When a company loses too many employees, it can suffer significantly from financial loss as well as lose a sense of unity. Often, business leaders have a high rate of employee turnover because the demands involved in running their businesses don’t give them enough time to meet the various needs of their workers.
Employee turnover can negatively affect just about any industry, but it can be even more detrimental for the construction industry. The employee shortage in this specialized industry continues to increase as about 66 percent of contractors have a hard time finding skilled workers, and once they do, they struggle to keep them. Here are five practical tips for improving construction site employee retention:
Be Sure Your Workers Understand Your Goals
It’s essential you explain the mission statement of your company, along with your specific goals in any given project. Consider how employees who have a clear understanding of their company’s overall purpose tend to be more content at work. In other words, workers need to know the role they play in a larger picture as this promotes productivity. It also results in a project continuing to the next phase.
Don’t Be Too Controlling
There are several ways to reduce micromanagement, which refers to a management style in which an employer has too much control over the work of his or her subordinates. Rather than being too controlling, it’s more beneficial to give your workers more independence and autonomy. One way to do this is by being open-minded to their suggestions when it comes to completing a job. Another idea is to listen to their particular needs and goals. Additionally, aim to be patient when they make mistakes.
Train Your Employees Well
Unfortunately, some construction companies fail to train their workers properly. As a result, workers are unprepared to do a job, leaving them frustrated and wanting to leave. You should also provide learning opportunities designed for mastering construction skills. Training in safety procedures is equally critical for making workers feel more secure at work, so they want to stay with a company.
Be Aware of Your Employees’ Needs
When you see your workers as human beings with real needs instead of only what they can do for you, you’ll be more likely to have them stay with you. Make an effort to let your employees know you care about their welfare by encouraging them to speak up when they’re having personal problems. Providing health and wellness programs is also important.
Look Out For Their Health, Safety, and Comfort
Because construction work entails a greater amount of physical labor than most other industries, there should be more focus on the health and safety of employees. For example, health benefits need to cover physical problems, such as back conditions, repetitive motion disorders, muscle strain, and other issues. Be sure your staff has a comfortable area where they can relax for breaks and that they have access to drinking water. In addition to improving their physical health, this can also improve job productivity.
Other Considerations for Improving Construction Site Employee Retention
- Employee retention should begin as soon as an onboarding period starts. In fact, workers going through the onboarding process have a 70 percent higher probability of remaining with a company for at least three years.
- Check-in with your employees on a regular basis so that you can be aware of any concerns before they get worse.
- Be sure you have a workplace environment in which your workers feel comfortable enough to tell you about any problems they’re having on the job.
- Promote a workforce that doesn’t exclude women and minorities. Keep in mind that a common problem that many construction companies experience is a lack of diversity in their workforce.
- Make sure your employees are paid well.
- Offer great benefits.
How a PEO Can Help Keep Employees Happy
When you hire a PEO (Professional Employer Organization), your employees are more likely to be happier at work and not leave. A major job of a PEO is managing HR. These professionals perform several other tasks, such as handling payroll and promoting a much more professional work environment in which workers feel cared for and valued.
If you’re overwhelmed with everything you have to do as an employer and are worried about keeping your employees, please call us. Harbor America is a PEO providing HR, payroll, benefits, compliances and other valuable services to small and mid-sized business owners in the construction industry and other blue-collar industries. Please contact Harbor America for a free consultation.
