Hire Welders for Your Company in 5 Steps

The candidate pool is tight for industries throughout the US, and the fabrication and welding industry is no exception. Per the American Welding Society, fewer than 20% of welders are younger than 35, and by 2024, the welder deficit will reach 400,000. With more and more welders retiring, companies are wondering how they will fill their open jobs for welders.

Hiring a single welder is challenging enough, so companies looking to hire welder teams face an even bigger challenge. To fill your open jobs for welders with the right candidates, consider the following steps.

Create a Welder Skills List

The first step in any hiring strategy is to determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities that you want to see on a welder resume. Some common qualities that companies look for on a welder resume include:

• Knowledge of materials, such as various alloys and metals
• Knowledge and use of welding tools, such as torches and electrode rods
• Creativity
• Knowledge of welding manufacturing practices
• Ability to read and use blueprints
• Safety awareness
• Welding certifications and training
• Adaptability
• Responsibility

Create the Job Post

After completing a knowledge, skills, and abilities list for welder candidates, it’s time to create a detailed job description and post it. The job post should clearly identify the requirements of the job and the type of candidate that you’re seeking. The job post should also indicate whether you’re looking to hire welder students, experienced welders, or both. You also want to share some information about the company and the types of benefits offered to attract quality talent.

Be Open to Nontraditional Candidates

In a competitive market, when possible, it’s good to be open to nontraditional candidates. For example, if an applicant lacks direct welding experience but is creative and enjoys working with their hands, they might end up being a good fit. Before you rule out nontraditional candidates, first determine whether or not the skills represented on their resume are transferable to the welding manufacturing industry.  

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Prepare for the Interview & Skills Test

While reviewing welder resumes, you can prepare for interviews by creating a list of interview questions. Having a list of questions to ask each candidate will allow you to be consistent in your information-gathering across all candidates. Below are some sample questions for inexperienced or entry-level candidates and some for experienced candidates.

Inexperienced and Entry-Level:

Why do you want to be a welder?

Why do you feel you’re a good fit for the job?

What part of your training did you like the most?

Experienced:

What’s your favorite thing about being a welder?

What types of metals and alloys do you prefer to work with?

What welding tools do you typically use for X type of projects?

To see what a welding candidate is capable of, many companies give a skills test to welding candidates. You can identify organizations that offer welding skills test by conducting an online search for “welding skills tests.”

Present the Offer

Once you’ve conducted your interviews, it’s time to present an offer. During the application and interview process, you’ve hopefully identified what’s important to the candidate and their minimum salary requirements. You want to highlight what your company can offer to meet the candidate’s requirements, such as benefits and time off, to close the deal.

Time off and flexibility are especially important to the new generation, referred to as Gen Z, entering the workforce. As a welding company, you obviously want to be able to meet the demands of your clients and the organizations you support. You can’t afford to have people not be at work. But if you have the room to offer some flex time and time off, it can help you attract and retain top welding talent.    

We understand how challenging it is to hire welding candidates. As a result, we offer a dedicated job board to bring welding candidates and employers together. We also offer specialized hiring tips and tools to support you in filling your jobs for welders with the best talent possible.