How We Work
At Skilled Trades Headhunters, this is what we do all day: recruit skilled trades professionals.
Permanent contingency search is the default. Everything else is on request, with terms set per engagement.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Tell us who you need.
Role and contact first. The rest is optional.
How long did your last search take?
How much did the empty truck or open crew slot cost while you waited? Missed service calls, overtime for the rest of the crew, a bid you passed on. Put your own numbers into the cost of vacancy tool and see what one more month of waiting looks like.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Skilled trades only
- We reach tradespeople who aren't on job boards
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
Five ways to engage
Our core model for every trade we recruit. Contingency, so no fee unless you hire, and we headhunt people who are working now rather than posting and waiting.Long-Term Contract Searches
Available on request for defined projects such as builds, shutdowns and storm recovery, with terms set per engagement. We take assignments long enough to justify proper screening, not one-day fills.Traveling Crews
We recruit tradespeople who already travel on per diem and rotation, so multi-state work can be staffed for scaffolders, shipfitters, pipe layers, HDD crews, tower techs, NDT and coatings crews.Temp-to-Perm
On request, when you want to see someone work on site first. Terms for conversion are agreed before the start date.Seasonal Ramps
We fill seasonal ramps for landscape, irrigation, pool, pest, HVAC peak and storm season when the need repeats every year and we can build the pipeline ahead of time. We are not a same-day labor hall.
What stays the same
We recruit and present candidates. We do not employ, pay or insure contract workers. Any contract or temp-to-perm arrangement is between you and the worker or the worker's own employer, on terms agreed in writing before the start date.
See also our process, recruiting fees and traveling trades.
How the search runs
How we work, in one place
Skilled Trades Headhunters recruits tradespeople, technicians, supervisors and managers for employers who need them. We are a recruiter, not an employer. Our default is permanent direct hire on a contingency basis. Other engagement types exist, but they are on request, and each has its own page. This page explains the shape of our work so clients and candidates know what to expect before they send a message.
We try to say plainly what we do, because skilled people and busy owners both value directness over polish.
Permanent direct hire first
Permanent direct hire is our core model. The client hires the person onto its own payroll. We find, qualify and introduce working people, and the client decides. We are paid only when a hire is made, and the approved fee and guarantee terms live on our recruiting fees page. We recommend this structure for nearly every role, because skilled people expect a lasting home.
A client that wants a permanent hire can send a request and expect a reply that says what we can do and how.
Clients who want to understand the details can read our process and recruiting fees pages, which describe each step and the approved terms.
Other engagements, on request
Long term contract searches, traveling crews, temp-to-perm and seasonal ramps are available when a client asks and the work justifies them. Terms are agreed in writing for each engagement and are never assumed in advance. We do not publish rates or promise timelines on these pages, because every project differs. Each engagement has its own page that explains what it is and what it is not.
Each page explains one engagement and links to the others, so clients can compare without a sales call.
What we never do
We do not employ, pay or insure workers on a client's behalf. We do not operate as a same-day labor hall. We do not run background or drug checks, which are employer-run and apply to candidates who consent. We do not present training credentials as licenses. We do not name employers when describing where candidates come from, and we do not inflate anyone's experience.
We also never send a candidate's name to a client without their permission, and we never reveal a client's identity without theirs.
How a search runs
A search begins with an intake about the work, the location, the pay the employer will offer and the credentials to confirm for the job location. We then contact working people directly, screen them by conversation and write a brief on each. The client interviews and chooses. We stay in contact through the offer and the start date so surprises appear early.
Throughout the search, we keep notes about what each candidate wants, so the next introduction is better.
Screening is done by conversation about real work, not by keyword matching or automated filters.
Credentials and licensing
Licensing, certification and registration vary by trade and by jurisdiction. We ask candidates for credentials with dates and mark each as something to confirm for the job location. We never promise a license, and we never suggest someone may work beyond the authority they hold. Employers remain responsible for verifying credentials and for the rules that apply to their work.
Employers remain responsible for verifying credentials and complying with employment rules for the job location.
For candidates
Candidates are not charged. We contact people who are working and describe each opportunity honestly, including pay structure, schedule, travel and the weaknesses we know about. We keep each conversation confidential and never submit a name without permission. If a role is not right, we say so, and we remember what you want for the next one.
We recruit across many trades, and each candidate is treated as a person with a career, not a placement.
Where to go next
The pages below explain each engagement, our process, our recruiting fees and the trades we recruit. If you have an open role, send it through the request form with the title, the location and what the person will do. If you are a candidate, tell us what you do and what you want. We reply plainly, and we start with a conversation.
If you are unsure where to begin, send a short message describing the work and we will point you to the right place.
We read every request, and we answer with specifics rather than a script.
What happens next
- You send the trade, scope and location. Two short steps.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- We search, qualify people live, and send a written brief on each person we present.
Details on our process and recruiting fees.
Questions
What does a trades search cost?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Fee terms are set out in the signed agreement.
When is the fee due?
A fee is due only when you hire a candidate we presented, as set out in the signed agreement.
What if the hire does not work out?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How do you verify candidates?
Where a license or certification is required for the work, we confirm it with the issuing authority for the jurisdiction of the work. We discuss the scope in a live conversation. Any MVR, drug or background check that the role requires is handled by the employer with the candidate's authorization. We do not administer those checks.
Do you recruit union or open shop?
Either. Tell us which applies. Union referral rules and signatory agreements stay between you and the local, and we scope the search around them.
Is the search confidential?
Yes. We do not name your company to a candidate before they agree to a conversation, and we do not contact a candidate's current employer about them.
Do you recruit nationwide?
Yes, for local and traveling roles. We search by scope, not by city page.
What happens in The Six-Step Search?
Every Skilled Trades Headhunters client search follows the same six named steps. Here is what happens at each one and what you get from it.
- 1
Intake and calibration
We agree on the work, location, pay, schedule and credentials before contacting anyone.
What you get: You get a clear role profile with the deal breakers named up front.
- 2
Targeted market research
We map the trade backgrounds and local or traveling talent that fit. We use relevant employer types, referrals and public license lookups where available.
What you get: You get a search aimed at the actual work, not a job title alone.
- 3
Personal outreach
We contact working tradespeople individually about the opening and what would make a move worthwhile.
What you get: You reach people who are not replying to your job advertisement.
- 4
Live qualification
Each person is talked through the scope, equipment and schedule in a live conversation. Applicable licenses are checked with the issuing authority.
What you get: You only hear about people who understand the job and want it.
- 5
Written shortlist insight
We present a short list with a written brief on each person: what they do now, what they want and what to probe.
What you get: You interview a few people instead of reading a stack.
- 6
Interview and offer support
We help you prepare interviews, discuss the offer and address counteroffers. We stay in touch through the agreed start.
What you get: You have support for the hiring decision. The signed agreement sets the replacement terms.
What do owners ask before a search?
What does it cost?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Fee terms are set out in the signed agreement. The full explanation is on our fees page.
How long until I see a short list?
It depends on the trade, the location, the pay and how specific the scope is. A common service role in a busy market moves faster than a niche controls role in a small town. We give you an honest read on the intake call and update you as the search runs. We do not promise a date.
What about counteroffers?
Good tradespeople often get a counteroffer when they resign. We ask every candidate early what would make them stay where they are, we tell you what we hear, and we talk the candidate through the resignation before it happens.
Can you find people who travel or need per diem?
Yes. We settle travel, per diem, lodging and home time on the intake call and repeat them to every candidate, because they decide whether a traveling offer is accepted.
Do you check licenses?
Where a license or certification is required for the work, we confirm it with the issuing authority for the jurisdiction of the work. Requirements differ by trade and state, and some trades have no state license at all. When that is the case, we say so and test the scope instead.
What if the hire does not work out?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not bill by the hour, we do not take retainers unless agreed in writing, we do not repost your job on job boards, and we are not a same-day labor hall. We do not run drug, MVR or background checks; your company handles any the role requires.
Start a Search
Tell us the trade and where the work is. Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
Contingency search. No fee unless you hire.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.