Written By: Tom Hall, Vice President of Business Development, KorTerra

In late 2021, the United States Congress passed the largest infrastructure bill in the country's history. The bill contains many components that will affect communities nationwide. This article focuses on how the bill impacts organizations in the damage prevention industry, specifically the staffing and workforce challenges that come with forecasting resource needs as federally funded projects roll out.

How Large Is the Infrastructure Bill's Investment in Underground Infrastructure?

The bill contains $550 billion in new federal investment in roads, bridges, water systems, fiber infrastructure, and additional projects. The significant investment in fiber buildout will have a direct and sustained impact on the damage prevention industry. Every mile of new fiber means more 811 locate requests, and acquiring the field staff needed to complete that work puts pressure on an industry that was already struggling with labor shortages before the bill passed.

What Staffing Challenges Does the Infrastructure Bill Create for Damage Prevention?

What happens to damage prevention staffing when 811 ticket volumes increase 50% to 75%? That's the projected range of increase as Infrastructure Bill-funded construction projects begin across the country. The questions facing every utility, contract locator, and locate service provider are urgent:

How do you prepare for that volume increase? How do you react when it arrives? It's already difficult to find qualified locators and field technicians for the work that exists today. How will the industry meet the additional demand?

6 Ways Damage Prevention Organizations Can Address Workforce and Staffing Challenges

1. Retain the Locators and Field Staff You Already Have

Why is employee retention the top priority for damage prevention organizations before ticket volumes increase?Replacing an experienced locator during a volume surge is far more costly and disruptive than keeping one. Make sure your workplace culture is strong, your teams have the tools and equipment they need to do their jobs well, and there are clear opportunities for professional development. Experienced locators who feel supported and see a future with your organization are your most valuable asset heading into a high-demand period.

2. Expand Your Recruitment Tactics

Don't rely on the same hiring channels that worked when the labor market was looser. Explore new recruiting tools and services. Look into internship and apprenticeship programs that build a pipeline of future locators. Promote from within when the opportunity exists. Internal promotions signal to your entire team that there's a path forward, which supports both recruitment and retention.

3. Make Your Benefits Package Competitive

What benefits help damage prevention companies attract field technicians and locators? Compensation, health care, and retirement contributions are table stakes. To stand out in a competitive labor market, consider offering stock options, wellness programs, or talent investment benefits like tuition reimbursement. Candidates comparing offers will choose the organization that demonstrates long-term investment in their people.

4. Reduce Friction in Your Hiring Process

When qualified candidates enter your pipeline, don't lose them to a slow or overly complex hiring process. Evaluate the length and number of steps required to get from application to offer. A process that takes weeks or requires excessive steps pushes candidates toward competitors who move faster. Speed to hire is a competitive advantage in a tight labor market.

5. Create Employee Referral Incentives

Your current team is your best recruiting channel. Offer an internal employee referral bonus structure and make it clear that there are no negative consequences if a referral doesn't work out. Removing that hesitation is what turns a referral program from a policy on paper into an active source of qualified candidates.

6. Recognize Your Team's Work

Explore ways to recognize employees for strong performance and contributions to damage prevention outcomes. Competition-based incentives and thoughtful recognition programs are effective at maintaining morale and reinforcing the behaviors that keep your operation running well during high-demand periods.

Start Planning for the Infrastructure Bill's Workforce Impact Now

Today's labor market is competitive, and the damage prevention industry is competing for the same field technicians and skilled workers that construction, utilities, and telecom companies need. That competition will intensify as Infrastructure Bill-funded projects accelerate.

The organizations that start planning their workforce strategy now, focusing on retention, recruitment, benefits, and hiring speed, will be the ones staffed and ready when ticket volumes climb. Waiting until the surge arrives means scrambling to hire and train while your existing team absorbs the overload.

About KorTerra, Inc.

KorTerra is the leading provider of damage prevention software, protecting billions of dollars in underground infrastructure. For over 30 years, the leading stakeholders in gas distribution, pipeline operation, telecommunications, electric distribution, contract locating, and city, county, and state governments have trusted KorTerra as their damage prevention solution. KorTerra helps mitigate risk and ensure the safety of field personnel by providing secure software platforms for processing 811 locate tickets, tracking and reporting asset damages, meeting regulatory compliance, and more. Explore additional solutions at korterra.com and follow KorTerra on LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Paige Nygaard – KorTerra, Inc.
952.368.1911
marketing@korterra.com