Skilled Trades Recruiting Secrets: Heat Maps, Military Pipelines & Why Indeed Isn't Enough

Skilled trades recruiting is one of the hardest challenges in talent acquisition — and most companies are doing it completely wrong. In this episode of GoHire Talks, Jonathan Duarte sits down with Scott Haas, a 25-year HR and recruiting veteran and former Marine Corps infantry officer, to break down a data-first approach to skilled trades recruiting that actually works. Scott shares how his team used Lightcast (formerly EMSI) labor intelligence heat maps to map candidate supply before posting a single job — identifying who held certifications, which companies employed them, and where the traffic flows in major metro areas. When local supply ran dry in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he made the P&L case for relocation rather than a six-month futile search. Beyond heat mapping, Scott breaks down his military hiring strategy for translating Marine Corps MOS codes and Navy ratings directly into skilled trades roles, his trade school recruiting partnerships playbook (pick 5 schools, show up consistently, become the go-to employer), and how his team used Power BI to unify four messy ATS data sources into a single dashboard — achieving time-to-fill of 33–38 days for skilled trades roles. "The future millionaires are gonna be the ones going into the trades because of the deficit." If you're hiring in data centers, HVAC, facilities, aerospace, or any skilled trade — this episode is required listening. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction: Scott Haas & GoHire Talks 00:46 — From Marine Infantry to Skilled Trades Recruiting 02:00 — The Skilled Trades Workforce Deficit 05:25 — The Biggest GDP Infrastructure Investment Since the Railroads 07:37 — Why Most Recruiters Fail: Post, Pray & Screen Resumes 08:20 — Labor Market Heat Mapping with Lightcast (formerly EMSI) 09:36 — The Tulsa Case Study: 30 People, All Employed 10:32 — Recruiting as a P&L Function — Not an HR Ask 12:26 — Heat Mapping Technology: What Tool Scott Uses 13:12 — When Recruiting Gets a Seat at the Business Development Table 14:05 — Why AI Won't Replace the Skilled Trades Recruiter 15:54 — Data-Driven Time-to-Fill: 33–38 Days With Power BI 17:24 — Military Hiring Strategy: MOS Codes & Trade School Pipelines 18:40 — Trade School Recruiting Partnerships Playbook21:22 — Why "Post, Pray & Screen" Is Outdated 21:57 — Where to Start: Hiring Our Heroes, WOTC & Workforce Development Programs📖 Read the full blog post: https://gohire.com/skilled-trades-rec... 🔗 Connect with Scott Haas on LinkedIn:   / scottghaas   🔗 GoHire on LinkedIn:   / gohire   GoHire Talks is the podcast for HR Leaders, Talent Acquisition Leaders, and People Ops professionals who want real conversations — not recycled advice. Other recent HR leaders interviews and transcripts; Employer Brand Strategy with Bryan Chaney https://gohire.com/bryan-chaneys-empl... Recruiter Outreach Messaging That Actually Gets Replies with Mitch Sullivan https://gohire.com/recruiter-outreach... HR Career Advice in the AI Era with Robin Schooling https://gohire.com/hr-career-advice-i... Recruiting AI Implementation Requires Change Management with Kristina Tsys https://gohire.com/recruiting-ai-impl... Hospitality Recruiting Strategy: How Mina Group Retains Top Talent with Michael Bates https://gohire.com/hospitality-recrui...