Mechanical, Structural & General Craft recruiters who bring you a focused shortlist
Data Center Headhunters are Mechanical, Structural & General Craft recruiters for data center owners, operators and builders. Send us the open role and we find working Mechanical, Structural & General Craft candidates, qualify each one live and give you a short list to interview. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
You are staffing the physical trades that make the building stand and the water and air move, and the order you bring them on will affect everyone behind them.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Data centers only, construction to operations
- Local and 100% travel candidates
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
- Journeyman Pipefitter
- Traveling Pipefitter (Per Diem)
- Pipefitter Foreman
- Pipe Welder
- Plumber (construction)
- Sheet Metal Worker / Duct Installer
- HVAC Installer
- Mechanical Insulator
- Sprinkler Fitter
- Millwright / Equipment Setter
- Rigger / Signal Person
- Crane Operator
- Ironworker (structural and reinforcing)
- Carpenter / Framer
What does this hire really come down to?
This family covers pipe, duct, welding, setting equipment, lifting, steel, and rebar, plus the foremen who run them. The trades depend on each other. Steel and concrete go first. Piping needs welders and fitters working together. A weak link in one trade slows the next. Sequence your hiring to the construction schedule.
Bring structural and reinforcing crews first, then riggers and equipment setters, then pipefitters, welders, sheet metal, and installers as the building closes. Each group should be on site when the work is ready, not weeks before. Foremen are the quiet center of this family. A good foreman keeps the drawings, the materials, and the crew in step. A poor one makes strong workers look slow. Spend your hiring effort on foremen first, and let them help choose the crew. Plumbing and general craft support roles are easy to forget. Domestic water, drains, sleeves, and general carpentry affect inspections and turnover. A site with every major trade but no plumber for the restrooms can still fail an occupancy review, so list the small trades too.
Welding and pipe work depend on the quality plan. Decide who inspects, what percentage is radiographed, and who pays for rework. Welders and fitters make different decisions when they know the plan before the first joint. Weather and access shape the early trades more than any other. Steel and rebar crews work in wind, rain, and cold, and a delayed pour can idle everyone behind them. Ask each foreman how they plan around weather, and how they decide when work is unsafe to continue.
What do we check before you see anyone?
Ask what their recent work was and how it compares to your scope. Ask for welding tests, rigging cards, and licenses that apply, with dates. Ask how many they led and what they did when a crew member made a mistake.
- Trade match: ask what their recent work was and how it compares to your scope.
- Qualifications: ask for welding tests, rigging cards, and licenses that apply, with dates.
- Crew leadership: ask how many they led and what they did when a crew member made a mistake.
- Quality records: ask what inspections they passed and which they failed.
- Coordination: ask how they worked with other trades and handled conflicts.
- Safety habits: ask about their last close call and what they changed.
- Tool and material habits: ask how they kept materials clean and secure on a site.
- Documentation: ask what records they produced for welds, lifts, or pressure tests.
Where do we find these candidates?
Craft workers come from union apprenticeships, open shop contractors, industrial and power plant construction, shipyards, and fabrication shops. Foremen are usually the workers who stayed in the trade and took on leadership. They move when a project ends and the next is far, when overtime ends, or when they want a steady campus build.
- Craft workers come from union apprenticeships, open shop contractors, industrial and power plant construction, shipyards, and fabrication shops. Foremen are usually the workers who stayed in the trade and took on leadership.
- They move when a project ends and the next is far, when overtime ends, or when they want a steady campus build. Some prefer to stay near home. Ask what trade-offs they will accept.
- Shipyard and fabrication shop backgrounds are a strong source for welders and fitters. They bring tight tolerances and a habit of reading drawings closely.
- Foremen often say they want a crew they trust and a superintendent who answers questions. Offer both before you offer a title, and ask what they would need in the first week to feel set up.
Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?
Do not hire all trades at once and pay for idle crews. Do not skip the foreman search and expect the crew to self-organize. A foreman who also tries to weld all day stops supervising. Do not ignore qualification dates on welders and riggers.
- Hiring all trades at once and paying for idle crews.
- Skipping the foreman search and expecting the crew to self-organize. A foreman who also tries to weld all day stops supervising.
- Ignoring qualification dates on welders and riggers.
Your search in 3 steps
- Lay out the sequence
Share the construction schedule. We plan hiring to the order the trades are needed. If the schedule moves, tell us at once so we can shift who we introduce.
- Choose foremen first
We find the foremen early so they can weigh in on the crew.
- Verify qualifications
We confirm tests, licenses, and cards before candidates meet your team.
Every title we cover
Not ready to start a search?
We tell you where qualified Mechanical, Structural & General Craft are working in your area and what it takes to move them. No fee, no obligation.
Paste or upload your JD. We flag what will put strong candidates off. No fee, no obligation.
Open roles
Questions
Which trade should I hire first?
The one the schedule needs soonest, usually structural and reinforcing. Hiring later trades early only adds cost.
Should foremen help choose the crew?
Yes, because they know who will fit their way of working and can vouch for them. Include the foreman in interviews for the crew they will lead.
How do I handle mixed union and open shop crews?
Decide the labor model first and plan the site rules. Candidates ask because rules affect pay and work.
What proof should I ask for from welders?
Ask for current weld tests that match your procedures and a reference who saw their weld results. A certificate from years ago does not show current skill on your pipe class.
How does per diem work for traveling crews?
Your company sets a daily rate and the number of travel days before interviews. Crews compare per diem across jobs, so a clear figure avoids wasted conversations.
Should small trades like plumbing be on the plan early?
Yes, because their inspections can hold up turnover. List them with the main trades so their hiring is not left until the end.
Start your search
How long did your last search take? How much did the empty seat cost while you waited?
An open data center seat holds up commissioning dates, stretches the people covering it and adds cost every week it stays empty. Put your own numbers into the cost-of-vacancy calculator, then compare that figure with a contingency search where you pay only if you hire.
Work out your cost of vacancyHow a search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
Every search runs the same six steps. We agree the brief with you, map where the people work, find direct contact routes, reach out personally and repeatedly, then qualify each candidate live. You only see a short list of people who fit, with notes on each, and we stay with you through offer and start.
- 01
Search Calibration
You get: A written brief you sign off on: scope, must-haves, pay band and who not to approach.
- 02
Market Mapping
You get: A map of the companies and projects where your future hire is working today.
- 03
Professional Contact Intelligence
You get: Verified direct contact routes to the people on that map, not job board replies.
- 04
Persistent Personalized Outreach
You get: Repeated, role-specific outreach to people who are not looking, in your words.
- 05
Live Candidate Qualification
You get: Each candidate is screened live against your brief before you hear their name.
- 06
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You get: A short list with candidate briefs, then support through interviews, offer and start.
What should you know before you send a role?
How long until I see a short list?
It depends on the role, the location and the market. We agree a realistic timeline with you during Search Calibration and keep you updated as the search runs.
How do you handle counteroffers?
We talk through motivation, pay and counteroffer risk with each candidate during live qualification and again before an offer, so you hear about the risk before it surprises you.
Is there a guarantee?
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 don't you do?
We do not post your job on boards, send stacks of unscreened resumes or charge an upfront fee. We do not approach candidates for your search before the brief is agreed with you.
Need this person?
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.