Episode Details

Ask most builders who runs their HR, and the answer is "me."

That's the problem.

In this episode, Az sits down with Julie Bolitho, a recruitment and HR specialist who has spent close to 30 years in the building industry. She started at sixteen in a land surveying office, studied drafting at TAFE, and went on to work across the HIA, Apprenticeships Queensland and the Australian Industry Trade College before founding Dedicated Staffing Solutions. She knows a building business from the inside.

The throughline of this one is simple. Your people are your most important asset, and getting recruitment right is everything.

Julie and Az get into the real stuff. Why so many women in the industry undersell themselves, and why they need to back themselves more. Where builders get unstuck hiring friends and family. What candidates using AI on their resumes actually looks like from the other side of the interview table. And why a tidy LinkedIn profile matters more than tradies might think.

There's a strong section on workforce planning too. With the trade shortage and 2032 on the horizon, Julie makes the case for bringing on apprentices, trainees and cadets now — and mentoring them under your best people so you're not caught short later.

They also talk leadership. The kind that shows up when the conversations get hard, not just when the beers come out.

And when Az asks what makes a good builder, Julie's answer is one worth sitting with: someone who embraces change, looks after their people, and knows when to step up, step aside, and step down.

A genuinely useful conversation for anyone who employs people in this industry.

What we cover

• Why your people are the real core of a building business
• Women in construction, and why backing yourself matters
• Where builders get unstuck hiring friends and family
• Candidates using AI on resumes and cover letters, and how to see through it
• Why LinkedIn and social profiles matter for tradies
• Workforce planning ahead of the trade shortage and 2032
• Using apprentices and trainees to replicate your best people
• Leadership when times get hard
• Skilled migration and local trade pathways

Sponsors
This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct, construction management software built by Australian builders, for Australian builders. Start a 30-day free trial at myconstruct.com