Hiring in the trades is broken. Too many contractors “post and pray,” hoping the right people show up. In this episode, Benji sits down with Naomi Pitt and Josianne Gaudette from CrewHR to break down what real recruitment looks like in 2025—from building pipelines, referral programs, employer branding, and even using AI without losing the human touch.

If you’re struggling to attract and keep top talent, this episode is packed with tactical advice and powerful mindset shifts.

Timestamps: 
00:50 – Why contractors fall into “post and pray” hiring 
03:06 – The biggest mindset shift in recruiting 
04:40 – Recruitment is a sales funnel 
10:33 – Beyond job boards: new sourcing channels 
14:36 – Referral programs that actually work 
20:09 – The “Ideal Candidate Profile” (ICP) explained 
25:20 – Gen Z and the rebranding of the trades 
32:39 – Why remote work is overrated 
35:10 – Mapping career paths visually 
39:06 – Employer brand 101: more than logos 
44:39 – AI in hiring: efficiency vs empathy 
50:34 – Why small companies actually have the advantage 
52:20 – CrewHR’s mission + what’s next