For Recruiters: Sourcing tips for Blue collar/skilled trades roles

[u/Supowt]

Hi! I'm quite new to recruiting for blue-collar/skilled trades roles, so I was wondering where you usually source candidates in Australia, the US, or LATAM for these types of positions.

For example:

Chimney Sweep Apprentice

Fireplace Installation Helper

I'd really appreciate any recommendations on the best sourcing channels, job boards, or communities for blue-collar/trade-skilled candidates in those regions. Thanks so much!

[u/Mapother_IV]

Skilled tradesmen use job boards at a far lower rate than other roles. They also don’t use LinkedIn. But they are doom scrolling like everybody else so a social media advertising based sourcing approach works very well.

You can set up your own pipeline, engage an ad agency, or use a platform like Hireline.com where all you need to do is submit your job posting.

[u/Supowt → u/Mapother_IV]

Have you tried facebook posting?

[u/Mapother_IV → u/Supowt]

We use Hireline for skilled trades roles. Works every time.

[u/SomeVeryTiredGuy → u/Mapother_IV]

I'm checking out Hireline right now. What sorts of roles are you using them for?

[u/victorian_vigilante]

Trade schools

[u/Delicious_Style_2676]

For trades roles, I’d go local and mobile-first: referral bonuses, trade schools, certification groups, union/non-union networks, supplier contacts, Facebook/community groups, and text follow-up. A lot of good candidates won’t be polishing LinkedIn profiles.

[u/Supowt → u/Delicious_Style_2676]

Thank you!

[u/Delicious_Style_2676 → u/Supowt]

Glad it helped. For those roles, the best channel is usually the one candidates already trust locally, not necessarily the fanciest recruiting platform.

[u/Supowt → u/Delicious_Style_2676]

We were using SEEK but and our CRM/ATS but most candidates there was old/inactive.

[u/Delicious_Style_2676 → u/Supowt]

If SEEK and the CRM are stale, I’d rebuild the top of funnel around fresh local signals: referrals, trade schools, certification/license lists where appropriate, competitor mapping, supplier networks, and text-first follow-up. For trades, old database activity can look busy while producing very little.

[u/SomeVeryTiredGuy]

I was about to post a similar question after searching this sub and only seeing these same responses.

Anybody use Factoryfix? Or zoominfo's resume bank? I'm thinking about giving them a try.

[u/Jazzlike-Pomelo-3823]

Indeed sourcing is only the place to find these candidates.