. It affects your reputation in the local trades community, which is smaller and more connected than many employers realise.

Getting this right isn't complicated: acknowledge applications promptly, communicate clearly at each stage, and give feedback where you can. Simple things, done consistently.

Use People Who Know the Trades

In the trades, candidates quickly work out whether the person on the other end of a screening call understands their work. Generic recruiters using generic scripts don't cut through. Candidates want to talk to someone who knows the difference between a Cert III and a Cert IV, understands the work involved in their trade, and can answer honest questions about the role.

That's exactly what trade-specific recruitment is built for. The conversations are more credible, the screening is more accurate, and the candidates who get through are genuinely qualified, not just available.

Struggling to find the right trades staff?

MiRecruit specialises in qualified trades recruitment - built by the team behind MIGAS Apprentices & Trainees. Talk to us about your next hire at enquiries@mirecruit.com.au or 1300 464 427.